Seoul: South Korean stocks started lower Thursday as investors attempted to cash in recent gains amid eased tariff woes. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 6.13 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,634.44 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The index jumped 1.23 percent the previous day, extending its winning streak to a third day.
According to Yonhap News Agency, on Wall Street overnight, U.S. stocks finished mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.21 percent, while the S and P 500 gained 0.10 percent and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.72 percent. In Seoul, major shares started in negative territory.
Biotech giant Samsung Biologics retreated 0.70 percent, and No. 1 carmaker Hyundai Motor lost 0.86 percent. Defense firm Hanwha Aerospace fell 0.61 percent, and HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering sank 1.74 percent. However, top-cap Samsung Electronics climbed 0.17 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix stayed flat.
The local currency was trading at 1,410.05 won against the U.S. dollar at 9:15 a.m., up 10.15 won from the previous session.