Seoul: South Korean stocks turned positive late Thursday morning, led by gains in techs and batteries after Nvidia's third-quarter results. Opening slightly lower, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index had risen 6 points, or 0.24 percent, to 2,488.29 as of 11:20 a.m.According to Yonhap News Agency, overnight Nvidia reported third-quarter earnings that beat expectations for sales and earnings, but its shares traded lower in extended trading on concerns over a slowdown in its business performance. In Seoul, top-cap Samsung Electronics rose 0.54 percent, and leading battery maker LG Energy Solution added 0.75 percent.Carmaker Kia climbed 0.31 percent, and top oil refinery SK Innovation jumped 5.65 percent. On the other hand, chipmaker SK hynix, the dominant supplier of high bandwidth memory to Nvidia, fell 0.29 percent and Hyundai Motor dropped 0.46 percent.The local currency was trading at 1,399.75 won against the U.S. dollar at 11:20 a.m., down 8.85 won from the previous session.
- October 12, 2026
