KOSPI and KOSDAQ diverged sharply as KOSPI pulled back after a prior surge while KOSDAQ rallied over 4% intraday, triggering a buy-side program-trading pause, Korea Exchange data show. Retail investors net bought 6.4338 tln won on the KOSPI, while foreign and institutional investors net sold 3.8708 tln won and 2.66 tln won, respectively. On KOSDAQ, retail and institutional investors net bought 598 bln won and 1,629 bln won, while foreigners net sold 2,305 bln won. On the 31st of last month Samsu

KOSPI and KOSDAQ diverged sharply as KOSPI pulled back after a prior surge while KOSDAQ rallied over 4% intraday, triggering a buy-side program-trading pause, Korea Exchange data show. Retail investors net bought 6.4338 tln won on the KOSPI, while foreign and institutional investors net sold 3.8708 tln won and 2.66 tln won, respectively. On KOSDAQ, retail and institutional investors net bought 598 bln won and 1,629 bln won, while foreigners net sold 2,305 bln won. On the 31st of last month Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix jumped 26.81% and 29.95%; Daeshin Securities said rapid gains prompted foreign profit-taking. Both names fell about 8% today. Cash rotated from semiconductors into pharmaceuticals, biotech and robotics, with Peptron hitting the daily upper limit and Alteogen, LigaChem Biosciences, ABL Bio and Sam Chun Dang Pharm posting gains.