According to Mirae Asset Securities, the stock most heavily bought through 11 a.m. by top traders — those in the top 1% for investment returns over the past month among the brokerage's stock traders — was SK hynix. As of 11 a.m., SK hynix traded at 1.748 million won, down 0.63% from the previous session.
On the 16th, Reuters, citing multiple sources, reported that SK hynix is in talks to lease part of a semiconductor production facility Intel is building in Ohio to manufacture memory chips. A plan for SK hynix, Intel and major cloud companies to establish a joint venture is also reportedly under review. It has not yet been decided which type of memory — DRAM, NAND or other — would be produced.
SK hynix said nothing has been finalized. In a statement, the company said, "We are reviewing various options to strengthen our global competitiveness, but nothing has been decided at this point," adding, "The scenarios mentioned in the report, including leasing Intel's facility and establishing a joint venture, have also not been decided."
Intel called the report "speculation" and declined to comment specifically. It said, however, that investment in its Ohio semiconductor production facility remains under way.
The second-largest net buy was Doosan Enerbility, which traded at 85,900 won at the same time, down 2.51%. Expectations of benefits are rising for Doosan Enerbility as LNG power plants and nuclear plant construction are cited as likely investment destinations in Korea-U.S. talks over a $350 billion (about 483 trillion won) investment package in the U.S. If the Encinal LNG combined-cycle power plant in Texas moves forward, the possibility of Doosan Enerbility supplying gas turbines comes into focus. With the construction of eight large U.S. nuclear reactors also mentioned as an investment candidate, expectations are growing for order gains at Doosan Enerbility, the only Korean company capable of supplying primary nuclear reactor equipment. Its partnerships with major U.S. small modular reactor (SMR) developers, including NuScale Power, X-energy and TerraPower, are also supporting the share price.
The largest net sell, meanwhile, was Samsung Electronics. At the same time, the stock traded at 252,500 won, down 0.39%. Samsung Electronics has been weak amid caution over tightening following the U.S. Federal Reserve's benchmark rate hike the previous day and continued foreign selling. Foreign investors extended their net selling on the Kospi for a seventh consecutive session, weighing on the index and large caps.
Mirae Asset Securities compiles the stocks traded by clients in the top 1% for returns over the past month and discloses them on its mobile trading system (MTS) on a real-time, previous-day and five-day basis. The data is simple informational guidance unrelated to Mirae Asset Securities' views and does not guarantee investments or returns suited to any individual investor. Investors should also note that theme stocks carry the risk of abnormal price swings.
