[SEOUL] Investors who have stomached the ups and downs of South Korea's stock market this year have just been dealt another blow: resurgent tensions with Japan.
Japan's decision to tighten controls over exports to South Korea of special materials vital to its tech industry erased about 16 trillion won from Samsung Electronics' market cap. SK Hynix has shed 1.5 trillion won. Both Samsung and SK Hynix make up almost a quarter of the benchmark Kospi index."The first victim will be technology firms, resulting in delays in investment or production," said Jeon Kyung-dae, who oversees equities at Macquarie Investment Management Korea.
The Kospi index slumped over 2 per cent on Monday, the biggest drop in two months as volatility climbed. Morgan Stanley said Samsung and SK Hynix have less than three months of inventory of the affected materials, while other media reports said that it could be less than a month. Still, some Korean firms stand to benefit. Shares of local Samsung suppliers jumped this month on expectations that they may win more orders due to Japan's restrictions.The upcoming Japanese upper house election slated for July 21 will be closely watched by investors like HDC Asset's Mr Yoon, who speculated that politicians may use the export ban issue as part of their campaigns.
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