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| A monitor showing the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index at Hana Bank in central Seoul, May 8. Yonhap |
Foreign investors bought a net 5.96 trillion won ($4.5 billion) worth of Korean stocks and bonds in April, logging the biggest monthly purchase in 16 months, the country's financial regulator said Tuesday.
Foreigners bought a net 1.27 trillion won worth of listed stocks, turning to net buyers from net sellers in a month, and bought a net 4.69 trillion won worth of listed bonds last month, continuing the net purchase for the second consecutive month, according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS).
Their cumulative holdings of stocks came in at 661.2 trillion won, taking up 26.6 percent of total market capitalization, and the cumulative holdings of bonds totaled 226.8 trillion won, accounting for 9.3 percent of listed bonds as of last month.
An FSS official said foreigners made a lot of stock purchase of major firms listed on the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), such as Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor.
By country, Norway was the top net buyer of stocks, followed by Netherlands and Singapore, while Britain was the top net seller of stocks trailed by Canada and the United States.
But the U.S. was still the biggest holder of Korean stocks, possessing 268.5 trillion won worth of stocks as of April.
With bonds, Asian and European regions made net purchases while the North and South America and the Middle East made net sellings.
By holdings, Asia is the biggest holders of bonds with 105.6 trillion won followed by Europe with 67 trillion won.
Foreigners made net investments worth 4.4 trillion won in Treasury bonds and 1.66 trillion won in monetary stabilization bonds but sold 250 billion won worth of corporate bonds. (Yonhap)
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