On an otherwise flat day on the South Korean share market, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd gained 1.71 percent to register its highest close in nearly five months, thanks to buying ahead of quarterly results due later this week and a favourable US court ruling in its patent battle with Apple Inc.
Goldman Sachs expects Samsung, South Korea's most valuable stock, to post a fourth consecutive quarter of record profits, estimating operating profit at 7.8 trillion Korean won ($7.02 billion) for the July to September period, up 83 percent on a year earlier due to robust sales of Galaxy S III smartphone. A US court also removed a temporary sales ban against Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1, which had been won by Apple in a patent dispute, allowing the South Korean electronics maker to sell the product in the United States.
Elsewhere in the market, investors were reluctant to build positions on a day wedged between two national holidays. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed down 0.01 percent at 1,996.03 points.
South Korean stock markets were closed on Monday for a holiday, and will be closed again on Wednesday. South Korean carmakers were mixed, with Hyundai Motor down 2.18 percent and Kia Motors jumping 3.46 percent. Shares in POSCO were flat after a consortium including the South Korean steelmaker and Noble Group urged Arrium directors to continue discussions after the Australian miner and steel maker rejected a A$1.01 billion ($1.04 billion) take-over offer.
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