Seoul shares ended 0.8 percent higher on Tuesday lifted by rallies in automakers and refiners such as Hyundai Motors and S-Oil, and as foreign investor demand continued for a 10th straight session. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index ended up 0.77 percent at 2,072.13 points. The KOSPI 200 June futures rose 1.9 points to 276.0 and KOSPI 200 spot index gained 2.09 points to 274.22. The junior Kosdaq market ended up 0.28 percent at 514.19.
Foreign investors, who had briefly left the market amid global uncertainties, were returning particularly as currencies in the region were seen strengthening, according to Kim Young-june, a market analyst at SK Securities. Foreign investors were buyers of a net 177 billion won ($159.1 million) worth of stocks, picking up shares for a 10th consecutive session, the longest buying streak since October last year. Refiners rallied amid a robust earnings outlook.
Shares in S-Oil rose 4.6 percent to 159,500 won and GS Holdings , the holding firm of the country's No 2 crude refiner GS Caltex, gained 4.6 percent to 97,000 won. Automakers rallied on a rosy earnings outlook. Shares in Hyundai Motor rose 3.8 percent to a historical closing high. The country's biggest carmaker is expected to post first quarter operating profit of 803.1 billion won, according to ThomsonReuters, up 14.3 percent from a year ago.