Korea Composite Stock Price Index Dips Ahead of Nvidia Earnings

Seoul stocks opened lower on Monday as investors locked in gains from large-cap chip stocks ahead of Nvidia's earnings release. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 0.73 percent, or 50.77 points, to 6,862.18 in the first minute of trading.

The index dropped after closing above 6,900 points on Friday, indicating that investors are cautious about the market's direction. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes closed higher last week despite rising US government bond yields, with investors engaging in bargain hunting.

Major chip stocks were trading mixed, with Samsung Electronics shedding 5.33 percent while SK hynix added 2.02 percent. Hyundai Motor and Hanwha Aerospace also saw gains, but KB Financial declined by 2.43 percent.