(LEAD) Seoul stocks close over 3 pct lower amid Samsung's shareholder return plan

Seoul stocks saw a sharp decline on Monday, falling over 3% as disappointment over Samsung Electronics' proposed shareholder return plan led to a sell-off in the semiconductor sector. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dropped 215.99 points, or 3.12%, to 6,696.96, with a light trading volume of 264.9 million shares worth 26.1 trillion won ($18.9 billion).

Large-cap tech shares, particularly those of Samsung, faced selling pressure from foreign and institutional investors, who collectively offloaded a net 4.97 trillion won in shares. Retail investors, however, made up for some of the losses by purchasing shares worth 3.32 trillion won. The KOSPI's decline was attributed to the lack of detail provided by Samsung regarding a potential stock buyback, as well as the failure to meet investor expectations despite the substantial shareholder return plan amounting to 90-110 trillion won.

Investors are now monitoring other external factors, including Nvidia's upcoming earnings release and the latest economic data from the United States, which recently reported the strongest service sector growth in nearly two years. Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and other major companies saw declines, while bio firms benefited from a licensing deal with a U.S. Roche Group subsidiary, resulting in a 3.2 trillion won increase for Hanmi Pharm.