The South Korea stock market has finished lower in two of three trading days since the end of the two-day winning streak in which it had gathered more than 35 points or 1.5 percent. The KOSPI remains just beneath the 2,310-point plateau and it's expected to remain in that neighborhood again on Thursday.
The global forecast for the Asian markets suggests slim gains, thanks mainly to a spike in crude oil prices. The European and U.S. markets were mostly higher and the Asian bourses are tipped to open in similar fashion.
The KOSPI finished barely lower on Wednesday following mixed performances from the financials, technology stocks and industrials.
For the day, the index eased 0.52 points or 0.02 percent to finish at 2,308.46 after trading between 2,301.79 and 2,319.22. Volume was 341.74 million shares worth 5.93 trillion won. There were 630 decliners and 202 gainers.
Among the actives, Shinhan Financial collected 0.60 percent, while KB Financial gained 0.20 percent, Hana Financial eased 0.36 percent, Samsung Electronics jumped 1.43 percent, LG Electronics dropped 1.16 percent, SK hynix climbed 1.03 percent, LG Display plummeted 3.31 percent, Hyundai Motor shed 1.17 percent, Kia Motors was up 0.14 percent, POSCO added 0.67 percent, LG Chem tumbled 1.91 percent, SK Telecom plunged 2.71 percent, KEPCO skidded 1.86 percent and Woori Bank was unchanged.
The lead from Wall Street is cautiously optimistic as stocks were lackluster on Wednesday, although the Dow climbed to its best closing level in nearly eight months. The broader NASDAQ and S&P 500 ended the day roughly flat.
The Dow added 158.80 points or 0.61 percent to finish at 26,405.76, while the NASDAQ fell 6.07 points or 0.08 percent to 7,950.04 and the S&P gained 3.64 points or 0.13 percent to 2,907.95.
The choppy trading on Wall Street came amid lingering concerns about the trade dispute between the U.S. and China as uncertainty about its impact on the global economy may weigh.
Traders may also be looking ahead to next week's Federal Reserve meeting. The Fed is widely expected to raise interest rates by another quarter point, and the accompanying statement may provide clues about future rate hikes.
In economic news, the Commerce Department noted a sharp increase in new residential construction in August, although there was also a steep drop in building permits.
Crude oil prices rose to a two-month high on Wednesday following a drop in domestic crude supplies. Crude oil futures for October delivery ended up $1.27 or 1.8 percent at $71.12 a barrel, the highest settlement since July 10.
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