In September 2024, Korean corporate direct financing experienced a remarkable increase of 57.6%, reaching 31.6 trillion won (approximately $23 billion), up from 20.1 trillion won in August. This surge was primarily driven by a significant rise in debt sales, with bond issues soaring by 59.9% to 31.5 trillion won. In contrast, equity issues saw a steep decline of 71%, totaling only 111.1 billion won [278f7e98].
Initial public offerings (IPOs) also faced a downturn, dropping 73.7% to 61.8 billion won, while rights offerings decreased by 66.8% to 49.3 billion won. By the end of September, the total value of outstanding corporate bonds in South Korea stood at 673 trillion won [278f7e98].
This trend in corporate financing comes at a time when the Kospi index in Seoul is showing signs of recovery, having risen by 0.43% on October 21, 2024, amid positive U.S. economic signals and hopes for a Federal Reserve rate cut [3c6785f7]. The Kospi closed at 2,604.92 points, with trading volume at 235.86 million shares valued at about 7.6 trillion won. Institutional and foreign investors were net buyers, contributing to the market's upward momentum [3c6785f7].
As the South Korean economy navigates through these changes, the bond market's performance and corporate financing trends will be crucial indicators of economic recovery and investor confidence in the coming months [278f7e98].