SEOUL: Sales of derivatives-linked securities in South Korea experienced a slight decline during the third quarter of the year, as recently released data indicates. The total value of equity-linked securities (ELS) and derivative-linked securities (DLS) issued between July and September amounted to 14.2 trillion won, equivalent to approximately US$9.62 billion, reflecting a decrease from the 14.5 trillion won issued in the preceding quarter.

According to Yonhap News Agency, despite the quarterly decline, the figure represents an increase from the 13.2 trillion won recorded during the same period last year. ELS are hybrid debt securities whose returns depend on the performance of underlying equities. These products typically track benchmark stock indexes, including the Korea Composite Stock Price Index 200.

Sales of ELS products during the third quarter were reported at 9.4 trillion won, marking a decrease from the 10.2 trillion won issued in the previous quarter. Furthermore, the total outstanding value of ELS products reached 48.2 trillion won by the end of September, down from 50.7 trillion won at the end of the previous quarter.

Conversely, sales of DLS products increased to 4.8 trillion won in the third quarter, compared to 4.3 trillion won from the previous three months. The outstanding value of DLS also saw an increase, standing at 30.1 trillion won at the end of September, up from 29.8 trillion won over the same period.