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KOSPI falls 1.35%, biggest in a month
*
Korean won touches 9-1/2-month high
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South Korea benchmark bond yield falls
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For the midday report, please click SEOUL, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean
financial markets:
** South Korean shares fell more than 1% on Monday as
institutional investors locked in their gains ahead of the
events- and data-heavy week.
** The Korean won strengthened to its highest level since
mid-April 2022, while the benchmark bond yield fell.
** The benchmark KOSPI ended 33.55 points, or 1.35%,
lower at 2,450.47.
** The index snapped a five-session rally, which had brought
it to the highest level since mid-August 2022.
** "Investors took profits from recent steady gains that
came in spite of lowered expectations for corporate earnings,"
said Seo Sang-young, an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities.
** And, it was ahead of major macroeconomic events and data
releases this week, which include the U.S. Federal Reserve's
monetary policy meeting and South Korea's trade data for this
month.
** Institutional investors sold 412.0 billion won ($335.75
million) worth of shares, while foreigners made a net purchase
of 17.2 billion won and logged their 18th buying session out of
19 this month.
** Chip giant Samsung Electronics dropped 2.01%,
a day before its conference call on its fourth-quarter results.
Peer SK Hynix lost 0.87%.
** Battery maker LG Energy Solution ended up
0.79%, reversing its early loss of as much as 3.16%, on the
release day of its last remaining locked-in stocks.
** Of the total 931 issues traded, 233 shares gained.
** The won ended onshore trade 0.32% higher at
1,227.4 per dollar, near its 9-1/2-month high of 1,227.1 touched
during the session.
** In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year
treasury bonds rose 0.12 point to 104.95.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield
fell by 3.3 basis points to 3.271%, while the benchmark 10-year
yield fell by 4.4 basis points to 3.239%.
($1 = 1,227.1100 won)
(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; editing by Uttaresh.V)
