*
KOSPI falls, foreigners net buyers
*
Korean won weakens against dollar
*
South Korea benchmark bond yield falls
SEOUL, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean
financial markets:
** South Korean shares were unchanged on Friday as cautious
investors awaited U.S. employment data, but the benchmark index
was set for its first weekly fall for this year.
** The won weakened, while the benchmark bond yield fell.
** The benchmark KOSPI was marginally down, by 2.54
points, or 0.08%, at 2,466.34 as of 0129 GMT.
** For the week so far, the KOSPI is down more than 0.5%
after posting four straight weekly gains.
** "It seems there is some resistance near the latest peak,
capping the upside for the index, although internet stocks
tracked NASDAQ peers sharply higher," said Choi Yoo-june, an
analyst at Shinhan Securities.
** Investors' focus is also on U.S. employment data due
later in the day.
** Technology giant Samsung Electronics rose
0.16%, but peer SK Hynix dropped 2.14% and battery
maker LG Energy Solution declined 0.19%.
** Search engine Naver jumped 5.67% after it
reported its fourth-quarter results, slightly weaker than a year
before. Instant messenger Kakao rose 2.79%.
** Peer tech firms in the U.S. jumped overnight, led by Meta
Platforms. But most of them reversed course during after-hour
trades, as Apple forecast its revenue to fall for a
second quarter in a row.
** Of the total 931 issues traded, 313 shares advanced.
** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 126.9 billion
won ($103.52 million).
** The won was quoted at 1,224.8 per dollar on the onshore
settlement platform , 0.37% lower.
** The currency was up 0.4% for the week, set for its fourth
straight weekly gain.
** In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year
treasury bonds rose 0.22 point to 105.32.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield
fell by 4.9 basis points to 3.132%, while the benchmark 10-year
yield fell by 4.4 basis points to 3.163%.
($1 = 1,225.9000 won)
(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; editing by Uttaresh.V)
