*
KOSPI rises, foreigners net sellers
*
Korean won slightly down against dollar
*
South Korea benchmark bond yield inched down
SEOUL, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean
financial markets:
** South Korean shares rose on Thursday as minutes from the
U.S. Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting and the Bank of
Korea's interest-rate decision were on expected lines.
** The benchmark KOSPI was up by 10.12 points, or
0.40%, to 2,427.80 as of 0106 GMT, after rising as much as 0.85%
in early trade.
** Nearly all Fed policymakers rallied behind a decision to
further slow the pace of interest rate hikes at the U.S. central
bank's last policy meeting, the minutes showed overnight.
** The BOK kept interest rates unchanged on Thursday,
matching market expectations and ending an uninterrupted
one-year run of rises.
** "The market cut some early gains on caution that the BOK
may continue its hawkish tone due to still high inflation," said
Huh Jae-hwan, an analyst at Eugene Investment and Securities.
** Technology giant Samsung Electronics rose
0.82%, peer SK Hynix gained 2.13%, and battery maker
LG Energy Solution added 0.39%.
** But, including those market heavyweights, only 360 shares
advanced among 932 traded issues.
** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 40.7 billion won ($31.17 million).
** The won was quoted at 1,305.1 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform , 0.02% lower.
** In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year
treasury bonds fell 0.04 point to 103.62.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield
fell by 0.6 basis point to 3.650%, while the benchmark 10-year
yield fell by 1.5 basis points to 3.631%.
($1 = 1,305.6000 won)
(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; editing by Uttaresh.V)
