*
KOSPI flat, foreigners net buyers
*
Korean won weakens against dollar
*
South Korea benchmark bond yield falls
SEOUL, March 7 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares traded flat on Tuesday, weighed down by dominant chat app Kakao Corp, while investors took a cautious approach ahead of China's trade data and comments by the chiefs of the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of Korea.
** The Korean won weakened, while the benchmark bond yield
fell.
** The benchmark KOSPI held its ground at 2,463.59,
as of 0113 GMT, trading in a narrow range of between -0.3% and
0.1%.
** China likely again exported and imported less in
January-February than a year earlier, backing policymakers'
fears that a slowing global economy could drag on growth at
home, according to a Reuters poll.
** Investor focus was also on potential remarks by Bank of
Korea Governor Rhee Chang-yong as well as a Congressional
testimony by U.S. Fed's Jerome Powell later in the day.
** "U.S. stock market was volatile overnight and there is
caution that Powell may speak in a more hawkish tone," said Seo
Sang-young, an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities.
** Heavyweight Kakao dropped 3% after the company and its subsidiary Kakao Entertainment said they are tendering an offer to purchase up to 35% of K-pop agency SM Entertainment, the latest in a battle with BTS-manager HYBE to take over SM.
** Shares of SM Entertainment jumped 15% to scale a record high.
** Technology giant Samsung Electronics fell
0.65% and peer SK Hynix lost 0.33%, but battery
maker LG Energy Solution advanced 1.28%.
** Of the total 930 issues traded, only 321 shares gained.
** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 55.6 billion
won ($42.76 million).
** The won was quoted at 1,299.6 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform , 0.21% lower than its previous close at 1,296.9.
** In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year
treasury bonds fell 0.07 point to 103.27.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield
rose by 1.8 basis points to 3.800%, while the benchmark 10-year
yield fell 0.9 basis point to 3.732%.
($1 = 1,300.2800 won)
(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
