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KOSPI falls, foreigners net sellers
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Korean won marginally down against dollar
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South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
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For the midday report, please click SEOUL, March 9 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares fell for a second day in a row on
Thursday, weighed down by battery makers' sharp losses and on
caution ahead of U.S. employment data. The Korean won inched
lower, while the benchmark bond yield rose.
** The benchmark KOSPI closed down 12.82 points, or
0.53%, at 2,419.09, adding to its 1.28% loss on Wednesday.
** U.S. private payrolls increased more than expected in
February, pointing to continued labour market strength ahead of
the official employment data on Friday.
** "The market priced in monetary tightening becoming more
aggressive in the United States with strong private payrolls
data providing certainty that official data would also show a
surprise," said Choi Yoo-june, an analyst at Shinhan Securities.
** Meanwhile, the Bank of Korea said the lagged effects of
its aggressive streak of monetary tightening would have a bigger
negative impact on economic growth this year than in 2022.
** Battery maker LG Energy Solution dropped
2.31%, while peers Samsung SDI and SK Innovation lost 2.92% and 3.51%, respectively.
** Of the total 933 issues traded, 398 shares advanced.
** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 972.1 billion
won ($736.2 million).
** The won ended onshore trade at 1,322.2 per U.S. dollar, 0.06% lower than its previous close at 1,321.4.
** In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year
treasury bonds fell 0.05 points to 103.09.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield
rose by 1.4 basis points to 3.871%, while the benchmark 10-year
yield rose by 2.1 basis points to 3.744%.
($1 = 1,320.3900 won)
(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Savio D'Souza)
