*
KOSPI flat, foreigners net sellers
*
Korean won little changed against dollar
*
South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
SEOUL, March 29 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares were flat on Wednesday as losses in
heavyweight chipmakers offset a rally in smaller travel and
retail stocks. The Korean won was little changed, while the
benchmark bond yield rose.
** The benchmark KOSPI was down 1.78 points, or
0.07%, at 2,433.16 as of 0144 GMT. The index traded between a
0.1% loss and a 0.3% gain. In the previous session, the index
touched a three-week high.
** The benchmark index saw marginal changes amid no major
market driver seen for the session," said Mirae Asset
Securities' analyst Kim Seok-hwan.
** Chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix fell 0.79% and 1.24%, respectively, after U.S. rival
Micron Technology forecast that third-quarter revenue would
tumble nearly 60% from a year earlier.
** Among other index heavyweights, battery makers and
automakers rose, but online service providers and
biopharmaceutical stocks fell.
** Travel and retail stocks jumped, with the Korea Exchange
Consumer Discretionary Index up 1%, on a government
package plan aimed at boosting domestic consumption and
attracting foreign tourists.
** Low-cost carrier T'way Air jumped 9%, while
peers Jin Air and Jejuair rose more than
5% each. Hotel Shilla added 2% and Amorepacific gained 3%.
** Of the total 932 issues traded, 483 shares gained.
** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 79.6 billion
won ($61.26 million).
** The won was quoted at 1,298.6 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform , 0.02% higher than its previous close at 1,298.8.
** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year
treasury bonds fell 0.13 point to 104.85.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield
rose by 4.4 basis points to 3.303%, while the benchmark 10-year
yield rose by 5.6 basis points to 3.337%.
($1 = 1,299.4000 won)
(Reporting by Jihoon Lee)
