*
KOSPI rises, foreigners net buyers
*
Korean won strengthens against dollar
*
South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
*
For the midday report, please click SEOUL, April 7 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares ended 1.3% higher on Friday, with
heavyweight chipmakers surging on Samsung Electronics'
production cut, and extended their weekly gains to a four.
** The Korean won gained and the benchmark bond yield rose
ahead of U.S. employment data.
** The benchmark KOSPI closed up 31.18 points, or
1.27%, at 2,490.41.
** It was only 0.19% lower than a 7-1/2-month high hit two days before. The index rose 0.55% for the week.
** Samsung Electronics jumped 4.33%, as the
world's largest memory chip maker said it would make a
"meaningful" cut to chip production. It marked the biggest daily
gain since mid-September and the highest level since early-June.
** Smaller rival SK Hynix rose 6.32%, the
biggest since early-January.
** Production cuts tend to be regarded as an upside factor
for chipmaker stocks, as they boost chip prices and their
earnings.
** "The production cut raised hopes for bottoming out of the
semiconductor prices' current downcycle," said analyst Lee
Kyoung-min at Daishin Securities.
** On macroeconomic front, investor focus was set on U.S.
employment data due later in the day.
** Of the total 929 issues traded, 435 shares rose.
** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 694.2 billion
won ($527 million), the biggest daily purchase since
late-January.
** The won ended onshore trade at 1,316.7 per
dollar, 0.18% higher than its previous close at 1,319.1.
** The currency ended the week 1.12% lower, following a
0.58% loss in the prior week.
** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year
treasury bonds fell 0.05 point to 105.05.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield
rose by 3.0 basis points to 3.240%, while the benchmark 10-year
yield rose by 1.0 basis point to 3.288%.
($1 = 1,316.9000 won)
(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; editing by Jason Neely)
