*
KOSPI rises, foreigners net buyers
*
Korean won weakens against dollar
*
South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
SEOUL, April 10 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares started the week 1% higher on Monday, as chipmakers and battery manufacturers extended gains.
** The Korean won weakened and the benchmark bond yield rose
on robust employment data in the United States.
** The benchmark KOSPI rose 24.18 points, or 0.97%,
to 2,514.59 as of 0139 GMT, its highest intraday level since
mid-August.
** U.S. employers maintained a strong pace of hiring in
March, data showed last Friday, increasing the likelihood of the
Federal Reserve raising interest rates one more time next month.
** The Bank of Korea is expected to hold interest rates
steady on Tuesday to support a rapidly slowing economy,
according to a Reuters survey.
** "The stock market is focusing more on each industry
issues than macroeconomic ones, with the semiconductor and
battery sectors leading the benchmark index higher," said
analyst Kim Seok-hwan at Mirae Asset Securities.
** Chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rose 1.23% and 2.36%, respectively, as investors
cheered Samsung Electronics' decision on Friday to cut
production.
** Battery maker LG Energy Solution jumped 2.24%, whose first-quarter profit likely jumped 145% over a year.
** Its parent LG Chem added 5.46%, while peers
Samsung SDI and SK Innovation climbed
1.36% and 6.38% each.
** Including the heavyweight gainers, only 213 shares
advanced among 930 traded issues.
** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 344.9 billion won ($260.83 million).
** The won was quoted at 1,322.0 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform , 0.40% lower than its previous close.
** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year
treasury bonds fell 0.10 point to 104.99.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield
rose by 2.5 basis points (bps) to 3.265%, while the benchmark
10-year yield rose by 3.2 bps to 3.320%.
($1 = 1,322.3200 won)
(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
