*
KOSPI slightly down, foreigners net sellers
*
Korean won weakens against dollar
*
South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
SEOUL, April 17 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares started the week on a slightly poor
note on Monday, tracking losses in Wall Street in the last
session on weak economic indicators. The Korean won dropped,
while the benchmark bond yield rose.
** The benchmark KOSPI fell 4.56 points, or 0.18% to
2,566.93 as of 0214 GMT, and was set to snap a six-session rally
that had brought it to a ten-month high.
** U.S. retail sales fell more than expected in March, data
showed on Friday, suggesting that the economy was losing steam
at the end of the first quarter because of higher interest
rates.
** "Investor focus this week is on small and medium-sized
banks' first-quarter results in the United States, after big
banks' less worrisome results," said Kim Seok-hwan, analyst at
Mirae Asset Securities.
** Technology giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd fell 0.46%, peer SK Hynix Inc lost 1.46%, and
battery maker LG Energy Solution Ltd declined 0.51%.
** Of the total 931 issues traded, 397 shares rose.
** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 179.3 billion
won ($136.5 million).
** The won was quoted at 1,310.8 per dollar on the onshore
settlement platform , 0.91% lower than its previous
close.
** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year
treasury bonds fell 0.19 point to 104.95.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield
rose by 5.4 basis points to 3.269%, while the benchmark 10-year
yield rose by 3.5 bps to 3.319%.
($1 = 1,313.2500 won)
(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Varun H K)
