*
KOSPI little changed
*
Korean won strengthens against dollar
*
South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
SEOUL, April 19 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares traded flat on Wednesday, with
investors mostly waiting for major companies' first-quarter
results at home and abroad. The Korean won strengthened, while
the benchmark bond yield rose.
** The benchmark KOSPI was up 4.25 points, or 0.17%,
to 2,575.34 as of 0122 GMT.
** "The market showed mixed movements, rather than a clear
direction, amid both hopes and worries about the earnings
season," said analyst Seo Sang-young at Mirae Asset Securities.
** South Korea's main chipmakers and automakers, among
others, are scheduled to report their first-quarter results next
week.
** Technology giant Samsung Electronics fell
0.30%, peer SK Hynix lost 0.46%, while battery maker
LG Energy Solution declined 1.01%.
** Most index heavyweights fell, including online platform
providers and biopharmaceutical stocks, but 617 shares advanced
among the total 929 traded issues.
** Foreigners were net buyers on the main board, but by a small margin of 0.5 billion won ($379,925).
** The won was quoted at 1,315.5 per dollar on the onshore
settlement platform , 0.24% higher than its previous
close.
** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year
treasury bonds fell 0.04 points to 104.84.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield
rose by 1.6 basis points to 3.310%, while the benchmark 10-year
yield rose by 2.0 basis points to 3.372%.
($1 = 1,316.0500 won)
(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; editing by Uttaresh Venkateshwaran)
