*
KOSPI flat, foreigners net sellers
*
Korean won weakens against dollar
*
South Korea benchmark bond yield falls
SEOUL, April 26 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares flitted in a tight range on
Wednesday, as investors assessed upbeat corporate earnings of
manufacturing companies and U.S. tech giants, while also looking
ahead to U.S. data due this week for economic cues.
** The Korean won weakened while the benchmark bond yield
fell.
** The benchmark KOSPI was up 3.16 points, or 0.13%,
at 2,492.18, as of 0101 GMT.
** A weak U.S. consumer confidence report and lacklustre
manufacturing data fanned fears of economic slowdown, lowering
the bets for a rate hike next week.
** Next on the radar is the quarterly gross domestic product
data scheduled for Thursday, followed by the reading on the core
personal consumption expenditures index, the Fed's favoured
inflation gauge, on Friday.
** "The KOSPI seems to be anchored nearly flat, while some
stocks are rebounding from sharp losses recorded in the previous
session," said analyst Na Jeong-hwan at NH Investment and
Securities.
** U.S. stock futures jumped in Asian trade hours after big techs Microsoft Corp and Google parent Alphabet Inc's robust first-quarter results. South Korean platform giants Naver and Kakao rose 2.53% and 1.79%, respectively.
** Shares of SK Hynix gained 3.04% as the chipmaker expected market conditions to improve from the second half of this year due to production cuts, although its first-quarter operating loss was of a record. Bigger rival Samsung Electronics rose 0.63%.
** LG Energy Solution climbed 1.09%, as the battery maker posted a 145% jump in its quarterly profit. Peers Samsung SDI and SK Innovation added 0.85% and 1.26%, respectively.
** Hyundai Motor rose 1.24%, extending gains on
its announcement of a $5 billion electric vehicle (EV) battery
joint venture in the United States. Sister automaker Kia Corp gained 1.15%.
** Seoul Citi Gas Co Ltd , Daesung Holdings Co
Ltd and Samchully Co Ltd fell by nearly
30% each to their daily lower limits for a third straight
session.
** Of the total 933 issues traded, 374 shares rose.
** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 33 billion
won ($24.67 million).
** The won was quoted 0.48% lower at 1,338.6 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform , after hitting a five-month low of 1,340.5.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield fell by 3.4 basis points to 3.229%, while the benchmark 10-year yield dropped 4.6 basis points to 3.276%. ($1 = 1,337.8800 won) (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
