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KOSPI rises, foreigners net buyers
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Korean won little changed against dollar
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South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
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For the midday report, please click SEOUL, April 28 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares rose on Friday to end the month 1% higher, led by heavyweight chipmakers and online platform providers, although their gains were countered by weakness in the automobile and rechargeable battery sectors.
** The won ended flat, while the benchmark bond yield rose.
** The benchmark KOSPI closed up 5.72 points, or
0.23%, at 2,501.53, after rising as much as 0.85% during the
session.
** The KOSPI dropped 1.69% for the week, its biggest drop
since late December, but still ended April 1.00% higher, after
jumping 2.65% in March.
** "The KOSPI is in the middle of a correction period,
having recorded in April comparably stronger gains than the
global stock market," said analyst Lee Kyoung-min at Daishin
Securities.
** Samsung Electronics rose 1.39%, extending
gains after the chipmaker flagged on Thursday a gradual recovery
for chips in the second half of the year. Peer SK Hynix added 0.79%.
** Search engine Naver jumped 2.18% and instant
messenger Kakao climbed 4.12%, tracking U.S. giant
Meta's 13.9% surge overnight after its quarterly
revenue forecast exceeded estimates.
** Hyundai Motor and sister automaker Kia Corp slid 2.23% and 2.42% each. Battery maker LG Energy
Solution lost 1.02%, while peers Samsung SDI and SK Innovation declined 2.12% and
3.08%, respectively.
** Of the total 930 issues traded, 423 shares rose.
** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 300.3 billion
won ($224.18 million).
** The won ended onshore trade at 1,337.7 per
dollar, up 0.02%. It ended the week 0.71% lower and the month
2.68% lower.
** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year
treasury bonds fell 0.07 point to 104.86.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield
rose by 1.5 basis points to 3.303%, while the benchmark 10-year
yield rose by 3.9 basis points to 3.380%.
($1 = 1,339.5700 won)
(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
