*
KOSPI rises, foreigners net buyers
*
Korean won weakens against dollar
*
South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
SEOUL, May 2 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares posted modest gains early on Tuesday,
led by companies with solid earnings, while the sale of First
Republic Bank's assets to JPMorgan Chase & Co provided some relief on U.S. banking sector's woes.
** Local markets largely shrugged off data showing the
country's inflation in April eased to a 14-month low on an
annual basis, as it was in line with expectations.
** The benchmark KOSPI rose 14.53 points, or 0.58%,
to 2,516.06 as of 0219 GMT.
** Technology giant Samsung Electronics rose
0.46% and peer SK Hynix gained 0.22%, while battery
maker LG Energy Solution advanced 1.20%.
** Of the total 929 issues traded, 571 shares gained.
** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 298.5 billion
won ($222.80 million).
** The won was quoted at 1,339.7 per dollar on the onshore
settlement platform , 0.15% lower than its previous
close at 1,337.7.
** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,339.7
per dollar, up 0.2% on the day, while in non-deliverable forward
trading its one-month contract was quoted at
1,336.8.
** The KOSPI has risen 12.50% so far this year, and gained
4.4% in the previous 30 trading sessions.
** The won has lost 5.6% against the dollar so far this
year.
** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year
treasury bonds fell 0.09 points to 104.79.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield
rose by 3.8 basis points to 3.327%, while the benchmark 10-year
yield rose by 3.8 basis points to 3.393%.
($1 = 1,339.7900 won)
(Reporting by Choonsik Yoo; editing by Uttaresh Venkateshwaran)
