Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

 

** South Korean shares closed more than 2% lower on Wednesday at their lowest since late-October 2020, as recession worries outweighed hopes for easing inflationary pressures. The won hit a 13-year low, while the benchmark bond yield dropped.

 

** The benchmark KOSPI ended down 49.77 points, or 2.13%, at 2,292.01, the lowest close since October 30, 2020.

 

** The local market seemed to react positively to a fall in oil prices early in the session, but worries of economic recession deepened, with investors bracing for the earnings season, said Seo Jung-hun, analyst at Samsung Securities.

 

** Among heavyweights, technology giant Samsung Electronics fell 1.40% and peer SK Hynix lost 0.43%.

 

** LG Energy Solution rose 2.49% after reports that the battery maker will sign a supply deal worth a trillion won ($765.26 million) with Isuzu Motors in Japan.

 

** SK IE Technology dropped 14.35% to a record low after private equity fund Premier Superior's clean-up of 283 billion won ($216.57 million) worth of stake.

 

** Foreigners were net sellers of 314.0 billion won ($240.29 million) worth of shares on the main board.

 

** The won was last quoted at 1,306.3 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, down 0.46%, after hitting the lowest since July 13, 2009 at 1311.0.

 

** In offshore trading, the won was quoted up 0.1%, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract was quoted at 1,306.3.

 

** In money and debt markets, September futures on three-year treasury bonds rose 0.36 point to 104.77 in late afternoon trade.

 

** The most liquid 3-year Korean treasury bond yield fell by 12.5 basis points to 3.190%, hitting the lowest since early June, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 13.4 basis points to 3.254%, the lowest since May 31. ($1 = 1,306.7400 won) (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; editing by Uttaresh.V)


Reuters