Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

 

** South Korean shares rose 1.5% on Monday, extending a buy-the-dip rally to a second session, as comments from a couple of U.S. central bank officials alleviated recession worries, and foreign investors returned. The won and the benchmark bond yield also jumped.

 

** The benchmark KOSPI ended up 35.32 points, or 1.49%, at 2,401.92, after rising 2.26% on Friday.

 

** Worries about an economic recession eased after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and St. Louis Fed President James Bullard's remarks, said Mirae Asset Securities' analyst Seo Sang-young.

 

** Bullard downplayed the risk of a recession on Friday, saying that rate increases would probably slow the economy to a trend pace of growth, rather than below trend, following Powell's remark on Thursday that a recession was not inevitable.

 

** Among heavyweights, technology giant Samsung Electronics rose 0.68% and peer SK Hynix jumped 3.71%, while battery maker LG Energy Solution added 1.73%. Automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp gained 5.78% and 4.39%, respectively.

 

** Foreigners were net buyers of 267.4 billion won ($208.03 million) worth of shares on the main board, ending a six-session selling streak.

 

** The won was last quoted at 1,286.5 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.91% higher than its previous close.

 

** In offshore trading, the won was quoted up 0.2% at 1,285.9 per dollar, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract was quoted at 1,285.1.

 

** Of the total traded issues of 928 on the benchmark KOSPI, 843 shares rose.

 

** In money and debt markets, September futures on three-year treasury bonds fell 0.14 point to 103.35 in late afternoon trade.

 

** The most liquid 3-year Korean treasury bond yield rose by 2.9 basis points to 3.555%, while the benchmark 10-year yield rose by 7.3 basis points to 3.715%. ($1 = 1,285.3700 won) (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)


Reuters