Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

 

** South Korean shares rose nearly 2% on Thursday, boosted by chipmakers, as investors cheered Samsung Electronics' second-quarter results. The Korean won strengthened, while the benchmark bond yield was flat.

 

** The benchmark KOSPI ended up 42.26 points, or 1.84%, at 2,334.27, after touching the lowest level since late October 2020 in the previous session.

 

** Samsung Electronics rose 3.19%, the biggest percentage gain since late April, after the technology giant turned in its best second-quarter profit in four years, though slightly short of market expectations, on strong sales of memory chips to server customers.

 

** Investors took a relief that the Samsung's earnings showed relatively stronger demand than that the market had anticipated, said Daishin Securities' analyst Lee Kyoung-min.

 

** Peer SK Hynix rose 1.95%. Other heavyweights battery maker LG Energy Solution rose 0.81% and automaker Hyundai Motor gained 1.45%.

 

** COVID-19 vaccine maker SK Bioscience jumped 13.99% to the highest since late April amid signs of the country's daily infections rebounding.

 

** Of the total traded issues of 928 on the benchmark KOSPI, the number of advancing shares was 726.

 

** Foreigners were net buyers of 144.1 billion won ($110.82 million) worth of shares on the main board.

 

** The won was last quoted at 1,299.8 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.50% higher than its previous close.

 

** In offshore trading, the won was quoted up 0.4% at 1,299.6 per dollar, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract was quoted at 1,298.9.

 

** In money and debt markets, September futures on three-year treasury bonds were little changed in late-afternoon trade. ** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield rose by 1.6 basis points to 3.239%, while the benchmark 10-year yield rose by 0.7 basis points to 3.289%. ($1 = 1,300.3300 won)

 

(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)


Reuters