(LEAD) stocks-summary

(LEAD) Seoul shares fall on last-minute selling despite overnight Wall Street gains

(ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom)

SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks finished slightly lower Friday as investors engaged in a last-minute selling spree to cash in recent gains despite bullish trading on Wall Street overnight. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 0.51 point, or 0.02 percent, to close at 2,599.51.

Trade volume was moderate at 456.6 million shares worth 8.67 trillion won (US$6.63 billion). Winners, however, outpaced losers 435 to 428.

The KOSPI stayed in positive terrain throughout the session following overnight U.S. stock gains, but a last-minute selling binge by retail and foreign investors ended up sagging the index.

Wall Street gained ground overnight, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.87 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite adding 1.26 percent amid continued hopes that the Federal Reserve would ease its monetary policy.

Chung Myung-ji, an analyst at Samsung Securities, said "stock markets in Greater China, including Hong Kong, too, were not favorable" for the day.

"The desire to sell among investors in emerging markets increased as uncertainty grew ahead of the holidays," Chung added.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 1.20 percent to 75,900 won, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix added 0.07 percent to end at 140,600 won after U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology offered investors an encouraging earnings forecast.

Top automaker Hyundai Motor also climbed 0.15 percent to 199,100 won, and its smaller affiliate Kia rose 0.21 percent to 95,600 won. Leading refiner SK Innovation also jumped 0.65 percent to 138,800 won.

Battery and bio-related stocks, however, lost ground. Top battery maker LG Energy Solution dropped 0.83 percent to 419,000 won, and pharmaceutical company Celltrion tumbled 1.17 percent to 185,500 won.

Game-related shares also fell after China announced plans to restrict the country's online gaming industry earlier in the day. Krafton, the gaming giant behind "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds," plunged 13.77 percent to 178,500 won, and Netmarble slid 5.56 percent to 56,100 won.

The local currency closed at 1,303.00 won against the greenback, up 2.10 won from the previous session's close.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, rose. The yield on three-year Treasurys fell 0.2 basis point to 3.234 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds also shed 0.1 basis point to 3.254 percent.



odissy@yna.co.kr

(END)

주의사항

※본 리포트는 한국무역보험공사가 외부기관으로부터 획득한 자료를 인용한 것입니다.

※참고자료로만 활용하시기 바랍니다.