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* KOSPI flat, foreigners net sellers * Korean won strengthens against dollar * South Korea benchmark bond yield flat SEOUL, - Round-up of South Korean financial markets: ** South Korean shares traded little changed on Thursday amid mixed economic data, after ending 2024 as the worst performing Asian market. ** The benchmark KOSPI was marginally down by 0.82 points, or 0.
03%, at 2,398.67 as of 0136 GMT. ** In 2024, the KOSPI fell 9.
6%, while the MSCI Asia Pacific excluding Japan index rose 7.7%. ** South Korea's exports grew at a faster pace in December, beating market expectations, and ended the year with a record performance, data showed on Wednesday.
** But factory activity contracted during the month, with manufacturers' sentiment turning pessimistic for the first time since mid-2020 due to uncertainty over U.S. trade policy and domestic politics, a survey showed on Thursday.
** South Korea's central bank governor said the pace of monetary policy easing would need to be flexible this year due to heightened political and economic uncertainty. ** Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics fell 0.56% and peer SK Hynix lost 1.
61%, but battery maker LG Energy Solution climbed 0.72%. ** Hyundai Motor added 1.
42% and sister automaker Kia Corp gained 1.09%, while e-commerce firms and biopharmaceutical stocks fell. ** Of the total 923 traded issues, 548 shares advanced, while 311 declined.
** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 59.7 billion won on the main board on Thursday. ** The won was quoted at 1,469.
3 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.20% higher than its previous close at 1,472.3.
** In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year treasury bonds rose 0.06 point to 106.71.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield fell by 2.3 basis points to 2.573%, while the benchmark 10-year yield was flat at 2.
871%. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text..
