Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares closed down on Monday as concerns over the AI trade intensified ahead of earnings from US megacap tech companies this week.
The won strengthened, while the benchmark bond yield fell.
** The benchmark KOSPI closed down 80.83 points, or 1.46 percent, at 5,469.47.
** Chipmaker Samsung Electronics fell 1.16 percent, while peer SK Hynix lost 0.16 percent.
** SK Hynix said it will announce shareholder return measures on Wednesday when the South Korean chipmaker releases quarterly results, responding to a report that it is considering a special dividend of about 16 trillion won (US$12 billion).
** Among other index heavyweights, battery maker LG Energy Solution slid 2.09 percent, while Hyundai Motor and sister automaker Kia Corp were down 2.54 percent and down 1.68 percent, respectively.
** This week, about one-third of S&P 500 companies report quarterly results, including Alphabet Microsoft and Amazon three AI hyperscalers whose capital spending forecasts will be closely watched.
** Steelmaker POSCO Holdings shed 2.18 percent, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics fell 0.95 percent.
** Of the total 914 traded issues, 101 shares advanced, while 792 declined.
** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 695.5 billion won.
** The won was quoted at 1,323.1 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform 0.23 percent higher than its previous close at 1,326.2.
** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,322.3 per dollar, up 0.1 percent on the day, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract was quoted at 1,321.3.
** The KOSPI has risen 29.79 percent so far this year.
** The won has strengthened 8.8 percent against the dollar so far this year.
** In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds gained 0.12 point to 103.27.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield fell by 2.8 basis points to 3.788 percent, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 2.5 bps to 4.074 percent.
Reuters
