South Korean shares flat as battery makers offset tech gains

Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares were trading almost flat on Friday, as battery makers offset gains in tech stocks. The Korean won strengthened 1% against the dollar, while the benchmark bond yield fell.

** The benchmark KOSPI KOSPI rose 2.92 points, or 0.12%, to 2,374.00, as of 0130 GMT, after a five-session losing streak. It was on track for a fourth straight weekly loss.

** "The market is broadly in a cautious mood ahead of U.S. inflation data and its central bank meeting next week," said Choi Yoo-june, an analyst at Shinhan Securities.

** Technology giant Samsung Electronics 005930 gained 1.18% and peer SK Hynix 000660 climbed 2.03%, tracking a sharp rise in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index SOX overnight.

** Platform firms Naver 035420 and Kakao 035720 jumped 3.23% and 3.42%, respectively.

** Battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220 dropped 3.39% and parent LG Chem 051910 fell 4.63%, while peer Samsung SDI 006400 declined 4.04%, extending losses following a production cut by Tesla TSLA.

** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 14.5 billion won ($11.12 million).

** The won was quoted at 1,305.3 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform USDKRW, 0.97% higher than its previous close at 1,318.0.

** The currency was still on track for its first weekly loss in three.

** In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds (KTBc1) rose 0.03 point to 103.72.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield was flat at 3.671%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 1.9 basis points to 3.508%.

($1 = 1,304.4300 won)