South Korean shares track Wall St lower, China COVID situation in focus

Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean stocks and currency fell early on Tuesday as the U.S. equity selloff overnight sapped appetite for risk assets, while benchmark bond prices edged higher.

** The benchmark KOSPI KOSPI fell 13.48 points, or 0.56%, to 2,405.84 as of 0123 GMT.

** Still, its decline was limited by expectation that an easing in COVID-19 curbs in China would help companies in the smaller neighbour over the medium term.

** Technology giant Samsung Electronics 005930 fell 1.00% and peer SK Hynix 000660 lost 1.11%, while battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220 advanced 0.36%.

** The trading volume was 129.08 million shares. Of the total traded issues of 927, the number of advancing shares was 199.

** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 136.1 billion won ($104.50 million) on the main board.

** The won was quoted at 1,303.8 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform USDKRW, 0.86% lower than its previous close at 1,292.6.

** In offshore trading, the won USDKRW was quoted at 1,302.5 per dollar, up 0.2%, while in non-deliverable forward trading, its one-month contract (KRW1MNDFOR=) was quoted at 1,301.3.

** The KOSPI has fallen 19.20% so far this year, but gained 8.2% in the previous 30 trading sessions.

** The won has lost 8.8% against the dollar so far this year.

** In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds (KTBc1) fell 0.04 points to 103.91.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield fell by 0.2 basis points to 3.615%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 1.9 basis points to 3.545%.

($1 = 1,302.4400 won)