South Korea stocks gain on Trump's optimistic remark on trade talks

SEOUL: Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korea's KOSPI stock index ended higher on Wednesday as investors were relieved by U.S. President Donald Trump's optimistic comment on trade negotiation with China. The Korean won strengthened, while the benchmark bond yield fell.

** The Seoul stock market's main KOSPI closed up 10.95 points, or 0.53%, to 2,092.79.

** U.S. President Donald Trump called the trade war with China "a little squabble" and insisted talks between the world's two largest economies had not collapsed.

** Sharp gain of Chinese stocks, boosted by bargain hunting, also gave positive impact to South Korean market, Seo Sang-young, an analyst from Kiwoom Securities, said in a note.

** Foreigners were net sellers of 77.5 billion won ($65.24 million) worth of shares on the main board.

** The won was quoted at 1,188.6 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.07% higher than its previous close at 1,189.4.

** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,188.6 per U.S. dollar, down 0.1% from the previous day, while in one-year non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract  was quoted at 1,187.2 per dollar.

** MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan  was up 0.60%, after U.S. stocks bounced back . Japanese stocks rose 0.58%.

** The KOSPI has risen 2.54% so far this year, and fell 2.7% in the previous 30 trading sessions.

** The current price-to-earnings ratio is 12.10, the dividend yield is 1.28% and the market capitalisation is 1,242.04 trillion won.

** The trading volume during the session on the KOSPI index  was 556.55 million shares and, of the total traded issues of 893, the number of advancing shares was 645.

** The won has lost 6.1% against the U.S dollar this year.

** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year treasury bonds was unchanged at 109.55, while the 3-month Certificate of Deposit rate was quoted at 1.84%.

** The most liquid 3-year Korean treasury bond yield fell by 0.3 basis points to 1.708%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 0.7 basis points to 1.862%.