South Korea stocks climb on U.S. GDP boost; won gains

Seoul: Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korea's KOSPI stock index climbed on Monday as surprisingly strong U.S. first-quarter economic growth data put to rest fears of a recession. The Korean won strengthened, while the benchmark bond yield dropped.

** The Seoul stock market's main KOSPI rose 10.85 points or 0.50 percent to 2,190.16 points.

** U.S. economic growth accelerated in the first quarter, but the burst in growth was driven by a smaller trade deficit and the largest accumulation of unsold merchandise since 2015, temporary boosters that are seen weighing on the economy later this year.

** Strong U.S. data helped offset fears of sluggish global growth. However, in the mid or long term, strong U.S. GDP data can be a negative factor for South Korea stocks as Fed could hike interest rate, leading to capital outflow in developing nations, says Kim Ye-eun, analyst at IBK Securities.

** Foreigners were net buyers of 38.8 billion won worth ofshares on the main board.

** The won was quoted at 1,158.3 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.23 percent higher than its previous close at 1,161.0.

** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,158.7 per U.S. dollar, down 0.1 percent from the previous day, while in one-year non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract was quoted at 1,157.0 per dollar.

** MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.25 percent, after U.S. stocks rose           .

** The KOSPI climbed 7.31 percent so far this year, and rose 0.1 percent in the previous 30 trading sessions.

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

** The trading volume during the session on the KOSPI index was 190.70 million shares and, of the total traded issues of 888, the number of advancing shares was 449.

** The won lost 3.7 percent against the U.S. dollar so far this year.

** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year treasury bonds rose 0.01 points to 109.54.

** The most liquid 3-year Korean treasury bond yield dropped by 0.8 basis points to 1.712 percent, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 1.1 basis points to 1.865 percent.