South Korean shares fall on caution ahead of Fed rate verdict

Published on 09/17/2025 at 02:59 am EDT
* KOSPI falls, foreigners net sellers
* Korean won weakens against dollar
* South Korea benchmark bond yield falls
(Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares fell on Wednesday as investors grew cautious ahead of a widely expected U.S. interest rate cut later in the day. The won weakened, while the benchmark bond yield fell.
** The benchmark KOSPI closed down 36.22 points, or 1.05%, at 3,413.40 as of 06:30 GMT.
** Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics fell 1.51%, while peer SK Hynix lost 4.17%. Battery maker LG Energy Solution climbed 0.14%.
** The U.S. Federal Reserve is widely expected to cut the benchmark interest rate by a quarter-percentage-point from the current level of between 4.25% and 4.50% later in the day, the first reduction since December 2024.
** Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced an agreement between the U.S. and China to keep TikTok operating in the United States, clearing path for further negotiations.
** Hyundai Motor and sister automaker Kia Corp were up 0.47% and down 0.39%, respectively. Steelmaker POSCO Holdings added 0.53%, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics fell 1.54%.
** Of the total 929 traded issues, 305 shares advanced, while 567 declined.
** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 33.9 billion won ($24.55 million). ** The won was quoted at 1,380.1 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.04% lower than its previous close at 1,379.5.
** The KOSPI has risen 42.26% so far this year. ** The won has strengthened 6.7% against the dollar so far this year.
** In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds lost 0.02 point to 107.34.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield rose by 0.7 basis points to 2.418%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 0.4 basis points to 2.788%. ($1 = 1,380.9400 won)
 (Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Rashmi Aich) 

Sumber : Reuters