Asian Markets
Reuters Staff
* KOSPI rises, foreigners net sellers * KRW strengthens against USD * S.Korea benchmark bond yield rises SEOUL, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets: ** South Korean shares jumped to a record high on Monday, driven by market heavyweight Samsung Electronics and as U.S. President Donald Trump signed a long-awaited coronavirus aid bill. Both the won and the benchmark bond yield rose. ** The benchmark KOSPI was up 14.73 points, or 0.52%, at 2,821.59 by 0152 GMT, after rising as much as 1% in early trade. ** Trump on Sunday signed into law a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package, officials said, restoring unemployment benefits to millions of Americans and averting a partial federal government shutdown. ** The U.S. stimulus news outweighed worries over South Korea reporting the first variant of coronavirus linked to the rapid rise in infections in Britain in three people. There were 808 new COVID-19 cases for Sunday. ** "Samsung shares soared a day before the ex-dividend date on massive buying by retail investors," said Na Jeong-hwan, an analyst at DS Investment & Securities, adding that the discovery of the new coronavirus variant at home might weigh on markets. ** Chip giant Samsung Electronics jumped as much as 2.96% on continued dividend hopes. ** Peer SK Hynix was up 0.9%. Other market heavyweights Hyundai Motor and Celltrion rose 1.1% and 1.4%, respectively. ** Foreigners were net sellers of 126.6 billion won ($115.16 million) worth of shares on the main board. ** The won was quoted at 1,099.5 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform , 0.32% higher than its previous close at 1,103.0. ** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,099.3, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract was quoted at 1,097.0. ** In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year treasury bonds fell 0.02 points to 111.51. ** The most liquid 3-year Korean treasury bond yield rose by 0.7 basis point to 0.957%. ($1 = 1,099.3000 won) (Reporting by Joori Roh; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)