Seoul shares narrow losses late Thurs. morning amid inflation woes

SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- Seoul shares narrowed losses late Thursday morning as investors digested a series of negative factors, including persistent pressure from elevated U. S. Treasury yields. After opening 0.34 percent lower, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) inched up 2.88 points, or 0.04 percent, to 6,804.92 as of 11:20 a.m. Overnight, Wall Street ended mixed as cooler-than-expected inflation data was offset by persistent pressure from elevated U. S. Treasury yields and rising oil prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.86 percent, while the benchmark S&P 500 dipped 0.25 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.24 percent. In Seoul, market heavyweights were trading mixed. Top market cap Samsung Electronics inched up 0.09 percent, and chip giant SK hynix gained 0.34 percent after opening lower. SK Square, the parent company of SK hynix, declined 2.02 percent, while Samsung Electro-Mechanics, an electronics component affiliate of Samsung Electronics, inched down 0.07 percent. The Korean won was trading at 1,360.1 won against the U. S. dollar as of 11:20 a.m., down 4.4 won from the previous session's close. Financial data is displayed on a screen at Hana Bank's dealing room in central Seoul on Oct. 1, 2026. (Yonhap) khj@yna.co.kr(END)