(2nd LD) Stocks end higher on chip gains amid hopes for shareholder return plans

Seoul stocks gained ground on Friday, buoyed by anticipation of substantial shareholder return initiatives from the nation's leading semiconductor manufacturers, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 60.37 points, or 0.88 percent, to 6,912.95, after peaking at 6,954.12. Trading activity was steady, with 404.5 million shares exchanged worth 28.7 trillion won (US$20.7 billion).

The majority of stocks declined, 681 to 193, as retail and foreign investors offloaded a total of 1.34 trillion won. Institutional investors, however, purchased 248.1 billion won. Analysts attributed the positive sentiment to the chipmakers' shareholder return plans, which overshadowed external uncertainties such as the U.S. Treasury Department's unexpected bond buyback and growing worries about inflation and national debt.

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix were the top gainers, with Samsung's stock up 3.87 percent to 281,500 won and SK hynix increasing 2.31 percent to 1,730,000 won. Financial firms benefited from bargain-hunting, with KB Financial and Shinhan Financial Holdings each gaining 2.69 percent and 2.97 percent, respectively. Defense and shipbuilding companies faced sell-offs due to profit-taking, with Hanwha Aerospace falling 7.03 percent and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries dropping 4.73 percent.

The Korean won strengthened against the U.S. dollar, ending at 1,386.5 won, an increase of 6.1 won from the previous day. Bond prices fell, with the yield on three-year Treasurys up 4.3 basis points to 3.854 percent and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds rising 4.5 basis points to 4.111 percent.