SEOUL, Nov 17 (Reuters) - South Korean shares are expected to ease on Monday after U.S. markets fell last week, with banking and semiconductor issues facing profit-taking after recent sharp gains, analysts said.
U.S. stocks fell on Friday, led by computer chip and biotechnology shares on disappointing corporate earnings, while mixed economic data failed to give a clear sign an economic rebound was gaining momentum.
The Dow Jones industrial average ended down 0.7 percent at 9,768.68 and the tech-laced Nasdaq composite fell 1.89 percent to 1,930.26.
STOCKS TO WATCH
- Hyundai Motor Co
South Korea's biggest auto maker is expected to see its joint venture in Beijing make profits this year, earlier than they had expected for 2004, the Korea Economic Daily reported, citing an unnamed Hyundai official.
Hyundai's Chinese joint venture, launched in December last year, is expected to sell more than 50,000 units of the Sonata mid-size sedan this year, it said.
-Korean Air
South Korea's largest carrier said on Friday its third-quarter net profit more than quadrupled from a year earlier as passenger traffic grew for the peak travel season.
Korean Air unveiled a net profit of 227 billion won ($193.8 million) for the quarter ended September 30, compared with a profit of 55 billion won in the year-earlier period.
-Woori Financial Group
South Korea's third-largest financial services company reported on Friday an unexpected loss in the third quarter, hit by heavy provisioning at its credit card unit.
Woori, 87-percent owned by the government, posted a 137.4 billion won ($117.3 million) net loss in the three months ended September 30, compared with a 70.5 billion won profit a year earlier.
PREVIOUS CLOSE
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) finished down 0.40 percent at 809.89 points on Friday, off the previous day's 17-month closing high.
The December KOSPI 200 futures index was unchanged at 106.00 and the underlying KOSPI 200 spot index fell 0.51 percent to 105.35.
The junior Kosdaq ended down 0.15 percent at 46.90.