Seoul shares up 0.66 pct in late morning

SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks traded 0.66 percent higher late
Wednesday morning as retail investors snapped up battered blue chips following
overnight gains on Wall Street, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 6.77 points to
1,029.97 as of 11:20 a.m.
"Retail investors have pushed up the key index after in the morning but gains
were reduced as institutions and foreign investors turned to net-selling mode,"
said Bae Sung-yung, an analyst at Hyundai Securities.
U.S. shares closed sharply higher Tuesday with the Dow Jones industrial average
climbing 3.3 percent. The tech-dominated Nasdaq composite index rose 3.7 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,465.05 won to the U.S. dollar as of 11:20
a.m., down 0.8 won from Tuesday's close.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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