Seoul shares start weaker on U.S. losses

SEOUL, Feb. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks opened slightly lower Thursday,
tracking overnight Wall Street falls, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dropped 1.59 points, or
0.13 percent, to 1,193.78 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Most large-cap shares started weaker with financial shares registering the
biggest drops.
Wall Street lost ground Wednesday after bleak earnings forecasts for top U.S.
food maker Kraft Foods raised concerns over consumer spending. The Dow Jones
industrial average fell 1.51 percent and the Nasdaq edged down 0.08 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,381.85 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15
a.m., down 3.35 won from Wednesday's close.
pbr@yna.co.kr
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