Seoul stocks up 0.64 pct in late morning

SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks traded 0.64 percent higher in
late Tuesday morning, led by financial gains and solid foreign buying, analysts
said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) advanced 10.5 points to
trade at 1,645.41 as of 11:20 a.m.
"Financial firms helped lead the market gain as investors bet their second-half
earnings will be better than expected on increasing net interest margins," said
Lim Dong-min, an analyst at KB Investment & Securities. "An overnight gain on
Wall Street also shored up investor confidence, prompting powerful buying among
foreign investors."
The local currency was trading at 1,221.95 won to the U.S. dollar as of 11:20
a.m., up 3.15 won from Monday's close.
pbr@yna.co.kr
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