Seoul stocks start higher on earnings momentum

SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Thursday as robust earnings hopes at home and abroad boosted investor confidence, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 19.36 points, or
1.17 percent, to 1,668.45 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Steelmakers led the key index gain after POSCO, the world's fourth largest steel
giant, released third-quarter results that were better than expected late
Wednesday.
Stellar corporate earnings boosted Wall Street stocks on Wednesday with the Dow
Jones industrial average jumping 1.47 percent to 10,015.86, surpassing the
five-digit milestone for the first time since October last year.
The local currency was trading at 1,159.55 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15
a.m., up 5.25 won from Wednesday's close.
pbr@yna.co.kr
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