S.Korean shares advance on optimism over China (2)

Foreign investors kept their buying spree for five straight sessions by purchasing a net 109.3 billion won worth of local shares. Institutional investors bought shares worth 59.1 billion won, but retail investors sold a net 163.2 billion won worth of stocks. Program-linked transactions posted net buying worth 156.5 billion won thanks to long arbitrage positions caused by foreign buying in the KOSPI200 index futures.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics, which account for more than one-fifth of the total market capitalization, rose 1.8 percent to close at 1,455,000 won, marking the record closing high. Top automaker Hyundai Motor fell 0.7 percent to 226,500 won, but the nation's No.1 auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis advanced 2.7 percent to 288,000 won.

Leading chemical firm LG Chem gained 1.1 percent to 314,000 won, and top steelmaker POSCO rose 1.1 percent to 322,000 won. Memory chip giant SK Hynix climbed 1.6 percent to 24,850 won, and flat screen maker LG Display added 2.3 percent to 35,350 won.

The local currency finished at 1,081.5 won against the greenback, up 1.9 won from Tuesday's close.

Bond prices ended lower. The yield on the liquid three-year treasury notes added 0.02 percentage point to 2.86 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds jumped 0.04 percentage point to 2.95 percent.

Recommended Features: Vibrant Opportunities amid Transition From 'Made in China' to 'Created in China' A Journey to Cultural Renaissance The Vision of A Pillar Industry [Video]A 'Made in China' Story A Splendorous Landscape of China's Wealth A Decade of Fastest Development Eastern Boom Lightens Western Gloom Chinese firms 'potential Trojan horses'？