Seoul: Shares end flat; won falls as dollar gains widely

[SEOUL] South Korean shares finished almost unchanged on Thursday, even as foreigners were net buyers for a ninth straight day, their longest buying spree in six months.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) finished trade at 1,998.38 points, barely changed from Wednesday's close at 1,998.29. Foreign investors bought a net 111.29 billion won of local shares, provisional exchange data showed.

It was the ninth session in a row that foreign investors bought more than they sold on Seoul's main stock exchange, the longest since early September.

On the currency market, the won ended local trade at 1,101.3 per dollar, down from Wednesday's close of 1,097.7 as the dollar held firm against most currencies.

REUTERS