Seoul shares poised for 5-day fall on nagging growth woes

SEOUL, July 12 (Reuters) - Seoul shares are expected to
decline for a fifth straight session on Thursday as risk
appetite remain subdued due to persistent global economic woes.
U.S. stocks fell overnight after minutes from the Federal
Reserve policy meeting in June suggested that Fed policymakers
were open to additional bond-buying, but conditions might need
to worsen before bolder action can be taken.
"Investors will be disappointed by the prospect that there
may likely be no decisive, growth-stimulating measures in the
near horizon, while worries of a slowing economy continue to
nag," said Park Suk-hyun, an analyst at KTB Securities.
Market players will be on a cautious footing with options
expiry and South Korea's central bank policy rate meeting due on
Thursday.
The Bank of Korea is widely expected to hold interest rates
steady for a 13th consecutive month despite monetary easing by
big central banks from Europe to China, although some analysts
have forecast it might deliver its first rate cut in
three-and-a-half years.
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell
0.17 percent to close at 1,826.39 points on Wednesday.

------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @22:03 GMT--------------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG
S&P 500 1,341.45 -0% -0.020
USD/JPY 79.70 -0.03% -0.020
10-YR US TSY YLD 1.515 -- 0.000
SPOT GOLD $1,576.16 0.03% 0.410
US CRUDE $86.11 0.35% 0.300
DOW JONES 12604.53 -0.38% -48.59
ASIA ADRS 116.32 0.48% 0.55
----------------------------------------------------------------
>Dow, Nasdaq fall after Fed minutes, tech weak spot
>Huge demand for 10-year notes at record low yields
>Dollar rises as Fed show bond buys not imminent
>Oil up 2 pct,Brent paces on tight North Sea outlook

---STOCKS TO WATCH---

**HYUNDAI MOTOR CO **

Workers at South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co voted to
stage their first strike in four years after annual wage talks
collapsed over working conditions, a union spokesman said on
Wednesday.

**SHIPPING COMPANIES**

Transpacific container shipping lines have announced August
freight rate increases on dry cargo and are considering rate
rises also on refrigerated cargo as the market recovers, a group
representing the industry said on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Joonhee Yu; Editing by Richard Pullin)