S.Korean stocks track U.S. futures higher, won strengthens

    * KOSPI rises, foreigners net sellers
    * Korean won strengthens against U.S. dollar
    * South Korea benchmark bond yield falls

    SEOUL, May 25 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial
markets:
    
    ** South Korean shares rebounded on Wednesday, following a
sharp drop in the previous session, with investor sentiment
improving on gains in U.S. stock futures. The Korean won
strengthened, while the benchmark bond yield fell.
    
    ** The benchmark KOSPI         rose 17.46 points, or 0.67%,
to 2,623.33 as of 0113 GMT, recouping some losses from a sharp
1.6% decline a day earlier.
    
    ** Local market was little pressured by Wall Street's
overnight losses, with downside factors already priced in during
the previous session, said Kiwoom Securities' analyst Kim
Sae-hun.
    
    ** Investors are also eyeing the minutes of the U.S. Federal
Reserve's latest monetary policy meeting, which is due later the
day. 
    
    ** Meanwhile, South Korea's central bank is likely to hike
its benchmark rate at a second consecutive meeting on Thursday
to combat inflation running at more than double its target.
            
    
    ** Among heavyweights, technology giant Samsung Electronics
            rose 0.15%, but peer SK Hynix             fell
0.46%, while battery maker LG Energy Solution            
dropped 2.17%.
    
    ** Another battery maker Samsung SDI             gained
0.85% after announcing of a more than $2.5 billion investment
plan to build a joint venture battery plant with Stellantis NV.
            
    
    ** Foreigners were net sellers of 85.5 billion won ($67.68
million) worth of shares on the main board. 
    
    ** The won was quoted at 1,263.8 per dollar on the onshore
settlement platform           , up 0.19%.
    
    ** In offshore trading, the won        was quoted at 1,263.8
per dollar, down 0.2%, while in non-deliverable forward trading,
its one-month contract               was quoted at 1,263.6.
    
    ** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year
treasury bonds         rose 0.07 point to 105.74.
    
    ** The most liquid 3-year Korean treasury bond yield fell by
2.8 basis points to 2.939%, while the benchmark 10-year yield
fell by 3.0 basis points to 3.186%.

($1 = 1,263.3700 won)

 (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; editing by Uttaresh.V)