South Korea's Shares Fall, Led by Posco, Kookmin, Samsung; Hynix Advances

(Bloomberg) -- South Korean stocks fell, led by
Posco, and Kookmin Bank, on concern losses in the U.S. mortgage
market may slow the world's biggest economy.

Samsung Electronics Co. also declined after a power outage
at some production lines of the world's second-largest chipmaker.


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MBK Offers to Buy C&M for $3.2 Billion in Korea's Biggest LBO, Bankers Say

(Bloomberg) -- MBK Partners Ltd., the South Korean
private equity group founded by former Carlyle Group executives,
offered 3 trillion won ($3.2 billion) for cable-TV operator C&M,
said two bankers who were asked to provide financing.

The Seoul-based buyout company wants to borrow as much as 2
trillion won to pay for closely held C&M, South Korea's second-
biggest cable-TV operator, said the bankers, who declined to be
identified because the bid hasn't been disclosed. The purchase
would include New York-based Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s 30.5
percent stake, they said.


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South Korea Stocks Rebound from Two-Day Rout; Samsung Electronics Advances

(Bloomberg) -- South Korean stocks rose, snapping a
two-day plunge that had wiped out $68 billion in market value.
Samsung Electronics Co. gained after the country's industrial
production increased almost twice as much as expected.

Higher output of chips, autos and mobile phones, which
account for about a third of the nation's exports, accounted for
the gain in production, according to a government report. Concern
that a deepening U.S. housing-market slump would hurt the world's
biggest economy had triggered a $2.1 trillion rout in global
equities last week.


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Asian Currencies Weaken as Overseas Investors Shun Region's Riskier Assets

(Bloomberg) -- Asian currencies fell on speculation
global investors cut holdings in riskier assets as stock markets
across the region dropped.

The Indonesian rupiah declined to the weakest in almost five
months and the Malaysian ringgit and South Korean won slipped to
their lowest in July. Bank Indonesia said last week it isn't
worried by the currency's decline, while South Korea's central
bank said the won is set to drop as the current-account surplus
narrows.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

UPDATE 1-Doosan to buy Ingersoll units for $4.9 bln

(Reuters) - The biggest ever overseas acquisition by a South Korean
company will make Doosan one of the world's top seven
construction equipment makers, the South Korean firm said.




Ingersoll signed a definitive agreement to sell Bobcat, the
world's top compact construction equipment firm, and its utility
equipment and attachment businesses, which in 2006 together
generated $2.6 billion in sales and $370 million in operating
profits.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

South Korea's Stocks Fall on U.S. Housing Concern; Hyundai Heavy Declines

(Bloomberg) -- South Korean stocks fell for the
third day. Kookmin Bank led declines on concern a deepening U.S.
housing slump will damp the world's biggest economy and prompt
investors to shun riskier assets.

The Kospi index dropped 17.86, or 1 percent, to 1,865.36 as
of 9:25 a.m. in Seoul. Stocks plunged on July 27 by the most in
more than three years, wiping out $46 billion in market value.


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Asian Stocks Rise to a Record; Hyundai Motor, Woodside Petroleum Advance

(Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks rose for a third day,
driving a regional benchmark to a record. Hyundai Motor Co. led
South Korean automakers higher after Meritz Securities Co.
lifted its price estimate for the stock, citing earnings.

Woodside Petroleum Ltd., Australia's second-largest oil and
gas producer, climbed as crude futures contracts traded near an
11-month high. Samsung Electronics Co. slid after prices of
computer memory chips fell by the most in two weeks.


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South Korean Stocks Fall, Snapping 7-Day Climb; Samsung Electronics Drops

(Bloomberg) -- South Korean stocks fell for the first
time this month after investors judged recent gains excessive.
Samsung Electronics Co. led the decline.

LG.Philips LCD Co. advanced after it reported its first
profit in five quarters.


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Asian Stocks Resume July Rally on Economic Growth, Oil; Samsung Climbs

(Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks resumed their July rally
on signs economic growth in Japan and South Korea is accelerating
and as crude oil traded near a 10-month high.

Japan's Komatsu Ltd. gained the most in a week after a
government report showed machinery orders rose more than forecast
in May. Samsung Electronics Co. led the Kospi index to a fourth
straight high after the commerce ministry raised its forecast for
South Korean exports. BHP Billiton Ltd., Australia's largest oil
explorer, climbed for an eighth day.


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South Korean Stocks Gain, Led by Samsung, Chipmakers; Kangwon Land Plunges

(Bloomberg) -- South Korean stocks advanced for a
fourth day. Samsung Electronics Co. gained on speculation prices
for dynamic random access memory, or DRAM, will rise, helping
improve profit.

Kangwon Land Inc. tumbled by the most in more than four
years after the nearby city of Pyeongchang failed in its bid to
host the 2014 Winter Olympics.


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South Korean Manufacturers' Confidence Falls for First Time in Six Months

(Bloomberg) -- Confidence among South Korean
manufacturers about the outlook for July fell for the first time
in six months, on concerns that a rally in the local won
currency may hurt price competitiveness in overseas markets.

An index measuring sentiment among manufacturers fell to
86 from June's 91, the Bank of Korea said today in Seoul. The
sub-index for exporters of manufactured goods also fell to 90
from 96 in the same period, according to the poll of 2,929
companies. The index began in 2003 and has always had a reading
of less than 100, indicating pessimists outnumber optimists.


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South Korea's Won Strengthens on Consumer Confidence; Bonds Little Changed

(Bloomberg) -- The South Korean won had the
strongest close in more than a month after a central bank report
showed consumers were the most optimistic in 15 months in the
second quarter. Bonds were little changed.

Growth in Korea's gross domestic product is likely to
strengthen ``gradually'' over the rest of 2007 as domestic
demand picks up, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development said June 20. The won rose after the finance
ministry said consumers are supporting the expansion in Asia's
third-largest economy.


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South Korean Consumer Confidence Rose to 15-Month High in Second Quarter

(Bloomberg) -- South Korean consumers showed the
most optimism in 15 months in the second quarter, an indication
that households may spend more and help spur economic growth.

The Bank of Korea's consumer confidence index increased to
108 in the second quarter from 103 in the previous three months,
the central bank said in a statement in Seoul today. A reading
higher than 100 indicates optimists outnumber pessimists.


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Goldman to sell S.Korea cable operator stake: paper

(Reuters) - The sale may include management rights from the family owners of the country's No. 2 cable TV operator, the daily said.




Three investment groups have handed in their bids, including South Korean investment fund MBK Partners, a private equity arm run by Australia's Macquarie Bank and South Korea's Shinhan Financial Group .


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Lone Star in talks with several to sell KEB: paper

(Reuters) - Lone Star sold on Friday a 13.6 percent stake in KEB and two South Korean firms for a total of $2.3 billion.




The fund scrapped a $7.3 billion deal last year to sell KEB to Kookmin Bank amid a legal dispute with regulators over its $1.2 billion purchase of a majority of KEB in 2003.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

South Korea's Samsung Card to Raise $619 Million From Initial Share Sale

(Bloomberg) -- Samsung Card Co., the consumer
credit unit of South Korea's biggest industrial group, increased
to 576 billion won ($619 million) its target from an initial
share sale after investors bid for more stock than they were
offered.

The company and owners will sell 12 million shares at
48,000 won each, compared with a high price of 45,000 won
marketed to investors, Seoul-based Samsung Card said today.
South Korean and overseas institutional investors applied for
257.6 million shares, 36 times the 7.2 million allocated to them,
the firm said.


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News