South Korean shares flat as market awaits Nvidia earnings

SEOUL, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares traded flat on Tuesday, while investors awaited U.S. chipmaker Nvidia's earnings later in the week for cues on global chip demand.

** The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 gained 3.58 points, or 0.14%, at 2,473.38 as of 0128 GMT, after rising 2.2% on Monday.

** Chipmaker Samsung Electronics 005930.KS added 0.35%, after rising sharply for two consecutive sessions on a surprise share buyback plan. However, peer SK Hynix 000660.KS was flat.

** AI darling Nvidia will report its third-quarter earnings on Wednesday, when investors will assess the global chip demand and the sustainability of the AI euphoria that drove much of the market's rally this year.

** Among other index heavyweights, e-commerce and biopharmaceutical stocks rose, while automakers fell. Battery makers remained mixed.

** Of the total 933 traded issues, 448 shares advanced, while 399 declined.

** Foreigners net sold shares worth 34.9 billion won ($25 million).

** The won was quoted at 1,393.1 per U.S. dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.03% higher than its previous close at 1,393.5.

** In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds KTBc1 rose 0.04 point to 105.93.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR fell by 1.7 basis points to 2.900%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR fell by 2.3 basis points to 3.047%.

($1 = 1,391.8700 won)

(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Sumana Nandy)

((jihoon.lee@thomsonreuters.com;))