Roundup: S. Korean shares jump on Samsung's positive earnings

South Korean shares made a big rebound on Thursday after falling to the lowest in about 16 months two days earlier as Samsung Electronics unveiled better-than- expected earnings for the fourth quarter of 2014.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) jumped 20.82 points, or 1.11 percent, to 1,904.65 at the close. Trading volume stood at 258.49 million shares worth 4.17 trillion won (3.8 billion U.S. dollars).

Samsung said that preliminary figure for its operating profit was 5.2 trillion won (4.7 billion U.S. dollars) during the September-December period of 2014.

The figure was down 37.42 percent from a year earlier, but it rebounded from a 4.06 trillion won operating profit in the third quarter. The fourth-quarter profit beat market expectations of about 4.8 trillion won.

Revenue was 52 trillion won in the fourth quarter, down 12.28 percent from a year earlier. It was up 9.59 percent from the previous quarter.

Upbeat earnings from Samsung boosted expectations for the fourth-quarter earnings season. U.S. and European stocks ended higher overnight, adding an upbeat mood to the stock market.

Global oil price drop, which had weighed down on market sentiment, slowed, and expectations spread for further monetary stimulus in Europe, of which consumer prices declined last month.

Foreigners turned net buyers in two sessions by purchasing shares worth 173.3 billion won. Institutional and retail investors sold shares worth 84.7 billion won and 116.1 billion won respectively.

Most large-cap shares gained ground. Samsung Electronics rose 0. 5 percent to close at 1,314,000 won, and top automaker Hyundai Motor soared 4.7 percent. Memory chip giant SK Hynix jumped 5.4 percent, and the biggest steelmaker POSCO advanced 2.3 percent.

Naver, the owner of most-used search engine, gained 1.6 percent, and top life insurer Samsung Life Insurance added 2.1 percent. But, the state-run power supplier Korea Electric Power Corp. and the No. 1 mobile operator SK Telecom declined 3.1 percent and 1.7 percent respectively.

The South Korean currency finished at 1,096.9 won against the greenback, up 3.0 won from Wednesday's close.

Bond prices ended lower. Yields on the liquid three-year treasury notes rose 0.2 basis points to 2.076 percent, and the return on the benchmark 10-year government bonds added 0.4 basis points to 2.564 percent. Endi