Seoul shares down late Wed. morning ahead of U.S. inflation data

South Korean stocks traded lower late Wednesday morning ahead of key U.S. inflation data that would serve as a precursor to the Fed's rate-setting decision next week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index had lost 7.67 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,515.76 as of 11:20 a.m. Overnight on Wall Street, U.S. stocks closed mixed amid rising slowdown concerns and ahead of the highly anticipated Trump-Harris debate. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 0.2 percent, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.8 percent. In Seoul, semiconductor and auto shares led the decline. Chip giant Samsung Electronics fell 1.81 percent, and Hanmi Semiconductor, a leading semiconductor equipment provider, lost 0.62 percent. Top carmaker Hyundai Motor sank 3.03 percent, and its sister Kia slid 3.59 percent. But No. 1 mobile carrier SK Telecom rose 1.94 percent, and leading online portal operator Naver advanced 0.31 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,338.3 won against the U.S. dollar at 11:20 a.m., up 5.4 won fr om the previous session's close. Source: Yonhap News Agency