Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

 

** South Korean shares rose nearly 1% on Wednesday, as chipmakers jumped in a rally driven by artificial intelligence optimism, while automakers extending gains also boosted sentiment.

** The benchmark KOSPI rose 25.62 points, or 0.93%, to 2,789.54 by 0112 GMT, its highest intraday level since Jan. 24, 2022.

** Chipmaker Samsung Electronics rose 1.38% and peer SK Hynix gained 2.13%, tracking U.S. chipmaker Nvidia's rally to become the world's most valuable company amid an AI boom.

** Hyundai Motor added 2.30%, extending its record-setting rally on hopes that its decision to list the India unit would boost the company's value. Sister automaker Kia Corp gained 2.82%.

** U.S. Federal Reserve officials, heartened by recent data, are looking for further confirmation that inflation is cooling and for any warning signs from a still-strong labour market, as they steer cautiously toward what most expect to be an interest rate cut or two by the end of this year.

** Among other index heavyweights, battery makers and biopharmaceutical manufacturers firmed, but e-commerce firms fell.

** Of the total 930 traded issues, 373 shares advanced, while 480 declined.

** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 73.3 billion won ($53.10 million).

** The won was quoted at 1,380.3 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.06% higher than its previous close at 1,381.1.

** In money and debt markets, September futures on three-year treasury bonds rose 0.08 point to 105.20.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield fell by 2.8 basis points to 3.186%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 2.0 basis points to 3.254%. ($1 = 1,380.4200 won) (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Rashmi Aich)