South Korean stocks closed nearly unchanged on Monday, with investors exercising caution ahead of the upcoming release of US inflation data. The Korean won weakened against the US dollar while the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index slipped marginally by 0.02 percent to 2,727.21. Trade volume was relatively high, totaling 614.2 million shares valued at 12.9 trillion won ($9.4 billion), with decliners outnumbering advancers by 481 to 380. Notably, major US indices like the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq saw mixed results last week as investors grappled with conflicting signals about the Federal Reserve's policy stance amid persistent inflation data and hawkish comments by Fed officials. The upcoming release of US producer and consumer price indices later in the week is being keenly anticipated by investors. In the local market, Samsung Electronics Co. saw a 1.01 percent decline, while SK hynix Inc. surged 2.17 percent. There was a mixed performance among battery shares, with LG Energy Solution slipping 0.52 percent and Samsung SDI edging up 0.93 percent. Key players in the auto and financial sectors, including Hyundai Motor, Kia, KB Financial Group, and Hana Financial Group, saw gains. Additionally, major shipbuilders experienced notable advances, while IT shares like Naver and Kakao faced declines. The local currency closed at 1,368.20 won against the US dollar, marking a marginal decline from the previous session's close. Adblock test (Why?)