South Korean shares ended slightly higher on Tuesday, boosted by foreign buying of top lender Kookmin Bank and other bank shares.
Market leader Samsung Electronics Co Ltd also rose 0.55 percent to a record closing high of 546,000 won after a tug of war between foreign buying and profit taking by retail investors over the session.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) finished up 0.23 percent at 866.80 points, marking a new 2-week closing high following on Monday.
But investors didn't push the market too far ahead of testimony from US Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan before Congress on monetary policy and the economy on Wednesday.
"We need a new catalyst to push up the market above a previous high of 873 points, but we don't have it now," said you Sung-min, an analyst at Samsung Securities.
Kookmin Bank shares rose 0.85 percent to 47,400 won, adding to a rise of more than four percent in the previous session.
However, Shinhan Financial Group ended down 0.73 percent at 20,350 won, shortly before the bank announced a 38 percent fall in quarterly net profit to 106.5 billion won, hit by hefty provisions and losses at newly acquisition, Chohung Bank.
Among key decliners, South Korea's top auto-maker Hyundai Motor Co fell 2.86 percent at 47,500 won, partly due to a strengthening won against the dollar.
The won hit a four-month intraday high of 1,162.5 per dollar, putting a lid on a rebound in exporter shares as worries over price competitiveness resurfaced.
On the macroeconomic front, South Korea's consumer sentiment index hit its highest level in 16 months in January, although a slim majority of consumers polled remained gloomy about the economic outlook, government data showed on Tuesday.
However, the improvement in the Consumer Expectation Index failed to extend gains at major retail stocks, which were boosted by positive February sales forecasts released a day ago.
Shares in Hyundai Department Store, the country's second-biggest department store chain operator after unlisted Lotto Shopping, fell 2.06 percent to 33,200 won.
Shinsegae, the third-biggest department store chain, lost 3.51 percent to 261,500 won, wiping out most of Monday's three-percent gain. Foreign investors purchased a net 309.6 billion won worth of shares, while institutional investors sold a net 111.2 billion won.
Retail investors sold a net 200.2 billion won worth of shares.
Trade volume totalled at 441.8 million shares, versus 467.7 million on Monday. Turnover was valued at 2.64 trillion won, compared with 2.90 trillion. Decliners edged out advancers by 388 to 361, with 79 stocks unchanged.
The March KOSPI 200 futures index was up 0.40 point at 113.85 and the underlying KOSPI 200 spot index rose 0.28 point to 113.46.
The junior Kosdaq fell 0.19 percent to 438.96.
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