Seoul: Corporate direct financing increased slightly last year from a year earlier as a sharp decline in bond sales was offset by a spike in stock offerings, data showed Wednesday. Local companies raised a combined 289.96 trillion won (US$200 billion) last year by selling stocks and bonds, up 2.89 trillion won, or 1 percent, from a year earlier.

According to Yonhap News Agency, stock sales soared 54 percent on-year to 13.71 trillion won, while corporate bond sales slipped 0.7 percent to 276.25 trillion won over the cited period. The value of outstanding corporate bonds stood at 756.87 trillion won as of end-December, up 64.16 trillion won, or 9.3 percent, from a year ago, the data showed.