As POSCO Holdings announced its first quarterly earnings under new Chairman Jang In-hwa, control of business development speeds by business division has become a hot topic.The company has set an investment budget of about 10.8 trillion won for this year, but the amount is likely to be reduced. The p
The world’s largest foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) company, Taiwan’s TSMC, has ignited the competition in ultra-fine processes among Samsung Electronics and Intel by announcing plans for 1.6-nanometer (nm) mass production in 2026.According to industry sources and foreign media report
Naver’s management control over Line, which it has developed into a global messaging service over the past 13 years, could be handed over to Japan due to pressure from the Japanese government. If control is transferred, Naver could lose a market of 200 million users in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand, p
LG Energy Solution recorded an operating loss in the first quarter of this year when excluding the advanced manufacturing production credit (AMPC) from the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).The company announced on April 25 that its first-quarter provisional sales amounted to 6.13 trillion won (US$
After receiving a lackluster performance report for the first quarter of this year, POSCO Holdings has signaled changes in its core businesses such as steel and secondary battery materials.POSCO Holdings announced on April 25 that its consolidated operating profit for the first quarter of this year
Lotte Group has sold “Lotte World Adventure Shenyang” in China. It marks over seven years since construction was halted at the end of 2016 due to China’s retaliation over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Lotte World Shenyang was envisioned as a large-scale pr
With South Korea’s manufacturing investments shifting from the western to the eastern United States, there’s a growing need to establish logistics infrastructure like port terminals on the U.S. East Coast to mitigate logistics risks.According to the report titled “Changes in Import-Export Logistics
SK hynix plans to invest 20 trillion won in Cheongju to expand its high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production capacity. This move is interpreted as an effort to maintain its leading position amid intensifying HBM competition.On April 24, SK hynix announced that its board of directors has approved the pr
The Korean construction industry is on edge due to the conflict between Israel and Iran and between Israel and Hamas, which has led to a decline in orders from the Middle East and concerns about lower profitability due to rising raw material prices. The Middle East is a big overseas market for Korea
China’s Alibaba Group, the parent company of AliExpress, which has been embroiled in controversy for selling knockoffs and distributing low-quality, unauthorized goods in Korea, is reportedly considering making a 100 billion won equity investment in Korean women’s fashion application Ably, causing a
Taiwan, a major hub for the world’s top semiconductor companies, has experienced a series of earthquakes, leading to temporary delays in semiconductor supply and potential price hikes.On April 23, the industry reported that over 50 aftershocks, ranging from magnitude 3.0 to 6.3, struck eastern Taiwa
Instagram has surpassed Naver and YouTube to claim the spot of Korea’s second-most-used app.On April 23, sample data from domestic smartphone users by app and retail analysis service WiseApp showed that Instagram’s average monthly launch count for the first quarter was 14.93374 billion times. This p
It has emerged that the domestic battery industry, which received trillions of won in tax deductions in the United States last year, might need to pay nearly 200 billion won in additional taxes by 2026 due to the implementation of a global minimum tax. Battery companies are currently investing in th
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix did not pay corporate taxes last year as they both recorded operating losses due to the downturn in the semiconductor industry.According to Samsung Electronics’ business report released on April 23, the company recorded an operating loss of 11.52 trillion won (US$8.3
Chinese electric multiple unit rapid transit cars, which dominated the U.S. electric rapid transit car market through price war, are being withdrawn from the market one after another due to safety issues and rising costs. Hyundai Rotem, which has struggled due to the price war, is aggressively pursu
According to sources in the petrochemical industry on April 22, Lotte Chemical, the second-largest petrochemical company in South Korea, is seriously considering halting operations at its Yeosu Plant 2, which produces PET, a raw material for plastics. It is anticipated within the industry that the c
With the ongoing competition in the AI semiconductor sector, the foundry (contract chip manufacturing) industry is facing a new challenge due to stagnant demand and overcapacity. Concurrently, the rivalry for dominance in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) segment, a crucial component in AI, is intensi
South Korea is expected to maintain its position as the most expensive country for smartphones in the world. Since surpassing Japan in 2021, South Korea has held onto this top spot without challenge, with forecasts suggesting it will continue to have the highest average selling price (ASP) for smart
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. He can be reached at ldh@sinhan.com -- Ed.1Q24 review: OP of engines surpasses construction equipmentHD Hyundai Infracore posted sales of KRW1.16tr (-10% YoY), operating profit of KRW92.8bn (-39% YoY), and operating margin of 8% (-3.8%p YoY) for 1Q24.
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. She can be reached at sunmi.kim@shinhan.com -- Ed.Strong top-line drives earnings surprise & annual forecast revisionHyundai Engineering & Construction posted sales of KRW8.5tr and operating profit of KRW250.9bn for 1Q24, beating consensus estimates b