Korea’s inheritance tax is too high compared to G7 countries, leading to the Korea discount (the undervaluation of the Korean stock market) and discouraging investment, according to a proposal to adjust it to a reasonable level in this year’s tax law revision.“Over the past 30 years, G7 countries ha
Align Partners, which conducted an activist campaign against JB Financial Group, has succeeded in placing two directors on the board. This marks the first instance of a shareholder-proposed director being included in a South Korean financial company.At the 11th regular shareholders’ meeting of JB Fi
A recovery in the influx of Chinese group tours into South Korea is becoming noticeable. Chinese tourists to South Korea have passed the pre-COVID-19 level and are getting closer to the level where they peaked in the past. New momentum in China’s recovering economy is also something that can help se
Last year, insurance companies recorded a net profit exceeding 13 trillion won (US$9.68 billion), marking a record high performance in history.According to the “2023 Insurance Company Management Performance” report released by the Financial Supervisory Service on March 26, the combined net profit of
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have both reached new record highs simultaneously. Samsung Electronics share price has recovered to 80,000 won (US$60) in approximately two years and three months, while SK hynix’s market capitalization approaches 130 trillion won. Expectations are rising for Samsung
The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) announced on March 25 that it would initiate a concentrated investigation into what are colloquially referred to as “zombie companies.” These are businesses considered financially distressed, resorting to tactics such as capital increases through disguised pay
The CEO of Osstem Implant allegedly made approximately 150 million won (US$111,431) in short-term trading profits by utilizing important undisclosed information before the company’s delisting.According to Osstem Implant’s business report for last year released on March 22, the company was informed o
KEB Hana Bank is achieving robust performance through equity investments in Vietnam and China. Instead of securing local corporate licenses, the bank’s decision to opt for minority stake acquisitions has proven successful. KEB Hana Bank is further expanding its collaborations with invested banks to
The 17-year trend of Japan’s persistent negative interest rates has come to an end, yet the market’s response remains tepid. This is attributed to assessments indicating difficulty in perceiving a full-fledged tightening. However, there are prospects suggesting that the yen may strengthen from the s
Taiwan’s stock market has reached an all-time high, propelled by the surge in Taiwanese technology stocks, including TSMC, amid the global semiconductor boom. The narrowing gap in market capitalization with the domestic stock market has narrowed to approximately US$4 billion.According to the Taiwan
On March 21, the KOSPI index closed at 2,754.86, marking a significant increase of 64.72 points, or 2.41 percent, compared to the previous day’s closing.The KOSPI started at 2,731.18, up 41.04 points, or 1.53 percent, from the previous day’s closing, and it rose to 2,755.45 at one point during the t
Samsung Electronics, which lost its lead to SK hynix in the high bandwidth memory (HBM) market, which is becoming known as the AI semiconductor market, has drawn its sword for a counterattack.The company plans to shake up the AI semiconductor market by launching a new concept of "AI accelerator" (a
FILA Holdings reaffirmed its commitment to responsible management and shareholder returns by publicly disclosing on March 20 that it will retire its existing treasury stocks and buy back up to 50 billion won worth of shares this year.The treasury stock retirement and share buyback plan aligns with t
With the news of the development of lithium metal battery electrolyte technology in collaboration with domestic researchers, Samhwa Paint Industrial Co. has seen a rapid increase in its stock price for the second consecutive trading day.According to the Korea Exchange on March 20, Samhwa Paint is tr
Thanks to the government’s Value-Up program, high-dividend and low price-to-book ratio (PBR) stocks are garnering attention. However, some large-cap stocks are still sticking to their non-dividend policies, leading to increasing discontent among shareholders.According to the Korea Exchange on March
It has been reported that a Korean strategic investor (SI) is considering acquiring Callaway, one of the world’s top three golf brands.According to investment banking (IB) industry sources on March 19, major shareholders such as BlackRock Advisors LLC have selected a sales manager and are pushing fo
The online stock trading platform Webull, which is gaining popularity among global individual investors based on its commission-free policy, is entering the domestic securities market in Korea. Consequently, there are concerns that individual investors who currently invest in the U.S. stock market t
As the Bank of Japan (BOJ) has embarked on its first interest rate hike in 17 years, it is anticipated that the strengthening of the yen due to the lifting of Japan’s negative interest rates could have a positive impact on domestic exports such as semiconductors, automobiles, and shipbuilding. Howev
With the unprecedented boom in the U.S. stock market since the beginning of this year, domestic individual investors have poured 4 trillion won (US$3 billion) into direct stock investments abroad, surpassing four times the amount invested during the same period last year. Securities firms are also r
After the announcement of corporate value enhancement support measures, Kia, which had been recognized as one of the representative low Price-to-Book Ratio (PBR) stocks and had shown an upward trend, surpassed Hyundai Motor, often referred to as its “big brother” within the group, in market capitali