The AI semiconductor market, currently concentrated on Nvidia and High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), is expected to diversify into DRAM and other areas moving forward.On March 28, Kwon Seok-jun, a professor in the School of Chemical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, participated in the 2024 ACE Semi
Six of the world’s top 10 shipping companies posted negative growth in the fourth quarter of 2023 due to a sluggish global shipping market. Among them, only two posted a profit thanks to the acquisition of mega-ships: HMM, a Korean shipping giant that claims eighth place, and Taiwan’s Evergreen.Amon
SG is a leading domestic asphalt concrete maker. We expect to see: 1) significant improvement in public procurement orders following the end of regulations on SMEs; 2) market share expansion for the firm’s ecosteel asphalt concrete; and 3) benefits for the newly established Ukrainian subsidiary afte
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
Samsung Display will pay out over 5 trillion won to its largest shareholder, Samsung Electronics. This marks the first dividend since its inception in 2012.According to industry sources and the electronic disclosure system, on March 21, Samsung Display held its regular shareholders’ meeting on March
Samsung Display and LG Display, the two major Korean display makers, have begun the second round of their battle in the display market. Unlike LG Display, which makes large-sized panels, Samsung Display makes smash hits focused on small and medium-sized panels. LG Display is trying to reverse its fo
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
The combined operating profit of the top 10 companies by market capitalization in the South Korean stock market falls short of those of leading Japanese company Toyota and top Taiwanese company TSMC.To address the “Korea discount,” which refers to the undervaluation of South Korean stocks, it is poi
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at esshim@nhqv.com -- Ed.GnBS Eco is a manufacturer of eco-friendly equipment, including plasma scrubbers for use in the production of semiconductors, displays, and solar panels. We foresee the materialization of a steep earn
The value of overseas construction orders to Korean contractors exceeded US$30 billion for the fourth year in a row in 2023. Korean builders’ target for 2024 is US$40 billion. They have been looking for opportunities in overseas markets as the Korean real estate market has been slumping for a long t
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. She can be reached at hzl.lee@nhqv.com -- Ed.Excluding losses at YG Investment, YG Ent’s 4Q23 results met our expectations. BabyMonster’s first debut album, which is to feature the return of main member Ahyeon, is to be released on Apr 1. We e
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at bk@nhqv.com -- Ed.Global stock markets have rallied of late, with the S&P500 surging for four months in a row. In February, the Kospi has outperformed other major markets. But, the fast market growth is likely to bolster p
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at junsup@nhqv.com -- Ed.From now forward, we believe that the key to determining the value of financial sector plays is to be the existence of specific shareholder return policies and the market's level of trust in them.Boos
Domestic game companies are putting significant effort into capturing the Middle East market. Based on “oil money,” this region possesses high financial power and purchasing capability but is still an untapped market due to inadequate communication infrastructure and other issues. Although the uncer
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at junsup@nhqv.com -- Ed.At Hyundai M&F, 2024E P/B sits at only 0.39x, well below that for Samsung F&M (0.76x) and DB Insurance (0.59x). Although its shareholder return momentum is weak, Hyundai M&F offers limited valuation b
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaemin.ahn@nhqv.com -- Ed.With the launch of Crimson Desert having been postponed to 2025, operating losses appear inevitable for Pearl Abyss in 2024. However, as Crimson Desert is an AAA-grade new game targeting the globa
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. She can be reached at jiyoony@nhqv.com -- Ed.C&C International’s 4Q23 results met consensus, if excluding incentive compensation. As of 1Q24, domestic and North America-focused orders are up 80% y-y. Backed by hit products from multiple indie
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaekwang.rhee@nhqv.com -- Ed.Both 4Q23 and 2023 earnings reached historic highs. This year, earnings should remain steady, with share price momentum being driven by an uptick in overseas orders. KAI is targeting 2024 aircr
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. He can be reached at sokang@shinhan.com -- Ed.4Q23 review: New game and profitability disappointNCsoft registered operating profit of KRW3.9bn (-91.9% YoY, -76.7% QoQ, operating margin of 0.9%) on sales of KRW437.7bn (-20.1% YoY, +3.5% QoQ) for 4Q23,
Coway Co., Ltd., the “Best Life Solution Company,” has released its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2023."We’re proud to have achieved such a successful 2023, even in the face of significant challenges present in both domestic and international markets. Our stable performanc