The National Tax Service launched a special tax investigation into Korean Air on Jan. 20.The Seoul Regional Tax Office sent tax investigators to the Korean Air headquarters in Gangseo-gu, Seoul to glean tax and accounting data. The probe was prompted by suspicions of irregularities with regard to th
At this year’s 2021 All Digital CES Show, top U.S automotive news source Autoweek has showcased their “10 Cool Things from the Virtual CES—From flying cars to flexible dashboards, there was something for everybody.” Coming in #5 on the list is Hancom’s Toki H2 AI Home Robot.As one of several trends,
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at dongyang.kim@nhqv.com. -- Ed. In addition to its in-house defense business, Hanwha Corp is strengthening its growth potential by expanding its business portfolios, including its renewable energy (solar power and hydrogen) a
Meritz Alternative Investment Management has recently decided to invest US$150 million in the second fund of Fairfield Residential. Ten months ago, Meritz signed an agreement to invest the same amount in the first fund of the California-based real estate property management company.The second fund i
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at sw.kang@nhqv.com. -- Ed. The possibility of a January US consumption surprise is increasing due to the Blue Wave. Inflation expectations are to rise further spurring the uptrend in US 10yr TB yields. At the January MPC meet
Mahindra & Mahindra applied for SsangYong Motor’s rehabilitation on Dec. 21. This sudden application is interpreted as brinkmanship based on the assumption that the Moon Jae-in administration, whose top priorities include stable employment, will not let more than 5,000 unionized workers walk out to
The stock inheritance tax of the bereaved family of the late Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee has been fixed at more than 11 trillion won. The total inheritance tax including those on real estate properties exceeds 12 trillion won, more than 300 percent of the family’s inheritance tax reported las
The author is a fixed income strategist of Shinhan Investment Corp. He can be reached at buykkang@shinhan.com. -- Ed. Korean companies highly likely to expand dividend paymentsKorean companies’ dividend payments are relatively small when compared to overseas peers. The dividend payout ratio of the M
The author is president & head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. -- Ed. Ever since I was young, I’ve been captivated by engineering and technology — enthralled by new gadgets and curious about what made them work. I didn’t think I could be more obsessed with technology, but 202
U.S.-based hedge fund Whitebox Advisors LLC has publicly opposed LG Corp.’s spin-off plan immediately after the National Assembly passed Commercial Act and Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act amendments.“The plan sacrifices minority shareholder return in order to resolve a family succession issue
The author is an analyst of KB Securities. He can be reached at jeff.kim@kbfg.com. -- Ed. Raise TP to KRW88,000; Server replacement cycle resumes after four years We maintain BUY on Samsung Electronics (SEC) as we lift our TP 10% to KRW88,000 (target P/B 2.0x 12-month forward BVPS). We updated our T
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at dongyang.kim@nhqv.com. -- Ed. Having decided to spin off LG Corp, the LG Group is taking the steps necessary for completing the separating off of its affiliates, including LGI (with Pantos), Siliconworks, LG Hausys, and LG
The author is an analyst of Shinhan Investment Corp. He can be reached at eoyeon.hwang@shinhan.com. -- Ed. US single-family starts up 31.5% YoY to101,000 units in OctoberUS housing starts were up 15% YoY to 132,000 units in October, with those for single-family homes up 31.5% YoY. The portion of sin
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at dongyang.kim@nhqv.com. -- Ed. A third generation of leaders is at the forefront of management at LG Group, HMG, and Samsung Group. While three fair economy bills are likely to be passed at the 21st session of the National A
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to students and teachers around the world. Students in a large number of countries are still affected due to school closures. In Korea, the situation is a bit better. Yet teachers are in an uphill battle to prevent the quality of education fro
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at dongyang.kim@nhqv.com. -- Ed. Despite Covid-19 effects, Hanwha Corp is showing sound earnings visibility, led by: 1) its in-house defense business and Hanwha Aerospace; and 2) rising renewable energy business opportunities,
Samsung Group affiliates are expected to increase their dividend payments to a record-high level with regard to Samsung Electronics’ three-year plan to that end and the inheritance tax after the death of chairman Lee Kun-hee. The three-year plan is scheduled to be finalized this year. Samsung Electr
The inheritance tax that the Samsung Group founder family should pay after the death of the group chairman is estimated at 11 trillion won. With the scale of the tax causing controversy, it has been pointed out that the excessively punitive inheritance tax in South Korea is threatening the survival
The author is an analyst of KB Securities. He can be reached at jeff.kim@kbfg.com. -- Ed. Maintain BUY and target price of KRW80,000 We maintain BUY and our TP of KRW80,000 for SEC based on the following: (1) Semiconductors earnings are forecast to improve with limited growth in DRAM supply combined
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at dongyang.kim@nhqv.com. -- Ed. We view the mid/long-term earnings growth potential of Samsung SDS’s IT services division as remaining intact, helped by an ongoing acceleration in digital transformation. With IT investment no