The U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS) has pointed out that the U.S. sanctions on 28-nm semiconductors have a strategic hole. There are also reports that large U.S. semiconductor manufacturers are lukewarm about cooperating with U.S. authorities, giving the United States unexpected difficulti
The price of virtual assets like Bitcoin surged in the first half of this year, leading to a 46 percent increase in the market capitalization of the domestic virtual asset market compared to the end of last year, according to a recent study. However, it is still at a significantly reduced level comp
As the issue of expanding insurance premium payments through credit cards remains unresolved and in limbo, the insurance industry is becoming increasingly concerned. This unease is fueled by predictions that the usage volume of convenient payment services like Kakao Pay and Naver Pay will surpass cr
The ongoing armed conflict between Israel and the armed Palestinian faction, Hamas, has sent shock waves through the Middle East. Accordingly, major South Korean companies like Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, which have a significant presence in the area, are closely monitoring the situation.
Claims have emerged that Google Korea’s revenue for the previous year is up to 30 times higher than what was disclosed in its audit report. Taking into account the omitted revenue in the audit report, it is suggested that the corporate tax owed to the South Korean government by Google Korea could be
In the era of high interest rates and low growth, the rapidly increasing corporate debt has become another critical concern for the South Korean economy. Particularly worrisome is the growing prevalence of zombie companies that are keeping themselves afloat through debt, primarily among small and me
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in South Korea reached a record high of US$23.95 billion (32.48 trillion won) by the end of the third quarter this year. The surge in investment, primarily focused on advanced industries such as secondary batteries, came from the European Union (EU) and regions in the
Flitto, a global integrated language platform and AI data solution provider, announced on the 26th that it has opened an event for Arabic-speaking users following the renewal of its “Flitto Arcade” service.Flitto Arcade is a game-like platform where Flitto’s users can earn various rewards by engagin
We believe that Shinsegae International’s 3Q23 earnings will miss consensus, citing the combination of slowed consumption, liquidation of inefficient businesses, and withdrawal of a luxury brand (Celine). In 4Q23, the firm is expected to focus on improving its profit/loss picture by adding new brand
Domestic hedge fund and private equity firm Brain Asset Management has embarked on a US$500 million (675 billion won) pre-IPO investment in SK pharmteco, which involves investing in the company’s equity before it goes public. Following an initial investment of US$300 million (405 billion won), it ha
The battery materials industry is facing a challenging period as the export prices of cathode materials, a critical component in secondary batteries, have dropped by more than 15 percent for the third quarter of this year compared to the previous quarter. This situation is exacerbated by the reducti
The operating profit of South Korea’s top 100 companies in the first half of this year showed a significant deterioration compared to the top 100 companies in the United States. In particular, for the two largest companies by market capitalization in both countries, Apple and Samsung Electronics, wh
The newly released Huawei Mate 60 Pro is equipped with the self-developed 5G 7 nm Kirin 9000S chip.Despite facing significant sanctions from the U.S. government since 2020, China’s Huawei is alleged to have used semiconductor chips produced by Samsung Electronics, U.S.-based Micron, and Japan-based
SKC will build the world’s largest eco-friendly biodegradable material production facility in Hai Phong City, Vietnam.SKC announced on Sept. 25 that Ecovance, an investor in the biodegradable materials business, has received an investor registration certificate (IRC) from Hai Phong City at the Hai P
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. He can be reached at hyon@shinhan.com -- Ed.3Q23 operating profit to miss consensus at KRW13.2bn (-28% QoQ)Doosan Tesna is expected to post operating profit of KRW13.2bn (-27.5% QoQ) on sales of KRW90.3bn (+1.5% QoQ) for 3Q23, falling short of the mar
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. He can be reached at yjjung86@shinhan.com -- Ed.Mainstay auto parts business to deliver decent resultsIn 3Q23, concerns over slowing client demand intensified with high interest rates weighing on overall auto demand, pent-up demand losing steam, and w
The finalized and announced “Semiconductor Law Guardrail” regarding China, which could potentially weaken the competitiveness of South Korean semiconductor factories established in China, has failed to incorporate key demands made by the South Korean government and businesses.While some of South Kor
Amid the so-called “Huawei Shock,” with the company launching its Mate 60 Pro smartphone equipped with a 7-nm semiconductor, the U.S. is tightening its stance on China. Observers are now keenly watching how far the repercussions of this tension between the two giants will spread.As the end of the U.
On Sept. 21, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon and the Busan Digital Asset Exchange Establishment Promotion Committee held a press conference at Busan City Hall to announce a “Plan for Establishing the Busan Digital Asset Exchange.”The main objective is to create a fourth-generation blockchain-based excha
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at kyuha.lee@nhqv.com -- Ed.LGD’s 3Q23 results are likely to fall short of consensus due to a drop in sales volume amid panel approval delays from clients. However, thanks to recent client approval, we believe that 4Q23 profi