Kia Corp.’s market capitalization has outstripped Hyundai Motor’s. The automaker’s record-breaking earnings and strong shareholder return policy paid off handsomely, stock market experts say. Some of them believe that there is a remaining upside as the price-to-earnings ratio (PBR) is still below 1x
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at bk@nhqv.com -- Ed.The two terms that defined last year’s stock market were ‘new cold war’ and ‘supply chain reshaping’. In 2024, decoupling between DMs and EMs is to become a new market-defining feature. Today, the US’s bu
SK hynix has announced plans to release its 5th generation High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), named HBM3E, this year, and aims to launch HBM4 by 2026.Kim Chun-hwan, vice president of SK hynix, revealed these plans during his keynote speech at SEMICON Korea 2024, held at COEX in the Samseong neighborhood o
Samsung Electronics has forecasted a return to profit for its memory business in the first quarter. The company is confident in the continuous recovery of the memory industry, driven by the growth of the artificial intelligence (AI) market. Consequently, Samsung Electronics plans to significantly in
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. She can be reached at hpark@shinhan.com -- Ed.4Q23 OP falls short due to inventory adjustments at distributorsAmorepacific posted consolidated operating profit of KRW20.7bn (-64% YoY) on sales of KRW926bn (-15% YoY) for 4Q23, missing our estimate (KRW
The government aims to prevent the manipulation of treasury stocks for the enhancement of controlling stakes without additional investments. To achieve this, it has prohibited the issuance of new shares for treasury stocks during corporate spinoffs and strengthened disclosure regulations, including
At the beginning of this year, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024, the world’s largest consumer electronics and IT exhibition, brought into focus the trend of “on-device AI,” or artificial intelligence operating within the device. The emergence of devices equipped with this technology is injec
In 2023, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corp. racked up more operating profit than Samsung Electronics, the country’s No. 1 company by market capitalization. The two automakers also posted a double-digit operating profit margin, higher than the company Tesla that is leading a global electric car boom
Samsung Biologics has made history by becoming the first in the domestic pharmaceutical and biotech industry to surpass 1 trillion won in annual operating profit. Following the achievement of 3 trillion won in annual sales in 2022 and surpassing 1 trillion won in quarterly sales in the third quarter
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at yk.choi@nhqv.com -- Ed.We lower our TP on Hyosung TNC to W440,000 to reflect both a slower-than-expected spandex industry recovery and underperforming fiber division earnings. But, we still see clearly improved fundamental
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at ys.jung@nhqv.com -- Ed.Offshore fixed-cost burden is weighing on 2024 earnings momentum, but the long-term profit outlook remains favorable. LPG and ammonia carrier orders are likely to exceed targets. Rising vessel prices
Samsung Biologics is expected to continue to post the highest growth rate in the global contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) industry this year after posting record-high business results in 2023.A consensus forecast for Samsung Biologics’ revenue growth was 22 percent last year, ac
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at ys.jung@nhqv.com -- Ed.Delivered strong 4Q23 results on early start to peak season and rising demand for Southeast Asian routesWe maintain a Buy rating and TP of W17,000 on Jin Air. Korea’s leading LCC posted 4Q23 sales of
The won-dollar exchange rate has been on the rise, leading to an influx of foreign selling. The KOSPI index experienced volatility as foreign investors unloaded their holdings, causing it to fall below the 2440 level from the previous day.On the morning of Jan. 18, the KOSPI is indicating a modest r
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaemin.ahn@nhqv.com -- Ed.In contrast to market concerns, KT should report healthy 2023 OP, as various expenses that occur each 4Q likely eased. We anticipate solid earnings at major subsidiaries and expect a highlighting
Due to a slowdown in global demand for electric vehicles, leading to an “oversupply,” the prices of battery materials have significantly fallen. Companies in this sector are noticeably tense. According to Taiwan’s market research firm TrendForce on Jan. 14, in December last year, the prices of lithi
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at minwoo.ju@nhqv.com -- Ed.Near-term earnings are likely to remain tepid at LGES due to ASP decline and fixed cost burden resulting from low operating rates. As such earnings weakness has been foreseen from 2023, however, it
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaemin.ahn@nhqv.com -- Ed.Although sales of NCSOFT’s TL have arrived sluggish, initial payment for the title should be reflected alongside its global release. Moving ahead, we expect NCSOFT to display a change in strategy
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaekwang.rhee@nhqv.com -- Ed.Buoyed by increased sales volume and prices, Korea Zinc’s 4Q23 earnings should display q-q improvement. Over the mid/long term, we expect the copper and nickel smelting businesses to lead the f
The big three Korean shipbuilders -- HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Hanwha Ocean -- are expected to lower their annual order targets for 2024 compared to last year. According to a recent industry report, HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding intermediate holding comp