The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaemin.ahn@nhqv.com -- Ed.Although quarterly operating losses have continued since 1Q22, the launch of new games not only in Korea but also overseas (especially in China upon gaining publishing rights from China’s National
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at dongyang.kim@nhqv.com -- Ed.LG Corp is expected to strengthen its business portfolio, using its net cash holdings of W1.6tn for M&As and CVC establishment. Over the mid/long term, we expect share buybacks to continue. DPS s
At the beginning of 2023, the three major Korean battery makers have been cruising with high growth rates compared to the previous year. However, as Chinese companies showed explosive growth, LG Energy Solution was pushed down to third place.According to SNE Research on March 30, total batteries in
The United Kingdom is expected to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on March 31. With China, Taiwan, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Uruguay, and other countries expected to join it, the members are trying to determine how to negotiate with China and Taiwan.The 11 members
The Korea Customs Service announced on March 30 that exports of instant noodles hit an all-time high of US$862 million last year, up 12 percent from a year earlier.The exports have broken the previous record every year since 2014. The exports were US$147 million in January and February this year, up
In February, thanks to the effects of the newly released Galaxy s23 smartphone, Samsung Electronics dethroned Apple, rising to first place in the global smartphone sales standings.According to sources in the financial investment industry and global market research firm Counterpoint Research on March
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won are expected to visit the United States next month to accompany President Yoon Seok-yul during the KORUS summit scheduled for April 26.This month, Lee visited China after nearly three years to attend the 2023 China Developm
The U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs has voiced that allies such as South Korea should not be unfairly harmed by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)."Since the enactment of the IRA last year, two of our key allies in the Indo-Pacific region, South Korea and Japan, have expressed concerns about
SK Hynix CEO and Vice Chairman Park Jung-ho said that the company was brooding over whether to apply for subsidies under the CHIPS Act as the U.S. government demands that companies submit profitability indicators and yields, which are trade secrets, as Excel files.Speaking to reporters after the com
LG Chem will invest 10 trillion won (US$7.7 billion) by 2025 to accelerate the commercialization of three new growth drivers.“We will speed up the commercialization of our three new growth engines and reorganize our business structure to focus on businesses with high market value,” Vice Chairman Shi
Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International said that global 300 mm wafer production capacity is estimated to reach 9.6 million units a month in 2026.According to the organization, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Intel, Micron Technology, Kioxia, TSMC, and UMC are planning to increase their p
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won visited China to attend the Boao Forum, which is sometimes called the Asian version of the Davos Forum.According to industry sources on March 28, Chairman Chey will participate in the Boao Forum held in Boao, Hainan Province of China for four days from March 28 to 31.
The Korea International Trade Association said on March 28 that South Korea’s trade deficit with China totaled US$5.0731 billion in January and February this year.Five years ago, South Korea recorded its largest trade surplus with none other than China. However, its trade surplus with China dropped
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at dongyang.kim@nhqv.com -- Ed.Marshalling profits from its E&P division, LXI is actively continuing in its transition towards eco-friendly businesses. Uncertainties over the NPS’s exclusion of coal projects from its investmen
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at bk@nhqv.com -- Ed. Concerns continue to linger over global banks. Some market participants are worried that the banking crisis triggered by small/mid-sized banks in the US will spread to wreak havoc on other major industrie
A race to dominate the global panel market for organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels is rapidly reshaping into a three-runner race with Korea in the front, China in the middle and Japan in the back. The three are spaced far apart.Korea is enjoying the dominance of the OLED panel market but has
The U.S. government has demanded that companies applying for investment subsidies under the Chips Act submit Excel files containing formulas for calculating profitability including expected cash flows. This has thrown Korean chipmakers into consternation.They are calling these detailed guidelines fo
In 2022, six out of the top 10 battery makers for electric vehicles were Chinese companies. In particular, China’s CATL, which ranked first, chalked up a market share of nearly 40 percent based on shipments.Battery sales by electric vehicle battery makers last year reached 690 gigawatt hours (GWh),
Samsung Electronics will set up semiconductor contract departments to be run as integrated bachelor’s and master’s courses at three science and technology institutes outside the Seoul metropolitan area. The plan aims to strengthen human resource ecosystems at the national level and contribute to the
South Korea, China, and Japan are accelerating the growth and development of their pharmaceutical and biotech industries. South Korea’s third five-year national plan to that end was announced on March 24 and China’s first long-term national plan in the sector was announced in May last year.Japan’s p