Korea’s current account surplus reached US$35.5 billion in 2023. This was mainly because the volume of goods exports reaching a yearly high at the end of 2023.The current account surplus stood at US$7.41 billion in December, according to a December 2023 provisional balance of payments data released
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at junsup@nhqv.com -- Ed.WFG’s CET1 ratio is now at 11.9%. While we positively view y-y improvement in the figure, we believe that CET1 ratio needs to be actively strengthened in order for WFG to meet market expectations for
Korean carmakers and car importers are in a flurry of activity as the Korean Ministry of Environment laid out a plan on Feb. 6 to change subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs) in 2024. According to the revised plan, Hyundai and Kia will remain at the same level, while mid-sized Korean-based carmakers
Samsung Heavy Industries has secured a second-phase project for liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers worth 4.6 trillion won (US$2.5 billion), following HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, marking another success for two of South Korea’s major shipbuilders in the Qatar LNG project.On Feb. 6, Samsung Heavy I
SK innovation reported on Feb. 6 that its revenue for the last year amounted to 77.2885 trillion won (US$58.2400 billion) with an operating profit of 1.9039 trillion won. Compared to the previous year, revenue and operating profit decreased by 0.98% and 51%, respectively.In the fourth quarter of las
The global leading automotive company Toyota, which has been embroiled in a “quality certification fraud” scandal, announced a record-breaking net profit of 4.5 trillion yen, equivalent to 40.2 trillion won or US$30.28 billion, for the fiscal year 2023, spanning from April 2023 to March 2024. The pr
The Korea Exchange (KRX) announced on Feb. 6 that it will open the “30-Year Treasury Futures Market” from Feb. 19 to promote the advancement of the government bond market and hedge against risks from long-term interest rate fluctuations. This marks the first time in 16 years since the introduction o
Due to the strength of the U.S. dollar, the foreign exchange reserves decreased last month for the first time in three months.According to the statistics of the “Foreign Reserves as of the End of January 2024” publication released by the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Feb. 5, South Korea’s foreign reserves
Nine out of 10 Korean manufacturers believe that overseas carbon neutrality policies such as those in the United States and Europe affect their business operations, a survey found.According to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), which recently surveyed 300 Korean manufacturing compani
The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has announced plans to conduct a comprehensive investigation aimed at eradicating the common practice of illegal short selling by global investment banks (IBs).In its business plan announced on Feb. 5, the FSS stated, “We will crack down on market disruptions
Expectations of an increase in the corporate value of domestic listed companies are attracting foreign capital to the South Korean stock market. Particularly, there is a concentrated buying interest in automotive stocks, including Hyundai Motor, and growth stocks in industries such as artificial int
Chinese shipyards are sweeping up orders for methanol-powered ships, an eco-friendly, low-carbon type of vessel, as South Korea’s shipbuilding industry seeks to take orders for high-value vessels. In particular, China is expanding orders based on its capacity to produce and supply methanol, raising
ONDA, a South Korean hospitality technology startup, has forged a strategic partnership with Dunqian International, a leading Taiwanese hotel group, to promote tourism in Taiwan.ONDA announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Dunqian International, Taiwan's leading smart hotel
The upcoming introduction of Alibaba Group’s B2B shopping platform “1688.com” to the domestic market has raised concerns within the domestic e-commerce industry. The sector is already grappling with the competitive pricing strategies of Chinese direct procurement platforms such as AliExpress and Tem
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
According to the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure system on Jan. 31, the largest shareholder of Namyang Dairy Products has changed from Hong Won-sik and three others to Hahn & Co., as disclosed the day before. This announcement comes just over a month after the Supreme Court’s f
Alibaba’s international service, AliExpress, has been attracting Korean brands with a ‘zero commission’ policy, potentially disrupting the domestic e-commerce market dominated by Coupang and Naver Shopping.According to the retail industry on Jan. 30, AliExpress is waiving commission fees for Korean
China’s e-commerce giant AliExpress continues to face ongoing controversies in the domestic market, with persistent debates surrounding the sale of counterfeit products and product quality.According to industry sources on Jan. 23, the Chinese cross-border e-commerce platform AliExpress has recently
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