Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands at the forefront of the technology supremacy battle between the U.S. and China this year.On Jan. 26, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated in an interview with Reuters that regulations mandating U.S. cloud companies to report foreign customer information fo
As international oil prices and refining margins both experienced a simultaneous decline in the fourth quarter of last year, the oil industry’s performance was once again placed in a state of emergency.In the worst-case scenario, four major oil companies -- SK Energy, GS Caltex, S-Oil, and HD Hyunda
Local customs officials have apprehended executives of a distribution company involved in the smuggling of U.S.-made semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) chips, classified as strategic items, into China after importing them for domestic use. This marks the first instance of customs discovering the
SK hynix announced on Jan. 25 that it plans to more than double the production capacity of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) this year compared to the previous year. This move is part of the company’s strategy to capture the new demand from artificial intelligence (AI) applications.This shows the confiden
Global beauty tech company APR (CEO Kim Byung-hoon) announced on Jan. 25 that it has achieved record-breaking year-end performance in its promotion in the United States, the largest beauty market in the world.APR explained that it achieved US$24.2 billion in sales in the United States from November
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
SK hynix Inc. announced today that it recorded an operating profit of 346 billion won (US$259 million) in the fourth quarter of last year amid a recovery of the memory chip market, marking the first quarter of profit following four straight quarters of losses.The company posted revenues of 11.31 tri
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
Hyundai Motor Group running Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp. is expected to have set a new sales record in 2023. It is also expected to claim the No. 3 global position for the second consecutive year.Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp. are expected to have logged record annual operating profits of 15 trillion wo
The global slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) demand has significantly impacted POSCO FUTURE M’s profitability, as reflected in their sharp decline in operating profit last year.On Jan. 23, POSCO FUTURE M announced that its operating profit for the last year was 35.9 billion won (US$26.8 million), a
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
Celltrion Group has successfully sold the Asia-Pacific (APAC) “Primary Care” business rights, which it acquired from multinational pharmaceutical company Takeda Pharmaceuticals (hereafter Takeda) in 2020, after three years.On Jan. 18, Celltrion concluded a contract with Dong-A Pharmaceutical for the
SK D&D and SK gas announced on Jan. 16 that they have established a joint venture, SA Grid Solutions, with Apex Clean Energy, a U.S.-based renewable energy company, and signed an investment agreement for an Energy Storage System (ESS) business.Previously, in December 2023, SK D&D and SK gas founded
Samsung Electronics’ Device Solutions (DS) Division executives have decided to freeze their salaries in response to the division’s deteriorating performance.The executives of the Samsung Electronics DS Division held an emergency executive meeting on Jan. 17 to reaffirm their commitment to swiftly en
Hyundai Motor, Tesla, BYD, and Volkswagen, the top four players in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, have embarked on a race to mark down electric vehicle prices in major markets. The price cuts are a defensive move in response to the double whammy of slowing demand for EVs and the recent suspensi
South Korean ramen exports nearly reached US$1 billion last year. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Jan. 17, ramen exports stood at US$952.4 million last year and marked a whopping increase of 24.4 percent compared to the previous year. Ramen exports have been consi
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
Hyundai Motor Group has sold its Chongqing plant in China for about 300 billion won. This has reduced the number of production bases in China from five to three since Hyundai entered the country in 2002. The decision was made to reorganize the structure of its Chinese business, thereby boosting its
The police have referred individuals connected to Fidelis Asset Management, including its CEO, who are under suspicion for the improper sale of the “Fidelis Fund,” to the prosecution.The Financial Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that three individuals, incl
The merger between Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, which has been dragging on for over three years, gained momentum by overcoming a significant hurdle. The European Union (EU) competition authorities, who had been rigorously reviewing the merger, have reportedly made a de facto approval decision.If