After surpassing LG, SK has reclaimed the second position in group market capitalization. This marks a comeback after a two-year period since January 2022 when LG Energy Solution was listed, pushing SK to the third spot in market capitalization.
According to the analysis conducted by the Korea CXO Research Institute based on data from the Korea Exchange on Jan. 23, SK Group reclaimed the second position in overall market capitalization among listed companies, surpassing LG Group. As of the Jan. 19, SK Group with 171 trillion won (US$127.75 billion) surpassed LG Group, which stands at 167 trillion won, regaining its position as the second-largest.
The research institute calculated the overall market capitalization, including preferred stocks that have some influence on the market capitalization structure.
Following Samsung, SK Group, which held the second position in group market capitalization, slipped to the third spot on Jan. 27, 2022, with the listing of LG Energy Solution. On its first day of listing, LG Energy Solution was appraised with a market capitalization exceeding 118 trillion won. This positioned it as the second-highest individual stock, following only Samsung Electronics and surpassing SK hynix by approximately 35 trillion won.
A year later, in early January of last year, LG Group’s market capitalization widened the gap to 203 trillion won, while SK Group stood at 124 trillion won. Even at the end of September last year, LG Group maintained its position in the 200 trillion won range at 202 trillion won, while SK Group showed a difference at 152 trillion won.
The market capitalization gap between the two groups has narrowed this year. As of Jan. 2, LG Group’s market capitalization was 190 trillion won, dipping below the 200 trillion won mark. On the same day, SK Group showed a market capitalization of 179 trillion won, indicating a difference of approximately 10 trillion won.
On Jan. 19, SK Group reclaimed the second position after a two-year hiatus. Also, on the first trading day of this week, Jan. 22, SK Group widened the gap, with a market capitalization of 172 trillion won compared to LG Group’s 163 trillion won.
This can be attributed to a significant decrease in the market capitalization of key subsidiaries of LG Group due to the slowdown in the growth of electric vehicle demand and the delayed recovery of demand in home appliances and TVs. On the other hand, SK Group seems to have benefited from positive expectations regarding the improvement in the semiconductor industry, as evidenced by the positive performance of SK hynix stock.