Korea’s top securities firms report strong profit gains

Operating profits for South Korea’s five largest securities firms are expected to exceed 500 billion won in the first half of this year.

According to financial data provider FnGuide on July 27, Korea Investment Holdings, which owns Korea Investment & Securities, is estimated to have posted 460.1 billion won in operating profit in the second quarter, a 53.6 percent increase from the same period last year. Samsung Securities is estimated at 321.2 billion won, Mirae Asset Securities at 376.1 billion won, Kiwoom Securities at 345 billion won, and NH Investment & Securities at 287 billion won. If these results meet market expectations, the combined operating profits for the top five firms in the first half could range between 576 billion won and 989.7 billion won.

Analysts say the number of firms joining the “1 trillion won club,” those earning more than 1 trillion won annually, could rise to six or seven this year. The club reached a record five members in both 2021 and 2024. FnGuide’s average forecast for the five major firms’ annual operating profit is 1.3323 trillion won, up 19.1 percent from last year. KB Securities and Meritz Securities are also expected to exceed 1 trillion won in annual profits.

This strong performance is mainly due to a 28 percent rise in the KOSPI index during the first half, signaling a bull market. As the stock market hit new daily highs and trading volumes increased, securities firms saw growth in commission income.


한재희 기자 hee@donga.com