The combined net profit of listed South Korean companies rose 165.8 percent in the first nine months of this year from a year earlier, the bourse operator said Wednesday.

The combined net profit of 586 out of 670 firms listed on the main Kospi bourse came to 128 trillion won ($108 billion) in the January-September period, up from 48.19 trillion won during the same period of last year, according to the data compiled by the Korea Exchange (KRX).

The bourse operator excluded 84 out of 670 companies -- which submitted their consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year of 2021 that ends in December -- from its analysis.

The data showed that the combined operating income jumped 88.19 percent on-year to 143 trillion won during the cited period and sales grew 18.03 percent to 1,651 trillion won.

Of the listed companies, 490 entities, or 83.62 percent, were in the black in the January-September period, up from 426 entities a year ago.

The bourse operator said 96 firms remained in the red in the January-September period, a sharp decrease from 160 entities the previous year.

The ratio of operating income to sales -- a key gauge of corporate profitability -- rose to 8.68 percent in the January-September period, up from 5.44 percent a year earlier. The ratio of net profit to sales increased 7.76 percent, up from 3.45 percent.

Debt ratio stood at 113.76 percent as of the end of September, down 3.08 percentage points from the end of 2020.

All industry sectors, excluding electricity and gas utility, saw their profit rise in the January-September period.

The transport and storage sector logged the largest 731.53 percent growth in operating profit, followed by chemicals' 452.16 percent and steel and metal's 302.81 percent.

Bio, construction and food and beverage performed similarly compared to the previous year, but electricity and gas utility registered an operating loss of 91 billion won.

Meanwhile, the combined net profit of 1,004 out of 1,150 firms, which are listed on the tech-laden Kosdaq and close their books on Dec. 31, surged 117.27 percent on-year to 11.2 trillion won during the cited period.

Operating income jumped 40.72 percent on-year to 12.2 trillion won and sales grew 15.53 percent to 157.1 trillion won, the data showed. (Yonhap)