South Korean brokerages make W4.3tr in Q1, nearly half of last year's total

South Korea's securities firms posted a record quarterly net profit of 4.33 trillion won ($2.63 billion) in the first quarter this year, driven by a surge in stock trading activity, Financial Supervisory Service data showed Friday. According to the Financial Supervisory Service's provisional operating results, the combined net profit of 61 brokerages rose 77.1 percent on-year to 4.33 trillion won in the January-March period from 2.44 trillion won a year earlier. The figure more than doubled from

2026-06-12 16:54:38:00

BOK chief signals further rate hikes as inflation risks persist

Shin Hyun-song, governor of the Bank of Korea, reiterated the need to raise interest rates, citing persistent inflationary pressures from the Middle East war and rising housing prices. Speaking at a ceremony marking the BOK’s 76th anniversary in Seoul, Shin said growth, inflation and financial stability indicators all point to the need for further policy tightening. “Data received since the May monetary policy meeting have confirmed this assessment,” he said. “While monetary policy often involve

2026-06-12 13:03:47:00

China's next AI trade is robots: Toss Securities

China is rapidly turning humanoid robots into its next AI growth story, using the same manufacturing playbook that helped it dominate the smartphone and electric vehicle sectors, according to Toss Securities. In a report titled "Back from Shenzhen" released Wednesday, the brokerage's research center said robotics is emerging as the next major growth driver for China's artificial intelligence industry, following a visit to the southern Chinese technology hub. "Robotics is the sector drawing the m

2026-06-10 15:21:39:00

Shinhan Financial to write off W500b in bad debt

Shinhan Financial Group said Wednesday it will write off 500 billion won ($328 million) in delinquent debt this year and provide 4.5 trillion won in financing for vulnerable borrowers and small businesses as part of a 5 trillion won social finance initiative. The group unveiled its "Inclusive Finance 2.0 ON" program at a meeting of its Productive Finance Task Force in Seoul, positioning the plan as a broader effort to reduce financial blind spots and strengthen support for economically vulnerabl

2026-06-10 14:23:01:00

Korea Investment, JPMorgan ride AI demand with tech fund

Korea Investment & Securities and JPMorgan Asset Management hosted a client seminar in Seoul on Tuesday, highlighting investment opportunities emerging from the next phase of the artificial intelligence boom and growing demand for US technology assets. The event, titled "Global Market Outlook," was held at InterContinental Grand Seoul Parnas and featured Kerry Craig, global market strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management, and Christian Mariani, investment specialist for the firm's US equities gro

2026-06-09 18:56:07:00

Why SK hynix ETF jumped 50% on Black Monday

Three SK hynix single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds were placed on the Korea Exchange's investment-caution list Monday, after one of them surged as much as 50 percent despite an 8 percent drop in the underlying stock, exposing a severe pricing distortion during a period of market turmoil. The Korea Exchange said late Monday that it had designated the ACE SK Hynix Leveraged ETF, managed by Korea Investment Management, along with the 1Q SK Hynix Leveraged ETF from Hana Asset Management and

2026-06-09 15:13:46:00

Korean brokerages brace for SpaceX IPO demand surge

South Korean brokerages are ramping up preparations ahead of SpaceX's blockbuster initial public offering on Friday, as soaring investor interest fuels expectations of one of the biggest overseas stock trading events in recent years. According to industry sources on Monday, securities firms are upgrading their systems ahead of the anticipated launch of SpaceX share trading on Friday, rolling out 24-hour foreign exchange services and extending overseas stock trading hours to as much as 23 hours a

2026-06-08 15:17:49:00

Korean funds race for SpaceX IPO shares

Korea's investment industry is scrambling for a piece of SpaceX's blockbuster IPO, with asset managers awaiting final allocations ahead of Friday's listing while weighing whether the stock can live up to expectations. According to industry sources on Sunday, several Korean asset managers, including Korea Investment Management, participated in the institutional book-building process and are awaiting pricing night, when underwriters finalize the offering price and allocate shares. "We have to stay

2026-06-07 16:27:33:00

Korea Investment bets on Coinone for digital asset push

Korea Investment & Securities is betting that the next phase of finance will be built on digital assets, taking a strategic stake in Coinone to position itself as a hub connecting traditional finance and the crypto economy. Speaking at a joint press conference in Seoul on Thursday, Korea Investment & Securities CEO Kim Sung-hwan said the brokerage joined Coinone as a strategic investor rather than a financial investor, reflecting its conviction that digital assets will become increasingly intert

2026-06-04 15:25:58:00

Samsung leveraged ETFs outtrade underlying shares; Tesla's never have

South Korea's newly launched single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds tied to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are trading at levels rarely seen in major global markets, with turnover in some products already exceeding that of the underlying shares themselves. The development has raised concerns that trading in the products akin to derivatives could begin influencing the stocks they are designed to track — a dynamic that industry officials often describe as the "wag the dog" effect. Accordin

2026-06-03 10:23:39:00