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4 clusters · 6 sources · 21 days · First seen · Last updated

South Korean securities sector financial growth

Overview

South Korean securities firms have demonstrated significant financial growth and revenue diversification. Early reports indicated a shift toward investment banking, asset management, and retail services. For instance, Woori Investment & Securities saw a 206% year-on-year increase in IB commission income, while Meritz Securities experienced growth in asset management and a retail client base that nearly doubled its customer deposit assets.

By the first half of 2026, the sector showed even more substantial gains. The top 10 major brokerage firms reported a combined pre-tax profit of 9.88 trillion won, a 78.2% increase from the previous year. This surge in profitability led to a 93.5% increase in combined corporate tax, totaling 2.51 trillion won. Several major firms, including Korea Investment & Securities, Kiwoom Securities, and Samsung Securities, joined the ‘1 trillion won pre-tax profit club’. Additionally, firms like DB Securities have begun implementing corporate value enhancement plans to increase shareholder returns.

In the latter half of 2026, financial institutions continued to focus on profitability and shareholder value. Hyundai Motor Securities reported a 48.3% increase in net profit for the first half of the year, reaching 59.3 billion won. Simultaneously, Shinhan Financial Group reached a record net profit of 3.44 trillion won in the first half of the year.

By the second quarter of 2026, asset management companies achieved record-breaking net profits of 2.6889 trillion won, an 83.4% increase from the previous quarter and more than a threefold increase year-on-year. This growth was driven by stock market performance and the expansion of the ETF market. However, a performance gap emerged: while 57.1% of asset management companies reported profits, 42.9% operated at a loss, with the deficit particularly concentrated among private equity managers at 47.9%.

Entities

Samsung Securities · Hyundai Motor Securities · Woori Investment & Securities · Financial Supervisory Service · Shinhan Financial Group

Timeline

  1. about 17 hours ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    South Korean asset managers hit record Q2 net profit

    South Korean asset management companies saw record Q2 net profits of 2.6889 trillion won, driven by ETF growth and stock market gains, despite rising deficits among private equity firms.

  2. 4 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    South Korean financial firms pursue profitability and shareholder returns

    South Korean financial firms Hyundai Motor Securities and Shinhan Financial Group are driving growth through business diversification and expanded shareholder returns.

  3. 11 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    South Korean securities firms report surge in profits and corporate tax

    Major South Korean securities firms reported a surge in profits and commission revenues for the first half of 2026, with top 10 corporate taxes rising 93.5% year-on-year.

  4. 22 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    South Korean securities firms report growth in IB and retail sectors

    South Korean securities firms Woori Investment & Securities and Meritz Securities report strong first-half results, driven by growth in IB, asset management, and expanding retail client bases.

Sources

imaeil.com · joseilbo.com · m.imaeil.com · sateconomy.co.kr · seoul.co.kr · tokenpost.kr

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history