Kosdaq-listed companies posted sharp gains in sales, operating profit and net profit in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year. Net profit surged 240 percent on a standalone basis and nearly 287 percent on a consolidated basis — though rising debt levels have raised fresh concerns about financial soundness.
Korea Exchange and the Kosdaq Association released the first-half 2026 earnings results for December fiscal-year companies listed on the Kosdaq market on Thursday.
The analysis covered 1,587 companies on a standalone basis and 1,264 on a consolidated basis, excluding financial firms, companies formed through splits or mergers, and those that received adverse audit opinions.
On a standalone basis, first-half sales rose 10.96 percent, from 92.28 trillion won ($65.4 billion) to 102.4 trillion won.
Operating profit climbed 36.98 percent, from 4.69 trillion won to 6.43 trillion won, while net profit jumped 240.23 percent, from 2.55 trillion won to 8.67 trillion won.
The improvement was even more pronounced on a consolidated basis. Sales grew 27.17 percent, from 144.36 trillion won to 183.58 trillion won, and operating profit rose 61.54 percent, from 5.84 trillion won to 9.43 trillion won.
Consolidated net profit expanded 286.95 percent, from 2.51 trillion won to 9.71 trillion won.
The share of profitable companies also grew. Of the 1,587 firms in the standalone analysis, 1,024 recorded a net profit in the first half — up 168 from 856 in the same period last year.
Loss-making firms fell to 563 from 731 a year earlier, a decrease of 168. On a consolidated basis, 800 companies turned a profit, up 121 from 679 in the year-earlier period.
By sector, electrical and electronics and retail stood out. Standalone operating profit in electrical and electronics jumped 141.14 percent year-on-year, while retail rose 103.38 percent. On a consolidated basis, both sectors more than doubled their operating profit — electrical and electronics by 253.77 percent and retail by 110.22 percent.
The 144 companies included in the Kosdaq 150, regarded as blue chips, outperformed the broader market. Their standalone sales and operating profit rose 13.26 percent and 37.87 percent, respectively, while net profit climbed 140.81 percent.
On a consolidated basis, covering 129 companies, sales rose 63.08 percent, operating profit 58.42 percent and net profit 150.18 percent.
The 48 companies designated to the Kosdaq Global Segment — a tier recognizing strong financial performance, market standing and governance — posted standalone sales growth of 3.39 percent and net profit growth of 54.28 percent. Their operating profit margin stood at 12.55 percent, 7.06 percentage points above the 5.49 percent recorded by non-designated firms, though it edged down 0.47 percentage point from a year earlier.
Financial soundness indicators, however, deteriorated somewhat. The standalone debt ratio rose 0.64 percentage point, from 56.35 percent at end-2025 to 56.99 percent at the end of the first half, while the consolidated debt ratio climbed 12.46 percentage points, from 113.58 percent to 126.04 percent.
Standalone total debt increased 7.04 percent, from 118.18 trillion won to 126.5 trillion won. Consolidated total debt rose 17.94 percent, from 254.9 trillion won to 300.62 trillion won — far outpacing the 6.28 percent growth in equity over the same period.
jiyun@heraldcorp.com
