Kiwoom Securities appears to have posted operating profit nearing 2 trillion won last year, driven by growth in brokerage and the investment banking (IB) institutional sector.
Kiwoom Securities said in a filing on the 4th that, on a consolidation basis for the fourth quarter of 2025, revenue was 5.5862 trillion won and operating profit was 345.6 billion won on a provisional tally. Those figures rose 53.4% and 91.75%, respectively, from a year earlier. Net profit for the period increased 68.77% to 246.9 billion won.
Growth continued on an annual basis as well. Kiwoom Securities' revenue last year was 17.1217 trillion won and operating profit was 1.4882 trillion won, up 51.78% and 35.51%, respectively, from a year earlier. Net profit rose 33.55% to 1.1149 trillion won.
Improved results were led by an increase in brokerage fee revenue. With trading in domestic and overseas stock markets becoming more active and derivatives transactions rising, fee revenue expanded, the company said. Fourth-quarter stock fee revenue was 230.6 billion won, up 58.9% from a year earlier.
The investment banking (IB) institutional sector also showed growth. Kiwoom Securities handled the Curiosis initial public offering (IPO) and a paid-in capital increase for LS Cable & System last year, and executed corporate bond (DCM) deals for SK, KT, Hanjin KAL, Woori Financial Group, Hanwha Systems, HL Holdings, and Union Asset Management.
It also led numerous project financing (PF) and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) acquisition financings, contributing to the expansion of fee revenue. As a result, fourth-quarter IB fee revenue rose 71.4% from a year earlier to 82.1 billion won.