Shares of Celltrion rose early on the 5th on news that the company listed on the Korea Exchange posted more than 1 trillion won in operating profit last year.
As of 9:57 a.m. that day, Celltrion was trading at 218,000 won, up 3,500 won (1.63%) from the previous session. It climbed to as high as 226,500 won intraday, setting a 1-year high.
Before the regular session opened that day, Celltrion disclosed that it recorded 4.1625 trillion won in revenue and 1.1685 trillion won in operating profit last year on a consolidation basis. The figures rose 17% and 138%, respectively, from a year earlier.
Celltrion said the strong results were thanks to the steep growth of high-margin new products being introduced to the market, following its existing products.
A company official said, "We achieved record results last year, helped by merger synergies and the market settlement of new products," and added, "This year, with structural cost improvements in place and the effect of new product launches, we expect to continue our high-growth trend."