KOSDAQ-listed companies' net profit for the first half of this year surged by nearly 287% from a year earlier. The electric and electronics and distribution sectors led the overall improvement in results, but some sectors, including construction and transport equipment and parts, saw operating profit decline, drawing a sharp contrast in fortunes by sector.
According to the "KOSDAQ market December fiscal-year corporations' 2026 first-half settlement of account results" released by the Korea Exchange (KRX) on the 19th, the first-half net profit of 1,264 companies analyzed on a consolidation basis was 9.7069 trillion won, up 286.95% from the same period a year earlier. During the same period, sales were 183.5753 trillion won, up 27.17%, and operating profit was 9.4279 trillion won, up 61.54%.
Profitability also improved. The operating margin on sales rose 1.09 percentage points to 5.14% in the first half from 4.04% in the first half of last year. The net margin on sales also climbed 3.55 percentage points to 5.29% from 1.74%.
The sector that drove the improvement was electric and electronics. The sector's first-half operating profit on a consolidation basis was 1.6758 trillion won, a 253.77% surge from a year earlier. Net profit also swung to a surplus from a deficit. The distribution sector likewise saw sales rise 104.81%, with operating profit up 110.22% to 2.4198 trillion won. IT services' operating profit also increased 149.56%, marking a high growth rate.
By contrast, operating profit declined in some sectors such as construction and transport equipment and parts. The construction sector's first-half operating profit was 236.2 billion won, down 8.97% from a year earlier, and the transport equipment and parts sector fell 15.26% to 736.5 billion won. The transport and warehousing sector's operating profit decreased 5.50%, and the electricity, gas and water sector continued to post an operating loss. Of a total of 23 sectors, 17 saw operating profit increase, while the remaining six saw operating profit decline or remain in the red.
Even looking only at the second quarter, results generally improved. On a consolidation basis, sales were 99.0116 trillion won, up 17.09% from the first quarter, and operating profit rose 28.13% to 5.2951 trillion won. Net profit also increased 20.22% to 5.2991 trillion won. However, by sector, the second-quarter operating profit of IT services fell 35.34% from the previous quarter, showing continuing divergence.
More companies posted a surplus. Companies with a first-half net profit numbered 800, accounting for 63.29% of the total. That was 121 more than the 679 in the same period last year. Of these, 228 swung to a surplus from a deficit. In contrast, 464 recorded a deficit, and among them, 357 remained in the red.
Separate from the improved results, financial burdens grew. The debt-to-equity ratio at the end of the first half on a consolidation basis was 126.04%, up 12.46 percentage points from 113.58% at the end of last year. While total liabilities increased 17.94%, total equity growth was limited to 6.28%.