[Edaily Reporter Shin Ha-yeon ] Shares of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering ( HD KOREA SHIPBUILDING & OFFSHORE ENGINEERING(009540)) are rising more than 10% in early trading following a second-quarter “earnings surprise” and news of the company’s entry into the U.S. shipyard modernization business.

According to MP Doctor on the 30th, as of 9:26 a.m., HD KOREA SHIPBUILDING & OFFSHORE ENGINEERING is trading at 369,500 won, up 10.3% from the previous trading day.

This surge is believed to have been driven by investor sentiment, fueled by the combination of the strong second-quarter earnings announced the previous day and today’s news of the company’s entry into the U.S. shipyard modernization project.

HD KOREA SHIPBUILDING & OFFSHORE ENGINEERING announced in a regulatory filing the previous day that its consolidated operating profit for the second quarter of this year reached 1.6451 trillion won, a 72.5% increase compared to the same period last year. During the same period, revenue rose 20.2% to 8.927 trillion won, and net profit surged 256.6% to 1.5942 trillion won.

The company explained that improved productivity, an expanded share of high-priced vessel sales, and a selective order-taking strategy focused on profitability drove the improvement in performance. In particular, HD HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES led the earnings growth, with its second-quarter operating profit surpassing 1 trillion won—a 121% increase year-over-year—driven by expanded sales of high-priced vessels.

Additionally, HD KOREA SHIPBUILDING & OFFSHORE ENGINEERING announced on the same day that it had signed a “Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation for Shipyard Modernization to Revitalize the U.S. Shipbuilding Industry” with Fraser Industries of the United States. This agreement marks the first commercialization of a “comprehensive shipyard construction solution” covering shipyard design, construction, and operation, and is drawing attention as a new growth business targeting the demand for rebuilding the U.S. shipbuilding industry.