[Edaily Reporter Kim Kyung-eun ] Operating profit margins and net profit margins for companies listed on the Korea Stock Exchange (KOSPI) in the first half of this year increased significantly compared to the same period last year.

According to the “2026 First-Half Financial Results for December-Year-End Companies on the KOSPI Market” released on the 19th by the Korea Exchange and the Korea Association of Listed Companies, the consolidated operating profit margin for 634 December-year-end companies (excluding financial firms, companies undergoing spin-offs or mergers, and those with non-conforming audit opinions) stood at 19.41% in the first half, up 12.35 percentage points from the same period last year.

The net profit margin stood at 19.33%, an improvement of 13.58 percentage points over the same period. This means that for every 10,000 won in sales, after deducting cost of goods sold and selling, general, and administrative expenses, 1,941 won remained; after deducting taxes, 1,933 won remained.

Even excluding SamsungElectronics and SK hynix, KOSPI-listed companies recorded an operating profit margin of 9.17% and a net profit margin of 8.55% on revenue for the first half of the year. These figures represent increases of 3.16 percentage points and 4.07 percentage points, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

SK hynix(000660). posted the highest operating profit margin on a consolidated basis in the first half, at 74.42%. This represents a 32.65 percentage point increase compared to the same period last year.

Second place went to #SHIFT UP, with an operating profit margin of 48.16%. However, this represents a decrease of 12.93 percentage points compared to the first half of last year.

SamsungElectronics(005930), in third place, recorded an operating profit margin of 48.05%, an increase of 40.66 percentage points over the same period.

They were followed by HANMISemiconductorCO.,Ltd.(042700)(45.95%), #SY CO., LTD. (39.31%), #SANIL ELECTRIC (37.37%), KRAFTON(259960)(36.54%), #MYUNGIN PHARM (35.56%), DoubleUGames(192080)(33.33%), and Celltrion(068270)(30.47%).