Investors are advised to look to earnings growth stocks whose first-half performance would outperform 2016 full-year income in the Korean stock market positioned for a bull run.

According to a study by market data provider FnGuide upon request from the Maeil Business Newspaper Tuesday, combined operating profits of 167 companies listed on the main Kospi for the first half are estimated at 87.65 trillion won ($77.8 billion).

The figure is based on estimates by securities companies and first-quarter data.

The estimated income in the first six months would be tantamount to 65.8 percent of last year’s full-year combined profit of 133.2 trillion won.

The Korean Inc. would this year be outperforming record performance in 2016.

Of the 167 companies, 19 would have earned more than full 2016 in the first six months this year.

Top earnings stocks are SK Hynix Inc., LG Display Co., LG Electronics Inc. and Samsung C&T Corp.

SK Hynix is expected to turn out an operating profit of 5.3 trillion won in the January - June period, far outrunning 3.27 trillion won income for full 2016.

LG Display, which posted an operating profit of 1.3 trillion won last year, is estimated to turn out near 2 trillion won income by end-June thanks to tight supply in liquid crystal display (LCD) TV panels.

Backed by recovery in smartphone business and strong home division, LG Electronics is estimated to outperform last year’s total earnings of 1.3 trillion with an income of 1.71 trillion in the first six months.

Samsung Heavy Industries Co., one of the nation’s three shipbuilding majors, will likely turn to black with an operating profit of 68.9 billion won in the first half reversing from an operating loss of 147.2 billion won in 2016, as its income statement would benefit from 2.6 trillion worth new orders for 12 vessels on top of cost-cutting efforts.

Samsung C&T, a unit of Samsung Group that engages in various fields from clothing retail, construction, energy, real estate, food service and resort accommodations, is expected to rack up a profit more than doubling 139.5 billion won income of 2016 by the first half this year.

Fila Korea Ltd., a leading shoe and apparel brand, is expected to see its January - June period operating income decuple to 145.2 billion won from full-year 2016 figure upon reflecting income of Acushnet Holdings Corp. in which the Korean firm bought a 53.1 percent stake last year.

Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Korea Line Corp. and Huchems Fine Chemical Corp. are also likely to have earned more in the first six months this year than they did for full 2016.

By Moon Il-ho and Lee Yong-gun

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]