Members on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) reported reduced income this year as of September against a year-ago when bellwether Samsung Electronics is excluded.

According to Korea Exchange, the combined operating profit of 639 Kospi-listed companies with a fiscal year ending December increased 7.88 percent on-year to 130 trillion won ($115.2 billion) on a consolidated basis in the January-September period. Their combined net profit gained 1.92 percent to 96 trillion won. Sales were also up 5.47 percent to 1,403 trillion won.

The firms’ operating margin in the first 9 months of this year improved 0.21 percentage point on-year to 9.27 percent while net margin fell 0.24 percentage points to 6.88 percent during the same period.

Minus Samsung Electronics, however, which accounts for 13.15 percent of total sales generated by Kospi members, combined operating profit and net profit fell 0.1 percent to 82 trillion won and 6.39 percent to 61 trillion won. Combined sales increased 5.35 percent to 1,218 trillion won during the same period.

Their operating margin without Samsung Electronics also slipped 0.37 percentage points to 6.73 percent and net margin 0.62 percentage points to 4.97 percent.

By industry, sales of 12 business sectors including electric and electronics and chemical jumped while those of five sectors including transportation equipment and non-metallic minerals declined. Net profit jumped in seven business sectors including textile and garment, paper and wood, and food and drinks. Companies engaged in electricity and gas logged losses, BOK data showed.

By Moon Il-ho and Lee Eun-joo

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