Big listed firms to log record earnings in 2010: FN Guide

SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's large listed companies are expected to
register record earnings in 2010 on the back of brisk exports amid an economic
recovery, an on-line financial information provider said Sunday.
According to FN Guide, the top 100 listed companies by market value are likely to
post 62.95 trillion won (US$53.1 billion) in total operating income, the largest
ever and up 37.1 percent from an estimated 45.93 trillion won for this year.
Samsung Electronics Co., the largest-cap listed company, is forecast to record
the biggest operating income of 8.71 trillion won, followed by steel giant POSCO
with 4.75 trillion won and Hyundai Heavy Industries co., the world's top
shipbuilder, with 3.16 trillion won.
In contrast to a surge in operating income, the total sales of the listed
companies are forecast to rise a moderate 8.4 percent to 687.87 trillion won next
year, FN Guide said.
Of the total, 14 companies, including Samsung Electronics, will likely record
more than 1 trillion won in net income in 2010, it said.
Samsung Electronics is projected to post 11.12 trillion won in net profit,
trailed by POSCO with 4.08 trillion won and top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. with
2.47 trillion won, FN Guide added.
The rosy earnings outlook is based on a prediction that the South Korean economy,
Asia's fourth-largest, will likely grow in the 4-percent range next year,
compared with negative growth for this year.
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