Eight in 10 retail investors who sold South Korean stocks in the first quarter made a profit despite uncertainty including U.S.-Iran war risk, Shinhan Investment said on May 11. The average profit among winners was 8.48 million won, while losers averaged a 4.96 million won loss. Samsung Electronics was the top stock for both profit-making and loss-making clients. Male and older investors posted higher average profits than female and younger investors.

Hanwha Solutions said first-quarter operating profit rose 205.5 percent from a year earlier to 92.6 billion won, while revenue increased 25.5 percent to 3.88 trillion won on a consolidated basis. It marked a return to operating profit for the first time in three quarters since the second quarter of 2025. The company said U.S. solar customs delays eased, plant operations normalised and profitability improved across renewable energy, chemicals and advanced materials.