Operating profit at firms listed on the main KOSPI market increased 25 percent from a year earlier in 2025, data showed.

According to the Korea Exchange and the Korea Listed Companies Association on April 2, sales of 626 KOSPI-listed companies with December year-ends totalled 3,082.76 trillion won on a consolidated basis in 2025, up 6.08 percent from a year earlier.

Operating profit rose 25.39 percent to 244.79 trillion won and net profit increased 33.57 percent to 189.39 trillion won.

The operating profit margin was 7.94 percent and the net profit margin was 6.14 percent, improving by 1.22 percentage points and 1.26 percentage points, respectively, from a year earlier.

Excluding Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which have a large weight in the KOSPI, consolidated sales at listed firms rose 4.45 percent from a year earlier, while operating profit and net profit increased 10.76 percent and 15.64 percent, respectively.

Based on 714 individual listed companies, operating profit in 2025 rose 29.55 percent from a year earlier to 137.00 trillion won.

By sector, operating profit increased in 13 categories including electrical and electronic products, up 54.59 percent, and pharmaceuticals, up 58.27 percent, but fell in seven categories including paper and wood products, down 95.59 percent, and non-metallic minerals, down 54.14 percent.

In the financial sector, consolidated operating profit at 42 companies rose 9.94 percent from a year earlier to 55.86 trillion won in 2025, and net profit increased 13.67 percent to 42.98 trillion won.

By net profit, financial holding companies ranked first with 24.59 trillion won, followed by insurers with 9.26 trillion won, securities firms with 5.59 trillion won and banks with 2.73 trillion won. Securities firms posted the largest net profit growth rate at 50.64 percent.

The consolidated debt ratio of KOSPI-listed companies was 108.33 percent at the end of 2025, down 2.88 percentage points from a year earlier.

The number of profitable companies fell, while the number of loss-making companies rose.

Of the 626 listed firms, 471 were profitable based on net profit, accounting for 75.24 percent, down 12 firms, or 2.24 percentage points, from 485 firms, or 77.48 percent, a year earlier. Loss-making firms totalled 155, up 14 from 141 a year earlier.