[Public Notice+] SFA Reports 56.5 Billion KRW Operating Profit in 4Q Last Year... "Sustained Solid Profitability"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] SFA (CEO Kim Youngmin), a specialized company in display and semiconductor manufacturing equipment and automation systems, announced on the 13th that its separate basis sales in the fourth quarter of last year reached 298.7 billion KRW, a 37% increase compared to the same period last year.

During the same period, operating profit and net profit also recorded 56.5 billion KRW and 70.6 billion KRW, respectively, increasing by 21% and 97%. However, on an annual basis, sales and operating profit were 862.7 billion KRW and 157.8 billion KRW, respectively, down 8.6% and 11% compared to the previous year.

Regarding pre-tax profit, an evaluation gain of 37 billion KRW related to the subsidiary (SFA Semiconductor)'s issuance of bonds with warrants (BW) was added, achieving 215.1 billion KRW, a 14.4% increase compared to the previous year.

Along with this, SFA also announced a cash dividend plan of 1,056 KRW per share, totaling 35.4 billion KRW. The dividend payout ratio is approximately 22% based on separate net profit (163.4 billion KRW). Excluding the evaluation gain of 37 billion KRW related to internal capital transactions that do not involve cash inflow, the dividend payout ratio maintained about 28%.

An SFA company official stated, “Orders and sales in the display sector targeting the Greater China region and the secondary battery sector showed steady growth,” adding, “Considering the economic recession and the slowdown in capital investment in upstream industries, we achieved relatively solid performance compared to peer equipment companies.”

In fact, the secondary battery business, which has emerged as a new growth engine for SFA, began in earnest last year, with order amounts growing approximately 134% year-on-year to the 150 billion KRW range, and sales increasing about 350% year-on-year to the 70 billion KRW range. Along with smart factories, it is establishing itself as a growth engine for SFA.

Kim Youngmin, CEO of SFA, said, “So far, our company has been pioneering new business opportunities with technology responding to diversification in the upstream market as a leading domestic display/semiconductor manufacturing equipment company,” and added, “We will continue to accelerate growth as a sound company that shares results with shareholders through the full-scale launch of new businesses related to the 4th industrial revolution, strengthening overseas business in the Greater China region, and driving strong performance of our semiconductor subsidiary.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.