The Korea Exchange announced on June 2 that six companies, including Hanwha Aerospace and ORION, had disclosed plans to enhance corporate value, and that the Korea Value Up Index recorded its highest level ever in line with the new government's policy to strengthen shareholder rights.
According to the exchange's 'Monthly Corporate Value Enhancement Status,' as of the end of last month, the number of companies disclosing corporate value enhancement plans was 120 in the securities market and 36 in the KOSDAQ market, totaling 156. Hanwha Aerospace disclosed its corporate value enhancement plan on the 4th, becoming the first among Hanwha Group affiliates, while nine other groups, including Samsung, SK, and Hyundai Motor, participated in the disclosure.
In June, the listed companies that disclosed corporate value enhancement plans included Hanwha Aerospace, VITZRO CELL, Suprema, Fasoo, Hanwha System, and ORION.
A representative from the exchange said, 'As of the end of June, the average stock price of 156 companies that disclosed corporate value enhancement plans increased by 30.9% compared to the beginning of the year, showing a favorable trend that exceeded the KOSPI index's return of 28% by 2.9 percentage points.'
The scale of stock buybacks in the first half of this year reached 15.5 trillion won, significantly surpassing last year's buyback amount of 13.9 trillion won. The cash dividend decision amount for the first half of this year was also 37.6 trillion won, an increase of 10% compared to the same period last year (34.2 trillion won). The exchange noted, 'In line with the new government's policy to enhance general shareholder rights protection, the number of corporate value enhancement plans disclosed by listed companies and the scale of shareholder returns are continuously increasing.'
Additionally, on the 25th of last month, the Korea Value Up Index rose to 1243.15 points, recording its highest level ever. The net worth of ETFs tracking the value up index also reached 705.1 billion won, approximately 42% higher than the set amount of 496.1 billion won in November of last year.
A representative from the exchange stated, 'In the future, we plan to announce the monthly corporate value enhancement status each month to share the status and improvement efforts of corporate value and shareholder rights, and to encourage voluntary participation from listed companies.'