[THE INVESTOR] Real estate trust company Korea Asset in Trust has gained the final approval for listing on the main bourse, Korea Exchange said on July 11. Korea Asset In Trust is set to go public on Korea’s benchmark KOSPI on July 13 with an IPO price of 10,300 won (US$8.97) per share.Established in 2001, KAIT is the market leader in real estate trust companies in Korea, which posted 834 billion won in operating income and 36.3 billion won in net profit last year. The company’s affiliates inclu

[THE INVESTOR] HMC Investment Securities has forecast that machinery maker Hyundai Wia will suffer a 26.6 percent decrease in its second quarter operating profit at 97.4 billion won (US$ 84.59 million). Sales are also expected to decline, by 1.1 percent to 1.98 trillion won, the brokerage said. Both figures are below market estimates.However, Hyundai Investment said that sales would recover in the latter half of the year. The brokerage lowered its target price on Hyundai Wia shares to 130,000 wo

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean presidential office is closely monitoring trade with China for possible economic reprisal from China over the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. Speaking to reporters at the presidential office, chief presidential economic advisor Kang Seok-hoon, said that the government is “closely monitoring the situation” in response to questions regarding possible economic retaliation from China. Since Seoul and Washington announced the decision to deploy TH

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electro-Mechanics ’ earnings will likely miss market expectations due to temporary costs caused mainly by a series of business restructuring and layoffs in recent months, according to a market report on July 12. Hana Financial Investment said in its recent report that the electronic components company is expected to post 17.8 billion won ($15.50 million) in operating profit and 1.56 trillion won in sales in the second quarter, down from 42.9 billion won and 1.6 trillion wo