Listed firms improve debt ratio: data

Published : Aug 29, 2016 - 10:54 Updated : Aug 29, 2016 - 16:27

South Korean companies listed on the nation's main bourse have marginally improved their financial health this year, data showed Monday.

The average debt ratio of 626 firms listed on the Kospi market that have available related data for last year came to 115.4 percent as of end-June, according to the Korea Exchange and the Korea Listed Companies Association.

(KRX)

It marks a 3.15 percentage-point drop from the end of 2015.

The debt ratio, showing the proportion of total debt to total assets, is a key measure of a firm's financial health.

"Companies listed on the (local) equity market are maintaining a sound financial status in general," a Seoul bourse official said.

The combined debts of those firms surveyed rose 0.27 percent to 1,178.6 trillion won ($1,058 billion), but their aggregate assets increased 3.01 percent to 1,021.4 trillion won.

Those with a debt ratio of 100 percent or below numbered 361, or 57.7 percent of the total, while 98 firms had debt ratios of over 200 percent. (Yonhap)