Market cap of 10 conglomerates up 5.4% this year

The market cap of South Korea's top 10 business groups listed on the main bourse has risen 5.4 percent from the end of last year, data showed Monday.

The 10 conglomerates' market cap reached 714.3 trillion won ($628 billion) as of last Wednesday, up 36.4 trillion won, according to data compiled by Korea Exchange, South Korea's stock market operator.

By business group, Hyundai Heavy Industries Group took the first spot with its market cap standing at 13.1 trillion won last week, up 57.3 percent from 8.3 trillion won from the end of last year. Hyundai Heavy Industries Group includes Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., a major South Korean shipbuilder.

POSCO Group, which includes global steelmaker POSCO, took second place with its market cap soaring by 37.5 percent to 25.3 trillion won.

POSCO Group is followed by SK Group as its market cap jumped 14.3 percent. SK Group is a major South Korean conglomerate whose businesses range from mobile communications to oil refineries and semiconductors.

South Korea's No. 1 conglomerate, Samsung Group, increased its share value by 7.7 percent over the cited period to 352.1 trillion won.

Samsung Electronics, the group's mainstay affiliate and the world's biggest maker of handsets, has recently suffered a setback as it has terminated the production of its latest model Galaxy Note 7 smartphone over safety concerns. (Yonhap)