SKC announced on July 27 that it recorded sales of 645.4 billion won and an operating loss of 14.4 billion won for the second quarter of this year.
Sales increased by approximately 30% compared to the previous quarter, and the operating loss improved by about 50%. The cash flow indicator EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) reached 29.1 billion won, nearly tripling from the previous quarter, marking a second consecutive quarter of profitability. Additionally, the company successfully completed a capital increase of 1.1647 trillion won, significantly improving its net debt and debt-to-equity ratio.
The recovery in profitability from the chemical business played a significant role in this quarter's performance. The chemical segment reported sales of 317.8 billion won, with operating profit soaring 218% to 30.5 billion won compared to the previous quarter. Although production and sales volumes decreased due to global supply chain uncertainties, rising prices for propylene glycol (PG) and propylene oxide (PO) boosted revenue. Furthermore, the expansion of high-value product sales and aggressive cost-cutting measures implemented since the beginning of the year maximized profitability.
The copper foil business achieved record sales of 254 billion won, with North America accounting for 67% of sales. Sales of copper foil for energy storage systems (ESS) and electric vehicles (EV) surged by 76% and 28%, respectively, driving growth.
The semiconductor materials segment generated sales of 72.9 billion won and operating profit of 21.3 billion won. Revenue from test sockets for AI data centers increased by 66% year-on-year, maintaining a solid profitability through the expansion of high-value product sales.
In the glass substrate business, SKC has initiated a two-track strategy to commercialize both embedding and non-embedding products. Initial reliability tests for embedding products have begun, and the company is supplying non-embedding prototypes for next-generation network semiconductors to a U.S. telecommunications firm, entering new projects. The glass substrate business plans to complete reliability testing for embedding products in the second half of the year and prepare for technical validation of non-embedding products without delays.
An SKC official stated, "In the second quarter, we laid the foundation for performance recovery as profitability improved across all businesses and the results of new ventures became visible. We will continue to enhance operational efficiency and improve profitability in the second half while strengthening the technological competitiveness of new businesses to solidify our long-term growth base."
Meanwhile, SKC released its 2026 Sustainability Management Report, detailing its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management activities and achievements, on its website on July 1.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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