◆Aju Economic Major News
▷Six firms shortlisted for management of 1.05 trillion won VC fund
- The Korea Development Bank's Southeast Investment Finance Center is nearing the selection of general partners (GP) for the '2026 Southern Region Growth Support Fund,' with six firms including Daedeok Venture Partners, Reinvestment, MW&Company, Wonik Investment Partners, E&Investment, and Coolidge Corner Investment making the shortlist.
- The bank plans to select three of these firms to establish a total of 1.05 trillion won in VC funds, aimed at investing in small and venture businesses in the southern region and revitalizing the local venture ecosystem.
- The evaluation will focus on the ability to enhance the value of invested companies and support their growth, rather than just past return rates.
- The candidate firms are competing by highlighting their strengths, such as regional networks, connections with large corporations, and support for early-stage startups through TIPS.
- E&Investment is considered a strong candidate due to its high matching fund acquisition rate and excellent recovery performance, which could enable early fund establishment and swift investment execution if selected.
◆Major Reports
▷Increased Securities Issuance by Credit Heavyweights [Hyundai Motor Securities]
- The government plans to finalize a restructuring plan for power generation public enterprises, including the integration of five thermal power subsidiaries under Korea Electric Power Corporation, by the end of the year, aiming for a transition to renewable energy and a stable power supply system.
- Even with the integration of the five subsidiaries, it is expected that their existing corporate bond status will be maintained, limiting the impact on the bond market.
- The government is also considering a dual structure plan to separate the land and housing development functions from the debt and rental housing asset management functions of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), with specific reform proposals expected after the new president's inauguration.
- Recently, SK Hynix has begun purchasing high-quality credit bonds, including corporate bonds, bank bonds, and company bonds, raising expectations for improved supply and demand in the credit bond market.
- The market believes that SK Hynix's purchases of high-quality credit bonds will help alleviate the worsened supply and demand in the credit bond market due to capital movement and redemptions in the stock market.
◆Major Announcements After Market Close (15th)
▷Kangstem Biotech introduces '3D Skin Assembloid' technology from Seoul National University
▷Speco changes its largest shareholder to Nexa Korea, acquiring a 33.55% stake
▷LS Electric provides employee stock compensation, distributing 6.1 billion won in treasury shares
▷SI Resources suspends the effectiveness of temporary general meeting resolutions, halting the duties of the representative and outside directors
▷NP appoints Jo Jae-deok as the new CEO following the merger with WYS Studio
◆Fund Trends (as of 14th, excluding ETFs)
▷Domestic equity: +13.5 billion won
▷Overseas equity: +1 billion won
◆Key Schedule for Today (16th)
▷UK: Import and Export Trends (May), Industrial Production (May)
▷Eurozone: Import and Export Trends (May)
▷US: Retail Sales (June), Philadelphia Fed Index (July), Housing Market Index (July)
* This article has been translated by AI.
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