[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics has widened the gap with its archrival Apple in terms of smartphone sales in the April-June period. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, Samsung shipped 77 million smartphones in the second quarter, up 3.4 percent from a year ago with 21.4 percent market share. Apple’s shipments declined 14.9 percent to 40.4 million units during the same period, with its market share standing at 11.2 percent, down 2.4 percent on-year. Huawei was ranked third

Aug. 2, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics will start supplying parts for General Motors’ upcoming full-electric Chevrolet Bolt from later this month. The Korean tech giant plans to supply 11 key parts, including motor, invertor and battery pack, for the next six years. The car is expected to be launched in the fourth quarter.  GM’s Chevrolet Bolt EV conceptLG’s vehicle component is making a big push to secure more orders from global carmakers. Industry watchers expect the division’s sales could surge to 3 t

Aug. 2, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Kolon Industries, the chemical and textile unit of Kolon Group, said on Aug. 2 it will invest about 90 billion won (US$81 million) in producing colorless polyimide, a key material for “bendable” smartphones and other flexible mobile devices. The company said it aims to complete the production line at its plant in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, by the first quarter of 2018.  Kolon’s colorless polyimide, a key material for “bendable” smartphonesKolon is the first to produce the ne

Aug. 2, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics' price-to-earnings ratio has outpaced that of its archrival Apple for the first time. Samsung is currently trading at a P/E ratio of 13.41 on the local bourse, while the figure for Apple remains at about 12.23. Until the end of 2013, Apple’s P/E ratio (12.14) almost doubled that of Samsung (6.93). But the gap started reducing in 2015. While Apple’s P/E ratio remained almost the same last year at about 12.43, that of Samsung soared to 9.98. This year, Samsung st

Aug. 2, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry, more widely known as Foxconn, is joining a bidding war to acquire Tongyang Magic, a South Korean appliance maker whose key business includes water purifier rental service. According to news reports on Aug. 2, Foxconn has recently hired a global securities firm as the deal advisor. The deal is expected to be carried out through Japan’s Sharp that the company acquired in April.  Foxconn chairman Terry Gou“Foxconn sees business synergies among its

Aug. 2, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics said on Aug. 1 its new high-end smartphone V20 will come out in September, featuring the Nougat, the latest version of Google’s Android operating system. The V20 is the successor of its V10 phablet that debuted in September last year.  LG V10. The successor V20 will become the first smartphone to be powered by Google`s latest Android 7.0 Nougat OS.The phone will become the first model to be powered by the Android 7.0 Nougat, the result of the company’s close relatio

Aug. 1, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Shares of Hotel Shilla, the hotel unit of Samsung Group, hit a record low on Aug. 1 after its second-quarter earnings fell far below estimates. The price closed at 57,300 won (US$51), down 3.86 percent from the previous trading day. The figure has plunged by more than half from 141,500 won, the lowest price last year. Shilla I’Park Duty Free store in YongsanThe price continued to tumble over the past week since the company reported its April-June earnings on July 22. Its operating

Aug. 1, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] NC SOFT, the nation’s leading online game developer, said on Aug. 1 it will launch the mobile version of its popular golf game “Pangya” in the Chinese market through Baidu Games next year. The plan was unveiled during Baidu Games Energy Night held in Shanghai on July 29. Developed by the company’s affiliate Ntreev Soft, “Pangya” has been launched in some 40 countries globally. The mobile version has been upgraded for better user experience. By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)

Aug. 1, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Rolls-Royce, the London-based aircraft engine manufacturer, is eyeing South Korea’s aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul or MRO service market, with flag carrier Asiana Airlines being cited as the potential partner. According to industry sources on Aug. 1, the company has recently continued talks with local partners for the Korean entry as it is joining the government’s indigenous fighter jet program KFX. Asiana Airlines’ first Airbus A380 that is powered by Rolls-Royce engin

Aug. 1, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics' logic chip and contract making division System LSI has started supplying iris image sensors for the company’s upcoming Galaxy Note 7 that will make its global debut on Aug. 2.  Samsung Galaxy Note 7 unpack invitation stresses iris scanner as one of the phone’s key features.The iris scanner allows users to lock or unlock their phones in less than a second. It is considered a faster and more secure way compared to current options such as pattern unlock and finge

Aug. 1, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics is continuing talks with LG Innotek, the parts unit of LG Group, to use the company’s “2 metal chip-on film” for its flagship Galaxy S phones, the Chosun Ilbo reported on July 31. Samsung uses chips and display panels from SK hynix and Chinese rivals, but it is rare for the company to use parts from its cross-town rival LG. The 2 metal chip-on film is used for bonding a display screen with the circuit board or the chipset in a smartphone. Because it is more fle

Aug. 1, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung SDI, the battery-making unit of Samsung Group, said on July 28 that the company sees little impact from its recent battery woes in China where the government is tightening subsidies for electric vehicles. “It is true that we saw weaker sales in China than planned but most of the market uncertainties will be removed in the latter half of this year,” said a company official during a conference call on July 28. “There is clear demand for high quality batteries among Chinese c

July 28, 2016