[Featured Stock] KB Financial Hits 52-Week High on Share Buyback and Shareholder Return Expectations

KB Financial's stock price is on the rise. Expectations for shareholder returns, such as share buybacks and cancellations, appear to be influencing the stock price.

At 10:11 a.m. on the 2nd, KB Financial was trading at 82,800 won, up 4.02% from the previous trading day. During the session, it rose to 85,000 won, marking a 52-week high.

Jung Joon-seop, a researcher at NH Investment & Securities, said, "Following February, KB Financial is expected to soon announce a share buyback and cancellation exceeding 320 billion won." He added, "Since the Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio is expected to comfortably exceed 13% in the second quarter, there is no reason not to proceed with the share buyback." He further stated, "Based on a 320 billion won buyback and cancellation, the total shareholder return ratio for this year would be 38%, and depending on the buyback scale, it could reach 40%."

Researcher Jung also noted, "Among bank stocks, KB Financial has the highest price-to-book ratio (PBR), but this reflects advantages in capital ratio, earnings stability, and shareholder return policies." He added, "The valuation premium is expected to continue until these advantages weaken."