[Special Stock] Meritz Financial Rises on Strong Earnings... Securities Firms Raise Target Prices Continuously

The stock price of Meritz Financial Group is showing a strong gain of over 3%, fueled by record-high earnings. Target price upgrades have also continued in the securities industry.

As of 10:20 a.m. on the 20th, Meritz Financial is trading at 123,800 KRW per share, up 3.69% from the previous close. During the session, it briefly hit 124,400 KRW, setting a new 52-week high.

This surge is attributed to buying momentum following the announcement yesterday afternoon of last year's consolidated net profit reaching the 20 trillion KRW level, marking an all-time high. With growing expectations for shareholder returns, securities firms have been releasing reports raising their target prices.

Shinhan Investment Corp. raised Meritz Financial's target price from 130,000 KRW to 143,000 KRW while maintaining a buy rating. Mirae Asset Securities also increased its target price from 130,000 KRW to 136,000 KRW. SK Securities raised its target price by more than 30,000 KRW from 114,000 KRW to 145,000 KRW.

Seol Yong-jin, a researcher at SK Securities, analyzed, "All core subsidiaries are expected to maintain solid profit resilience. Performance improvement is also anticipated due to easing burdens from overseas real estate assets. The total shareholder return target for 2025 is expected to reach approximately 1.3 trillion KRW, mainly through share buybacks."