[Market Focus] KT Rises on Continued Profit Improvement Outlook... Hits New High

KT shares are rising on expectations that profit improvement will continue. The stock hit a new 52-week high during intraday trading.

As of 9:40 a.m. on July 3, 2025, KT was trading at 57,500 won on the Korea Exchange, up 700 won (1.23%) from the previous day. During the session, the price climbed to 57,700 won, setting a new 52-week high.

Optimism about earnings appears to be the driving force behind the stock's rise. On this day, IBK Investment & Securities raised its target price for KT by 12.5% to 72,000 won, expecting the company's second-quarter results this year to exceed market expectations. Kim Taehyun, a researcher at IBK Investment & Securities, stated, "KT's consolidated revenue for the second quarter is expected to reach 7.1317 trillion won, up 8.9% year-on-year, and operating profit is projected at 912.9 billion won, up 84.8%. Revenue should meet consensus, while operating profit should surpass it." He explained that the company will likely benefit from gains due to security incidents at competitors, cost savings in personnel, and higher-than-expected profits from real estate sales. He added, "While there is a possibility of increased research and development (R&D) expenses due to the expansion of the artificial intelligence (AI) business in the second half of the year, the trend of profit improvement is expected to continue due to personnel cost reductions, the winding down of low-profit businesses, and the recognition of real estate sales profits."