iM Financial expands value-up plan: what it means for iM Financial stock

Published on 10/20/2026 at 00:48 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

First-half operating profit rose 4.40 percent to KRW 1.109 trillion. For iM Financial stock, the plan targets a 13.00 percent capital ratio by 2030.

Value-up plan and capital goals

First-half operating profit reached KRW 1.109 trillion on October 19, 2026.
First-half return on equity was 9.43 percent versus 7.29 percent at the end of 2025.
Market capitalization stood at KRW 2.7 trillion on October 19, 2026.
iM Financial targeted more than KRW 1.5 trillion in share buybacks through 2027.

IM Financial, KR7139130009, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

iM Financial (ISIN KR7139130009) reported first-half group operating profit of KRW 1.109 trillion, up 4.40 percent from the same period a year earlier. Daum News reported the figures on October 19, 2026, as the company accelerated its value-up strategy.

Profit growth supports the strategy

The first-half result combined interest income of KRW 843.6 billion with non-interest income of KRW 265.4 billion. According to Daum News, the two income streams increased 4.10 percent and 5.20 percent, respectively, giving the group a broader earnings base during the first half of 2026.

Return on equity reached 9.43 percent at the end of the first half of 2026, compared with 7.29 percent at the end of 2025. The 2.14 percentage point improvement is central to the value-up case because it shows higher profitability without relying only on balance-sheet expansion.

What does the capital plan mean?

iM Financial set targets of a 10.00 percent return on equity, a 13.00 percent common equity tier 1 capital ratio and a 50.00 percent total shareholder return ratio. Daum News said the group was also considering additional share repurchases and cancellations in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The company has already supplied KRW 5.8 trillion of ESG finance by the end of 2025 against a KRW 8.0 trillion target through 2030. Its non-bank affiliates contributed in the mid-30 percent range of group earnings during the first half of 2026, adding a second operating lever beyond the core banking business.

Capital returns remain the market test

iM Financial recorded a 38.80 percent total shareholder return ratio in 2025, including share repurchases and cancellations. It conducted KRW 40.0 billion of such transactions during the first half of 2026 and was conducting more than KRW 30.0 billion in the second half, while targeting more than KRW 1.5 trillion through 2027, according to Daum News.

Market capitalization stood at KRW 2.7 trillion on October 19, 2026. The stock closed at KRW 17,030 on the Korean exchange on October 16, 2026, while its year-to-date gain was 25.03 percent, according to Daum News. These figures leave capital efficiency and the delivery of shareholder returns as the clearest tests of the strategy.

Value-up targets set the next test

iM Financial is pursuing higher profitability, tighter capital management and larger shareholder distributions as one connected program. The first-half figures provide a measurable base for that plan, while the 2027 repurchase target raises the importance of execution.