LS Securities cuts target for Kia stock from KRW 185,000 to KRW 165,000

Published on 10/20/2026 at 02:45 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Kia sold 846,764 vehicles in the third quarter, up 7.8 percent year over year. A 10.8 percent target cut hits Kia stock before October 30 results.

Profit and sales in focus

LS Securities cut Kia's target from KRW 185,000 to KRW 165,000 on October 15, 2026.
Kia sold 846,764 vehicles in the third quarter of 2026, up 7.8 percent year over year.
Kia's market capitalization was KRW 44.3 trillion as of October 20, 2026.

Kia, KR7000270009, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Kia stock faces a lower earnings bar after LS Securities cut its target from KRW 185,000 to KRW 165,000 on October 15, 2026. According to MK, the brokerage kept its Buy rating while forecasting third-quarter operating profit of KRW 2.239 trillion, 7.8 percent below the market average.

Sales growth meets cost pressure

The forecast points to a sharper split between volume and profitability. LS Securities projected third-quarter revenue of KRW 31.105 trillion, up 8.2 percent from a year earlier but down 6.0 percent from the prior quarter. Operating profit was expected to rise 53.1 percent year over year and fall 14.9 percent quarter over quarter.

The cost issue is concentrated in the powertrain mix. Kia's electric-vehicle share was expected to rise from 13 percent in the second quarter of 2026 to 15 percent in the third quarter, while the European share was forecast to increase from 35 percent to 43 percent. The same analysis projected third-quarter global wholesale sales of 847,000 vehicles, up 7.8 percent year over year.

Three dates show the changing picture

On September 30, 2026, Kia America reported 77,009 September vehicles and 236,659 third-quarter vehicles, increases of 18 percent and 8 percent year over year, respectively, according to Kia America. On October 1, 2026, Kia reported global third-quarter sales of 846,764 vehicles, 7.8 percent above the 785,137 vehicles sold a year earlier, as MK reported. On October 15, 2026, LS Securities cut its target to KRW 165,000 from KRW 185,000 while retaining its Buy rating, according to MK.

What does the target cut mean?

The revision puts margin quality ahead of headline sales. Higher raw-material costs and the expanding European electric-vehicle mix were cited as pressure points, while hybrid production in North America was identified as a possible support for vehicle mix and profitability from the fourth quarter of 2026.

October 30 results are next

Kia is scheduled to present its third-quarter results and hold a conference call on October 30, 2026, according to Hansbiz. The event should clarify whether record sales can offset material costs, incentives and the higher electric-vehicle mix.

Kia's Korean market context

On the Korea Exchange, Kia was trading at KRW 114,000 on October 20, 2026 at 9:24 a.m. KST. Its market capitalization was KRW 44.3 trillion, while the 52-week range was KRW 102,600.00 to KRW 212,500.00 as of October 20, 2026.