K B Financial Group Inc (KB)

Peter Kwon: Greetings. I am Peter Kwon, Head of the KBFG IR Division. We will now begin the 2025 Q1 Business Results Presentation. Thank you very much for participating in today's earnings release.

Financials is one of the sectors being deemed as winner post Trump’s victory with investors betting on looser regulation and higher M&A activity.

On December 10 Fidelity Investment released its banking sector outlook for 2025, highlighting tailwinds for the sector which can result in positive momentum for the year.

Asian markets traded mixed on Friday, January 24 as investors digested a series of economic reports from China, which showed robust growth in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Amidst the enthusiasm of the new President Donald Trump for digital assets, it is important to know that US banks have avoided allowing customers to use crypto for retail transactions.

Oakmark Funds, advised by Harris Associates, released its “Oakmark International Fund” fourth quarter 2024 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here.

The S&P 500 is currently trading at 23 times its forward earnings, indicative that the market is really expensive at the moment.

Ariel Investments, an investment management company, released its “Ariel Global Fund” second-quarter 2024 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here.

Peter Kwon: Greetings. I am Peter Kwon, the Head of IR at KBFG. We will now begin the 2024 First Half Business Results Presentation.