$KEP

Singapore’s STI rose 8.8% in July, its strongest monthly gain since Nov 2020, ending at 5,628.50 after an all-time high of 5,713.19. SGX cited stronger growth, AI demand, and rotation into financials. OCBC led bank gains (avg banks +13.3%). Great Eastern, Pan-United, and OCBC had top total returns. Institutional outflows were $464m.

Singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 0.7% to 5,673.58 after the US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady. DFI Retail Group rose 4.5% to US$3.74, while Keppel dropped 4.3% to S$11.48. DBS, OCBC, and UOB ended lower. Regional indices were mixed, and SPI Asset Management cited chip-sector moves.

A CapitaLand Investment report says Asia-Pacific “living” investment rose 38% year on year to US$13.8 billion in 2025, led by Japan and Singapore. BlackRock and PGIM cited yield and demand drivers. Singapore co-living inventory grew 17% (2023-2025) and Hong Kong student housing deals hit HK$3.3 billion in 2025, with a 70,000-90,000 bed shortfall by 2028/29.

Singapore stocks rose on Monday, with the Straits Times Index up 1% (51.49 points) to close at 5,077.29, according to market data. Jardine Matheson and Yangzijiang Shipbuilding led gainers. Keppel DC REIT was the weakest. DBS, OCBC and UOB all ended higher. Gainers outnumbered losers 435 to 196 on S$2.1 billion traded. Regional indices were also positive.

South Korea’s KOSPI fell for a third straight session, dropping 676.18 points (8.29%) to 7,484.41 on Monday, with broad declines across sectors. Trading volume was 448.3 million shares worth 47.8 trillion won. The report expects bargain hunting Tuesday, supported by technology and oil stocks, after mixed global cues.

South Korea’s KOSPI fell for a third straight session, dropping 676.18 points (8.29%) to 7,484.41 on Monday, with trading between 7,442.73 and 8,048.09. Volume was 448.3 million shares worth 47.8 trillion won; 873 stocks declined vs 42 gained. Tech and oil were expected to see bargain buying as global cues were mixed. Major declines included Samsung Electronics (-10.18%) and Hyundai Mobis (-12.20%).

The state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) reported a 6.7 percent year-on-year increase in net profit for the first quarter of 2026, reaching 2.51 trillion won ($1.7 billion). This growth was attributed to successful cost-saving efforts, despite minimal increases in sales. While global energy price surges from late February were not fully reflected in Q1 earnings, KEPCO anticipates their impact in the second quarter and continues to face significant debt.

Korea Electric Power (NYSE: KEP) released its Q1 2026 earnings report, beating EPS estimates by $0.06 with an actual EPS of $1.29 against a consensus of $1.23. However, the company missed revenue expectations, reporting $16.22 billion compared to the expected $16.81 billion. The report indicates a higher Q1 2026 profit driven by stable revenues.

The average annual salary of employees at seven public power generation companies in South Korea has exceeded 100 million won for the first time, reaching 107.1 million won as of 2025. This rise is attributed to the electricity industry's strategic importance in the AI era and improved performance, particularly for Korea Electric Power Corp. and its subsidiaries, leading to higher management evaluation scores and linked salaries. Despite this, KEPCO's cumulative debt and volatile oil prices present ongoing challenges, prompting government-led restructuring efforts, including potential consolidation of power generation subsidiaries, to improve management efficiency.

KB Securities has lowered its target stock price for Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) from 74,000 won to 63,000 won, citing an inevitable decrease in operating profit due to rising global energy prices in 2026 and 2027. Despite some positive factors like lower electricity purchase unit costs and potential rate increases, the impact of increased air prices and deteriorating energy mix due to geopolitical issues and LNG spot purchases will negatively affect performance. KEPCO's sales for Q1 2026 are estimated at 25.1 trillion won, with an operating profit of 4.4 trillion won, but future profit forecasts have been significantly reduced.