(image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, April 4 (Korea Bizwire) — Major South Korean companies’ inventories surged nearly 30 percent in 2022 from a year earlier amid a global economic slump, a corporate tracker said Tuesday.
Combined inventories of 212 out of the country’s top 500 firms by sales reached 175.5 trillion won (US$134 billion) as of end-December last year, up 29.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the Leaders Index.
Yet, the amount was slightly down from 177.2 trillion won three months earlier.
In particular, their stock of finished goods, half-finished products and work in process spiked 33.7 percent on-year to about 152 trillion won, pointing to sluggish exports and domestic demand.
Inventories of the information technology, electric and electronics industries rose at the fastest pace over the cited period, with those of 23 firms in the sectors rocketing 41.2 percent to 66.7 trillion won.
Global tech titan Samsung Electronics Co. saw its inventory jump 40.2 percent to 36.1 trillion won, with that of chip behemoth SK hynix Inc. shooting up 82.4 percent to 12.9 trillion won.
Inventories of 30 petrochemical businesses soared 36.2 percent over the cited period, with those of 23 firms in the car and auto parts industries swelling 20.3 percent.
The total inventories of 22 firms in the food and drink sectors posted the highest growth rate of 46.7 percent over the cited period, trailed by service companies with 42.6 percent.
In contrast, energy corporations saw their inventories sink 23 percent, with those of distribution companies inching up 0.1 percent, according to the Leaders Index.
(Yonhap)
