Hyundai Motor’s Q1 Operating Profit Rises 2%

Hyundai Motor announced a 2% increase in its first-quarter operating profit on Thursday, propelled by a weaker South Korean won and advance purchases by U.S. consumers anticipating tariffs.

Hyundai, ranking as the world’s third-largest automotive group by sales alongside its affiliate Kia, reported an operating profit of 3.6 trillion won ($2.52 billion) for the period from January to March. This compares to 3.56 trillion won during the same period the previous year.

The achieved result aligned with the LSEG SmartEstimate of 3.5 trillion won, which was derived from a consensus of 17 analysts.

Hyundai and Kia, having expanded their market presence in the U.S. since the pandemic, are particularly susceptible to potential U.S. tariffs.

Collectively, they generate about one-third of their global sales from the U.S. market. Data from Korea Investment & Securities indicates that imports account for approximately two-thirds of car sales within the U.S.

Following the earnings announcement, Hyundai’s shares experienced a decline of 0.4%, mirroring the broader market’s decrease of 0.2%.