POSCO Holdings Posts 30% Profit Jump in First Half on Lithium Production and Steel Sales

POSCO Holdings announced a significant financial performance for the first half of 2026, with operating profit surging 30% year-on-year to 1.52 trillion won (approximately $1.1 billion USD). The company's revenue also saw a healthy increase of 6.1%, reaching 37.13 trillion won during the same period. Net profit experienced a dramatic rise of 204.8%, totaling 1.3 trillion won compared to 428.1 billion won in the previous year.

These positive results were achieved amidst a challenging global economic landscape, characterized by sluggish steel demand in China, a general slowdown in global consumption, and pressure from rising raw material and energy costs. POSCO Holdings focused on enhancing the profitability of its existing businesses while simultaneously expanding production capacity for its growth sectors.

The steel division contributed 30.35 trillion won in revenue and 748 billion won in operating profit. To navigate the anticipated prolonged downturn in the steel market, POSCO Group plans to accelerate its portfolio shift towards low-carbon, high-value products and strengthen its core competitiveness. The company is also pursuing a localization strategy for production and sales in key overseas markets through joint ventures.

Furthermore, POSCO Holdings is actively investing in its secondary battery materials business and has commenced commercial production of lithium. This strategic expansion into new growth areas, coupled with the optimization of its traditional steel operations, positions the company for sustained growth despite global economic headwinds.