Consolidated sales of KRW 19.259 trillion, operating profit of KRW 819 billion, and net profit of KRW 761 billion
Results improved quarter-on-quarter across all segments, including steel, secondary battery materials, and energy
POSCO-Argentina successfully turned profitable in Q2… POSCO Future M’s profitability recovered on cathode material inventory valuation gains and increased anode material sales
POSCO International posted a record quarterly operating profit on stronger lng and palm oil earnings… POSCO E&C maintained a solid trend through expanded orders in its building business
POSCO Holdings announced on July 30 consolidated results for the second quarter of 2026, posting sales of KRW 19.259 trillion, operating profit of KRW 819 billion, and net profit of KRW 761 billion.
Despite a worsening business environment caused by Middle East energy supply chain risks and a strong won trend, POSCO Holdings continued its improvement momentum, with consolidated sales and profit increasing since the fourth quarter of last year, led by a turnaround in the secondary battery materials segment and strong performance in the infrastructure business segment.
In the steel segment, POSCO slightly increased sales and operating profit quarter-on-quarter, supported by higher selling prices and sales volume despite rising raw material costs and oil prices.
In the secondary battery materials segment, POSCO Future M improved operating profit quarter-on-quarter thanks to cathode material inventory valuation gains and a recovery in sales volume of anode materials to major customers.
In addition, POSCO-Argentina achieved its first quarterly turnaround to profit through stabilized operations at its first salt-lake lithium plant and equipment improvements. In the second half of the year, the completion of the second plant is expected to increase initial operating costs, but the company plans to improve profitability through phased production increases and expanded sales.
POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solution improved earnings through expanded sales and higher prices, while POSCO HY Clean Metal has been posting monthly profits since December 2025 thanks to high utilization and enhanced cost competitiveness.
In the infrastructure segment, POSCO International achieved its highest-ever quarterly operating profit, as profits from its Myanmar and Australian gas fields and Indonesia palm business all continued to grow. POSCO E&C defended profitability through improved earnings in its building business.
POSCO Holdings has also revised upward its restructuring targets under the corporate restructuring program implemented since 2024, raising the goal from completing 128 transactions by 2027 and generating KRW 2.8 trillion in cash to completing 129 transactions by 2028 and generating KRW 3.5 trillion in cash. In the first half of this year, POSCO Holdings secured about KRW 480 billion in cash through 12 restructuring transactions, bringing cumulative restructuring to 85 transactions and total cash generation to KRW 2.2 trillion.
Based on first-half achievements including a turnaround to profit in the lithium business, start-up of POSCO Gwangyang Works’ new electric arc furnace, and POSCO International’s record quarterly operating profit, POSCO Holdings plans to enhance profitability and pursue strategic investments in parallel, following its triple core strategy of industrial resources (steel), strategic resources (lithium, rare earths, rare gases, etc.), and energy resources (LNG, etc.), thereby continuing to grow corporate value.