iM Financial posts 154.5 billion won Q1 net profit as nonbank units lift results

iM Financial Group said in a regulatory filing on the 28th that it posted 154.5 billion won ($) in net profit for the first quarter, up 0.1% from a year earlier.

Net interest income rose 4.6% from last year. Noninterest income increased 8.3% as fee income grew despite heightened market volatility tied to external uncertainty.

Return on equity attributable to controlling shareholders was 9.94% in the quarter, and return on assets was 0.60%, both slightly lower than a year earlier. The group’s preliminary common equity Tier 1 ratio was 11.99%.

An iM Financial official said the group actively expanded its loan portfolio from the start of the year in line with its transition to a nationwide bank and the government’s push for “productive finance.” The official said the group’s profit-generating capacity improved as fee income rose even amid greater volatility.

By subsidiary, iM Bank posted 120.6 billion won in first-quarter net profit. Corporate loans and household loans grew 3.6% and 1.2%, respectively, lifting total won-denominated loans by 2.7%. The delinquency ratio was 0.86%, and the nonperforming loan ratio was 0.83%.

Over the same period, iM Securities, iM Life and iM Capital posted net profit of 21.7 billion won, 16.5 billion won and 19.3 billion won, respectively, helping drive results. Nonbank affiliates’ share of group profit rose to 34.0% from 30.3% in the first quarter of 2025.

Separately, iM Financial announced shareholder return measures including a capital-reduction dividend (tax-free dividend) and share buybacks and cancellations. In February, it announced a 40 billion won share buyback and cancellation plan, and in March it secured 290 billion won in funding for tax-free dividends through a shareholders meeting resolution.

Cheon Byeong-gyu, the group’s chief financial officer and executive vice president, said that with funding secured at the March shareholders meeting, the company expects a tangible increase in dividend income in 2026. He said the group will continue to review and carry out measures to boost shareholder value, including expanding share buybacks and cancellations.