In the Black, Company Reports Significant Improvement
by
Focusing on Higher Margins and Efficient Operation
SEOUL, Apr. 25, 2012 -- LG Electronics Inc. (LG)
today announced that after two consecutive quarters of net
losses, the company has turned the corner with a net profit
of KRW 243 billion (USD 214.9 million), a direct result of
the company's efforts to innovate in all key business units
and focus on high performing products.
Unaudited consolidated financial results, based on
IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) for the
quarter ending March 31, 2012, showed consolidated revenues
of KRW 12.2 trillion (USD 10.8 billion) with an operating
profit of KRW 448 billion (USD 396.1 million). This
compares favorably to the consolidated operating profit of
KRW 280 billion for all of 2011.
LG Home Entertainment Company posted significantly
improved operating profit in the quarter, compared with the
same period a year ago. Sales, while strong at KRW 5.3
trillion (USD 4.7 billion), declined by 6.8 percent
compared with the first-quarter of 2011, largely due to the
a sluggish European economy. Due in large part to the
popularity of new products such as CINEMA SCREEN 3D Smart
TV in the Korean market and improvements in supply chain
management, operating profit nearly doubled to 217 billion
(USD 191.9 million) from the same period the previous year.
LG will leverage upcoming big ticket sporting events and
the global roll-out of LG's redesigned 2012 TV models to
stimulate higher demand for its Home Entertainment
products.
LG Mobile Communications Company saw operating profit
more than triple quarter-over-quarter from KRW 12 billion
to KRW 39 billion (USD 34.5 million) as a result of a
better product mix and an increase in the proportion of
smartphone sales. Overall revenues declined 14 percent
year-over-year from KRW 2.9 trillion to KRW 2.5 trillion
(USD 2.2 billion) as a result of declining feature phone
sales but smartphone revenue increased due to the
popularity of Optimus LTE and Optimus Vu: in the home
market. The company expects to strengthen its smartphone
line-up even more in the second quarter with the
introduction of its L-Style series and quad-core
smartphones.
LG Home Appliance Company's first-quarter 2012
operating profit increased 48 percent from the same period
last year to KRW 152 billion (USD 134.4 million) thanks to
higher average sales price, better product mix and cost
efficiency. A 2.7 percent decrease in revenues
year-over-year, to KRW 2.5 trillion (USD 2.2 billion),
primarily reflected a slowdown in China and developed
markets. Despite continued sluggishness in major markets
and a rise in the cost of raw materials, the company will
continue to efficiently allocate resources and develop
differentiated products such as the Blast Chiller
refrigerator.
LG Air Conditioning and Energy Solution Company saw
operating profit more than double from the same period last
year to KRW 81 billion (USD 71.6 million) thanks to new
high-end products and cost structure improvements.
First-quarter revenues were essentially flat, declining 1.2
percent year-over-year to KRW 1.2 trillion (USD 1.1
billion). LG is optimistic that government policies to
promote the usage of energy-efficient products in homes and
businesses will create new growth opportunities for the
company, along with highly efficient commercial air
conditioners.
2012 1Q Exchange Rates Explained
LG Electronics unaudited earnings results are based on IFRS
and amounts in Korean Won (KRW) are translated into US
Dollars (USD) at the average rate of the three month period
in each corresponding quarter: KRW 1,131 per USD (2012 1Q)
and KRW 1,121 per USD (2011 1Q).
Earnings Conference and Conference Call
LG Electronics will hold a Korean language earnings news
conference on April 25, 2012 at 16:00 Korea Standard Time
at the LG Twin Tower Auditorium (B1 East Tower, 20
Yeoui-daero, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Korea). An English
language conference call will follow on April 26, 2012 at
10:00 Korea Standard Time (01:00 GMT/UTC). Participants are
instructed to call +82 31 810 3069 and enter the passcode
9084#. The corresponding presentation file will be
available for download at the LG Electronics website (
www.lg.com/global/ir/reports/earning-release.jsp
) at 13:30 on April 25, 2012. Please visit
http://pin.teletogether.com/eng/
and pre-register with the passcode provided. For those
unable to participate, an audio recording of the news
conference will be available for a period of 30 days after
the conclusion of the call. To access the recording, dial
+82 31 931 3100 and enter the passcode 142650# when
prompted.
# # #