Did LG Energy's Q3 Operating Profit Surge by 34.1% Due to US Demand?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Q3 operating profit surged 34.1% due to strong ESS sales in the U.S.
- Operating profit estimated at 601.3 billion won compared to 448.3 billion won last year.
- Sales declined 17.1% amid an overall slowdown in EV sales.
- Company focuses on reducing costs and securing new ESS contracts.
- Final earnings results to be announced later this month.
Seoul, Oct 13 (NationPress) LG Energy Solution Limited, the premier battery producer in South Korea, announced on Monday that its operating profit for the third quarter is projected to have increased by 34.1% compared to the same period last year, primarily fueled by robust sales of energy storage systems (ESSs) in the United States.
For the three months concluding in September, the operating profit is anticipated to have soared to 601.3 billion won ($422.8 million), up from 448.3 billion won during the corresponding period a year ago, as detailed in a regulatory filing, according to Yonhap news agency.
A company representative stated, “In addition to the surge in ESS sales in the U.S., the heightened demand for small cylindrical and pouch-type batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) has significantly boosted our quarterly performance.”
Nevertheless, sales experienced a decline of 17.1%, falling to 5.69 trillion won from 6.87 trillion won, amid a general slowdown in the EV market.
Looking forward, LG Energy Solution anticipates that sales of prismatic EV batteries will remain lackluster in the fourth quarter as major automotive manufacturers revise their electrification strategies and keep inventory levels low.
To counteract the diminished demand for EV batteries, the company plans to concentrate on minimizing fixed costs while securing additional ESS contracts in the U.S., leveraging its local ESS production facility.
For the period spanning January to September, operating profit is projected to have surged 83.3% to 1.46 trillion won, up from 800.9 billion won a year prior.
Sales for the nine-month duration are estimated to have decreased 8.5% to 17.53 trillion won from 19.16 trillion won in the previous year.
The company intends to reveal its final earnings results for the September quarter later this month.
In other news, earlier this month, the battery manufacturer announced its plans to gradually resume official business trips to the United States, following a suspension initiated about a month ago after a mass detention incident in Georgia.
All visits to the U.S. were halted after 47 employees and approximately 250 subcontractors were detained in a U.S. immigration raid at a construction site for a joint Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution battery facility on September 4, reports Yonhap news agency on October 2.