Company reports meeting targets of W300b in Q1, W400b in Q2 and W500b in Q3

Chairman Seo Jung-jin chairs global strategy meeting, heads to key markets for on-site sales push

Shareholder return policy of one-third of net profit via dividends or share cancellations reaffirmed

An exterior view of Celltrion's headquarters. [Celltrion]
An exterior view of Celltrion's headquarters. [Celltrion]

Celltrion said it has met all of its quarterly operating profit targets through the third quarter of this year and is committed to delivering more than 600 billion won ($445 million) in operating profit in the fourth quarter to fulfill its full-year earnings pledge.

The company announced Monday that it had disclosed its earnings performance through the third quarter of 2026 and outlined its fourth-quarter targets and shareholder return plans.

Celltrion said it met its operating profit targets for each quarter without a shortfall — 300 billion won in the first quarter, 400 billion won in the second and 500 billion won in the third. It plans to close out the year by posting more than 600 billion won in operating profit in the fourth quarter, completing the full-year targets it pledged to shareholders at the start of the year.

To that end, Chairman Seo Jung-jin chaired a global strategy meeting in Uzbekistan in early October, bringing together about 80 people — executives from local subsidiaries across North America, Europe, Asia and South America, as well as sales officers from headquarters — to review sales performance and the earnings outlook. Holding the meeting in Uzbekistan, a central hub, was intended to cut travel time and allow the company to respond quickly to conditions on the ground.

Celltrion said it believes the fourth-quarter operating profit target remains achievable despite external headwinds such as the recent weakening of the won. Seo began traveling to major global markets in mid-October to conduct on-site reviews and encourage sales teams directly.

The company also reaffirmed its commitment to shareholder returns, saying it will maintain its policy of returning one-third of net profit to shareholders through cash dividends or share buybacks and cancellations, with the specific method to be determined after gathering shareholder input. Celltrion added that it will work to build a sustainable profit-growth structure by deploying its research and development budget efficiently, cutting manufacturing costs and improving productivity.


silverpaper@heraldcorp.com