S.Korea's corporate revenue growth hits 6.5-year high in Q3

SEOUL, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Corporate revenue growth in South Korea hit the highest in six and a half years in the third quarter due to brisk exports in the semiconductor and petrochemical sectors, central bank data showed Friday.

Revenue of non-finance profit-making companies gained 13.8 percent in the July-September quarter compared with the same period of last year, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).

It marked the fastest quarterly increase since the first quarter of 2011, growing faster from rises of 7.9 percent in the first quarter and 8.0 percent in the second quarter.

The BOK attributed the faster expansion to strong exports and higher product prices in the chip and petrochemical industries. In the non-manufacturing sector, construction and services industries expanded revenue in the quarter.

Revenue among manufacturers advanced 15.9 percent in the third quarter, after rising 8.4 percent in the previous quarter. It was the highest expansion since the first quarter of 2011.

The rising rate of revenue among non-manufacturers picked up to 11.0 percent in the third quarter from 7.3 percent in the second quarter.

The ratio of operating profit to revenue stood at 7.6 percent in the September quarter, marking the highest since the second quarter of 2010.

Corporate financial soundness improved as operating profit was enhanced. The ratio of debts to net worth declined to 84.9 percent in the third quarter from 85.3 percent in the previous quarter. Enditem