Celltrion 追加 1000 亿韩元公开市场回购，年内累计 5000 亿韩元但属常规增量

Celltrion (068270.KS) will buy back an additional 100 billion won ($70 million) of its own shares, raising the total value of buybacks it has approved this year to 500 billion won.
The company said its board decided on the 26th to purchase 514,404 treasury shares. The purchase is worth about 100 billion won based on the closing price the day before the board resolution. The acquisition period runs from the 27th of this month through Jan. 26 of next year, and the shares will be bought on the open market.
The move brings Celltrion's buyback decisions this year to a combined 500 billion won. The company had approved another 100 billion won purchase in September, bringing the total approved as of Sept. 29 to 2,135,262 shares, or about 400 billion won. The latest decision, coming just over a month later, extends the company's push to boost shareholder value.
Earnings growth is another driver of the expanded returns. Celltrion posted record results in the first half of this year. For the third quarter, it issued preliminary figures of 1.5 trillion won in revenue and 510 billion won in operating profit. Sales of its existing flagship products have held steady in global markets, while prescriptions of higher-margin new products are expanding.
Whether to cancel the treasury shares will be decided at the annual shareholders' meeting in March next year. Celltrion said it will weigh the effects of share cancellation against larger cash dividends based on full-year earnings and distributable profit. The company will choose whichever option delivers greater returns to shareholders, taking into account investor views and market conditions. If it opts for cancellation, it will proceed with the required board resolution and related steps.
Celltrion has set a medium- to long-term principle of returning one-third of consolidated net profit to shareholders through share cancellation or cash dividends. Each year it will determine the specific approach by weighing earnings, free cash flow, share price levels and investment plans for research and development and production facilities.
The company is also reinforcing a cycle linking growth investment and shareholder returns. It plans to channel the profit and cash flow generated in global markets into new drug development and expanded production capacity while also using them to fund shareholder returns.
"This reflects our commitment to steadily raising shareholder value, backed by confidence in the company's solid earnings growth and medium- to long-term growth potential," a Celltrion official said. "We will consistently carry out our principle of returning one-third of consolidated net profit to shareholders."