Seoul:<Text>
JB Financial Group on Thursday reported a first-quarter net profit of 172.3 billion won (US$116.3 million), marking a 3.2 percent increase from the same period last year.
According to Yonhap News Agency, JB Financial Group disclosed that its operating income for the January-March period was 221.3 billion won, reflecting a 1.8 percent rise from the previous year. Additionally, the company reported an 8.2 percent growth in sales, reaching 1.21 trillion won.
Despite the positive growth figures, the earnings did not meet market expectations. Analysts had projected an average net profit of 189.7 billion won, as per a survey conducted by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data division of Yonhap News Agency.
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