Seoul: NH Investment and Securities Co. announced a first-quarter net profit of 208.2 billion won (US$145.1 million), marking a 7.7 percent decrease from the previous year.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the company's regulatory filing revealed that its operating income for the January-March period saw a 4.4 percent increase, reaching 289 billion won. Additionally, revenue rose by 5.2 percent, totaling 3.35 trillion won.

Despite the decline in net profit, the earnings surpassed market expectations. Analysts had predicted an average net profit of 194.6 billion won, as per a survey conducted by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data arm of Yonhap News Agency.