ITM Semiconductor is a component maker that produces the protection circuits which keep lithium-ion batteries from bursting or overheating by managing current. Its mainstays are the POC, which packs this function onto a single chip, and the module-form PMP, with more than 80% of revenue coming from secondary-battery protection circuits used chiefly in smartphones, wireless earbuds, and wearables; the company is also expanding into e-cigarettes and battery packs as well as automotive electronics, defense, and robotics. On April 13, 2026 it disclosed that, as part of a business-portfolio shift, it would halt supply of battery protection circuits for Apple-bound mobile devices, bringing into focus the loss of revenue from a large customer, followed by an extension of a debt guarantee for its Vietnamese subsidiary and a May quarterly report (revenue ₩132.2 billion, operating loss of ₩4.9 billion). What stands out lately is that a P/S of 0.34x makes the price light relative to revenue, and much of the 2025 loss came from one-off items such as impairments and embezzlement, so Q1 showed that burden lifting; against that, a debt-to-equity ratio of 517.9% and a current ratio of 54.8% leave financial strength weak, the core operating loss persists, and the halt of Apple-bound supply is shaking the very base of revenue.
At-a-glance assessment financial health · growth · profitability · valuation
- Debt far exceeds equity (debt ratio 517.9%).
- Assets that can be turned to cash within a year fall short of near-term liabilities (current ratio 54.8%).
- The most recent full-year net result was a loss.
- Revenue fell 6.9% year over year (3-year trend: mixed).
- Most recent quarter (Q1 2026) revenue was 4.3% lower than a year earlier.
- ROE is -98.9% (controlling-interest basis). It is below the sector average.
- Operating margin is -1.2%.
- P/E is hard to compute here, so this is read on P/B.
Ownership & governance As of 2025-12-31
Largest shareholder NICE Holdings 32.54% (corporate)
Controlling bloc incl. related parties 63.17%
With the controlling bloc holding 63%, control is very secure but the free float is thin.
🔎 In-depth analysis
- ITM Semiconductor is a component maker that produces the 'protection circuits' used in lithium-ion batteries.
- A protection circuit is a small safety device that manages current so a battery does not burst or fail from overcharge, overdischarge, or overheating, and the company's mainstays are the POC (Protection One Chip), which packs this onto a single chip, and the module-form PMP (Protection Module Package).
- More than 80% of revenue comes from these secondary-battery protection circuits, which go mainly into small IT devices such as smartphones, wireless earbuds, and wearables.
- On top of this it runs an e-cigarette (electronic-device and battery-module) business and a battery-pack and sensor business, and it is pushing into mid-size battery areas such as automotive electronics, defense, and robotics (parking-robot parts).
- In short, it is not a company that makes batteries but one that supplies the parts that let batteries be used safely, so its results are heavily swayed by the production volumes and unit prices of its downstream customers (smartphone and earbud makers).
- The latest close is ₩8,910 and market capitalization is ₩202.1 billion.
- The price sits below its 20-day line (₩9,750) and below its 60-day line (₩13,586).
- Trading below both the short- and medium-term moving averages, the trend looks subdued.
- The RSI (a supplementary gauge that compares upward and downward strength over the past 14 days on a 0-100 scale) is 31.8, a neutral level.
- The one-month change is -19.0%, the three-month change is -22.4%, and the position versus the 52-week high is -52.2%.
- Relative strength against the KOSDAQ is 62 (on a 1-99 scale that weights recent returns versus the index over the past year more heavily; higher means stronger than the market).
- That places it in roughly the top 37% of all stocks by strength.
- Over the past three months it lagged the index by 18.0%.
- Chart readings are best interpreted alongside trading volume and disclosure dates.
- The company is currently loss-making, so the P/E ratio (how many times one year's earnings the price represents) cannot be computed.
- On an asset and revenue basis instead, the P/B (how many times net assets the price represents) is 2.14x and the P/S (how many times revenue the price represents) is 0.34x.
- Set against revenue of about ₩603.1 billion, the market-cap burden is light.
- That said, financial strength deserves separate attention: the debt-to-equity ratio (borrowings versus equity) is high at 517.9%, and the current ratio (assets convertible to cash within a year versus debt due within a year) is 54.8%, below 100%.
- ROE (how much the company earns in a year on its equity) is deeply negative at -98.9%, because the 2025 net loss (about ₩93.6 billion) was nearly as large as the equity base (about ₩94.6 billion).
- Yet the same year's operating loss was ₩7.0 billion, a far smaller shortfall.
- In other words, most of the net loss came not from operations themselves but from one-off costs (impairment of tangible assets and an embezzlement loss at an overseas subsidiary), and separating the core operating loss from the one-off losses makes the earnings structure look less bad than the headline numbers.
- Revenue was ₩603.1 billion in 2025, down 6.9% year over year, and the five-year (2021-2025) path of ₩512.5B → ₩633.5B → ₩580.5B → ₩647.9B → ₩603.1B shows a flat, choppy range with no clear trend.
- Cumulative Q1 2026 revenue also fell 4.3% year over year to ₩132.2 billion.
- Operating profit briefly turned positive in 2024 (₩2.4 billion) before slipping back into the red in 2025 (-₩7.0 billion), and Q1 2026 stayed loss-making with an operating loss of ₩4.9 billion and a net loss of ₩3.6 billion.
- One notable change is that the Q1 net loss (-₩3.6 billion) is similar in scale to the operating loss (-₩4.9 billion).
- The huge one-off costs that weighed on 2025 results have already dropped out, so the starting point for earnings looks tidier than last year.
- Still, to assume positive earnings this year, a turn to a positive core operating result must be confirmed first.
- With revenue falling and operations in the red, and with supply of Apple-bound mobile protection circuits, once a key customer, halted, there is not yet enough basis to set this year's net profit positive and compute a forward P/E (a multiple based on this year's expected earnings).
- It is therefore more accurate to view this stock as being at a stage where 'whether the turn to profit is confirmed' decides the picture, rather than to present a forward earnings figure with confidence.
- Recent disclosures read along two axes: 'business restructuring' and 'financial burden.' The heaviest is the April 13, 2026 'discontinuation of transactions with a business partner' disclosure, in which the company stated that, as part of a business-portfolio shift, it had halted supply of battery-protection-circuit packages for Apple-bound mobile devices.
- Because this removes revenue tied to a large customer, it directly affects the 2026 revenue scale.
- Meanwhile, disclosures of a capital increase at a subsidiary continued from late 2025 into early 2026, and decisions to extend a debt guarantee for the Vietnamese production subsidiary (ITM SEMICONDUCTOR VIETNAM) followed in April and May 2026 as well, showing that the burden of funding support and guarantees propping up overseas entities continues.
- Added to these were the May quarterly report (revenue ₩132.2 billion, operating loss of ₩4.9 billion), a stock-option grant filing, and an annual-general-meeting results filing.
- This is a stock whose strengths and cautions divide fairly clearly.
- On the strength side: the market-cap burden is light relative to revenue (P/S 0.34x), the price has fallen nearly in half from its 52-week high and already reflects much of the weakness, and much of the 2025 loss came from one-off costs such as impairments and embezzlement, so removing those costs can make the earnings structure look better than the headline.
- Indeed, Q1 2026 showed that one-off burden lifting.
- Points to note are that a 517.9% debt-to-equity ratio and a 54.8% current ratio leave financial strength weak, the core operating loss persists, and the halt of Apple-bound mobile protection-circuit supply, once a key customer, is shaking the very base of revenue.
- In short, the stock is strong when 'one-off losses clear and the restructuring is quickly filled by new revenue sources,' and weak when 'the core operating loss persists, the Apple gap goes unfilled, and borrowing and guarantee burdens pile up.' Rather than concluding from the fact that the price is cheap relative to revenue alone, it is more appropriate to view it as a stock to follow while checking whether the turn to profit and the filling of the revenue gap actually progress.
🔎 Valuation vs peers Inconclusive
Compared against small- and mid-cap component makers that produce battery protection circuits and secondary-battery parts and whose results hinge on volumes from small IT and downstream customers.
| Peer | P/E | P/B | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Logics | 0.00x | 0.56x | -6.25% |
| Sangshin EDP | 88.80x | 1.12x | 1.26% |
(a) Within the same battery-parts group, Power Logics (protection circuits and packs) is also loss-making, so it has no P/E and trades below net assets at a P/B of 0.72x, while Sang Shin E&P (secondary-battery cases) is profitable but richly priced relative to earnings at a P/E of 118x. ITM Semiconductor sits between them at a P/B of 2.47x, somewhat high relative to assets. (b) On a revenue basis (P/S 0.39x) it looks cheap, but that may be an illusion created by the empty earnings-based multiple that comes with being loss-making. (c) The 2025 trailing results were badly distorted by one-off losses, so the 'trailing P/E' is meaningless, and the forward figure only gains meaning once a turn to a positive core operating result is confirmed. With the operating loss ongoing and a key-customer gap open, an appropriate level is hard to pin down, so we leave it inconclusive.
Price history Close · MA20 · MA60
The latest close is ₩8,910 and the market capitalization is ₩202.1 billion. The price sits below its 20-day moving average (₩9,750) and below its 60-day moving average (₩13,586). It is under both its short- and medium-term moving averages, so the trend looks subdued. The RSI (a supplementary indicator that gauges the strength of gains versus losses over the past 14 days on a 0-100 scale) is 31.8, a neutral level. The one-month change is -19.0%, the three-month change is -22.4%, and the position relative to the 52-week high is -52.2%. Relative strength versus the KOSDAQ is 62 (on a 1-99 scale, converted from returns against the index over the past year with more weight on recent performance; higher means stronger than the market). It is stronger than roughly 63% of all stocks. Over the past three months it lagged the index by 18.0%. Chart interpretation is best done alongside trading volume and the dates on which disclosures occur.
Relative performance stock vs index · start = 100
Excess return vs index · 3M -18.03% / 6M +10.94% / 12M -30.93%
Key metrics vs sector median
Valuation
A net loss makes the P/E an unreliable valuation gauge. The P/B is 2.14x.
Enterprise value (EV)
EV = market cap + net debt. It reflects cash and debt, so it captures the real cost of the whole business that market cap alone misses; lower multiples are cheaper relative to earnings or sales.
Profitability & financials
The operating margin is -1.2%. The debt ratio is 517.9%, so the financial structure is somewhat high.
Growth FY2025 · annual report (consolidated)
| Item | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $384.8M | $429.4M | $399.7M | -6.91% ↓ slower |
| Operating profit | -$9.9M | $1.6M | -$4.6M | -391.10% |
| Net profit | -$21.9M | $809,191 | -$62.0M | -7763.01% |
| 5-year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $339.7M | $419.9M | $384.8M | $429.4M | $399.7M |
| Operating profit | $3.6M | -$10.7M | -$9.9M | $1.6M | -$4.6M |
| Net profit | $4.1M | -$14.1M | -$21.9M | $809,191 | -$62.0M |
| Revenue CAGR | 4-yr avg 4.15% | ||||
Revenue fell 6.9% year over year (2023 ₩580.5 billion → 2024 ₩647.9 billion → 2025 ₩603.1 billion), and the three-year trend is 'mixed'. The rate of decline widened from the prior year. Operating profit fell 391.1% year over year. Over the 5 years on record, revenue compound annual growth (CAGR) is 4.2%. The two-year revenue CAGR is 1.9%. In the most recent quarter (Q1 2026), revenue was 4.3% lower than the same period a year earlier.
Latest quarterly results Q1 2026 · vs year-ago
Technical indicators
What stands out
- —
Points to watch
- Debt far exceeds equity (debt ratio 517.9%).
- Assets that can be turned to cash within a year fall short of near-term liabilities (current ratio 54.8%).
- The most recent full year was a loss, so it is worth checking whether profitability recovers.
- Revenue fell 6.9% year over year (3-year trend: mixed).
Recent news & events searched · sourced
- 2026-04-13FilingAs part of a business-portfolio shift, halted supply of battery-protection-circuit packages for Apple-bound mobile devicesA revenue-reducing factor over both the short and medium term. Losing large-customer volume for its mainstay small-IT parts directly affects 2026 revenue scale and business mix. Source
- 2026-05-18UpdateDecision to extend a debt guarantee for the overseas production subsidiary (ITM SEMICONDUCTOR VIETNAM)A medium-term financial burden. The continuing guarantee propping up the subsidiary implies persistent consolidated borrowing and contingent-liability burden. Source
- 2026-05-15EarningsQ1 2026 quarterly report filed - revenue ₩132.2 billion (YoY -4.3%), operating loss of ₩4.9 billion, net loss of ₩3.6 billionThe core operating loss persists, but 2025's large one-off losses have dropped out. The revenue decline continues. Source
- 2026-04-08FilingDecision on a debt guarantee for a third party (subsidiary)A medium-term financial burden. Guarantee decisions across April-May confirm the burden of funding support for the overseas entity. Source
- 2026-03-30FilingAnnual general meeting results and outside-director appointment/change filingNeutral. A routine governance procedure with limited direct effect on results. Source
Figure cross-check computed ↔ external
| Metric | Computed | External | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 revenue | ₩603.1 billion (₩603,110,608,556) | 2025 revenue | Confirmed | link |
| Q1 2026 cumulative revenue | ₩132.2 billion (₩132,245,041,622), YoY -4.3% | 2026 1(2026.03) | Confirmed | link |
| Halt of Apple-bound mobile battery protection-circuit supply | (2026-04-13) | — | Confirmed | link |
| 2025 net loss scale | -₩93.6 billion (-₩93,558,890,563), ROE -98.9% | — | Unverified | link |
Recent filings
- 2026-06-05OwnershipOwnership-change filing
- 2026-05-28OwnershipOwnership-change filing
- 2026-05-21OwnershipOwnership-change filing
- 2026-05-18Disclosure
- 2026-05-15PeriodicQuarterly report
- 2026-05-12OwnershipOwnership-change filing
- 2026-04-30Amended filing
- 2026-04-30Amended filing
- 2026-04-13Disclosure
- 2026-04-08Disclosure
- 2026-03-30Shareholders' meeting notice
- 2026-03-30Disclosure
📖 Plain-language glossary — expand if you are new to this
- P/E
- How many times a year's net profit the price is worth (lower is cheaper relative to earnings). The P/E here is on trailing (last full-year) results; for companies whose earnings swing fast (memory chips and other cyclicals/high-growth), a forward P/E on this year's expected earnings is more accurate.
- P/B
- Price relative to net assets (equity). Around 1x means it trades near book value; below 1x means below book.
- P/S
- Price relative to a year's revenue — useful for growth companies with thin earnings.
- Net debt / EV
- Net debt = interest-bearing debt − cash. Negative means more cash than debt (net cash). EV (enterprise value) = market cap + net debt, closer to what it would cost to buy the whole business.
- EV/EBIT · EV/EBITDA · EV/Sales
- Enterprise value against operating profit (EBIT), EBITDA, or revenue. Unlike P/E these reflect debt and cash; lower is cheaper relative to earnings power or sales.
- FCF / FCF yield
- Free cash flow = operating cash − capex, the cash actually left over. FCF yield = FCF ÷ market cap; higher means more cash generated per unit of market value.
- Intrinsic value (DCF)
- Future free cash flow (or, for some capex-heavy but profitable names, forecast earnings) discounted to today to estimate per-share value. Because it shifts a lot with the discount-rate and growth assumptions, it is shown as a bear/base/bull range, and the basis and assumptions are disclosed in one line beneath it.
- ROE
- How much profit the company earns in a year on its equity (%). Higher means better returns on capital.
- EPS / BPS
- Earnings per share / net assets (book value) per share.
- Operating / net margin
- Profit left from the core business / final profit after tax and interest, per unit of revenue.
- Debt ratio
- Debt relative to equity (%). Higher means more reliance on borrowing (norms vary by sector).
- Current ratio
- Assets convertible to cash within a year against debt due within a year. Above 100% leaves some short-term headroom.
- Interest coverage
- How many times operating profit covers the interest owed. Below 1x means operating profit alone struggles to cover interest.
- Dividend yield / payout ratio
- The year's dividend as a % of today's price / the share of earnings paid out as dividends.
- Revenue CAGR
- Multi-year growth expressed as a single yearly average (compound annual growth rate).
- RSI (short-term signal)
- Whether recent price action is overheated or beaten down. Above 70 is overbought, below 30 oversold.
- MA20 / MA60 (moving averages)
- The 20- and 60-day average price. Price above them signals a firmer short-term trend.
- vs 52-week high
- How far below the past year's peak the price sits now (%).
All figures are for reference only; how they read varies by sector and over time.
Sources: Korea FSC market-price API (data.go.kr), OpenDART, KRX/KIND — public data only.
Bong Stocks presents public-data-based information for reference only. It is not investment advice and contains no target prices, ratings, or buy/sell recommendations. Verify independently before making any decision.