POSCO, the world's sixth-biggest steelmaker, saw its operating profit in the October-December period slump 55 percent to 341 billion won ($282.22 million) on a consolidated basis, which includes earnings of its affiliates, according to Reuters' calculations. POSCO only provided full-year earnings.
That was below a consensus forecast of 503 billion won compiled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
On an annual basis, the steelmaker swung to a net loss of 96 billion won, its first since at least 2010. The loss was smaller than the 300 billion won loss forecast by POSCO in October.