HLB announced that, aided by on-market share purchases by its related party Epoques, it has expanded its stake in HLB Innovation (including related parties) to 42.32%.

According to the regulatory filing, the number of HLB Innovation shares held by HLB and its related parties increased by 218,718 shares, from 14,566,374 shares (41.72%) in the previous report to 14,785,092 shares (42.32%) in the current report. The ownership ratio rose by 0.60 percentage points.

■ Epoques' Holdings Rise to 294,412 Shares Through Four Rounds of On-Market Purchases

The change in shareholding was driven by on-market purchases made by Epoques, a related party. Epoques sequentially purchased 14,789 shares on September 23, 135,000 shares on September 29, 39,038 shares on September 30, and 29,891 shares on October 1 on the market. As a result, Epoques' holdings increased to 294,412 shares.

The total funds Epoques deployed to acquire these shares amounted to KRW 3,573,997,130, with the source of funding recorded as cash on hand.

■ Pledge Established on 1.2 Million HLB Innovation Shares

The report also reflected a pledge agreement. HLB established a pledge on 1.2 million HLB Innovation shares it holds in connection with stock-collateralized loans. The counterparties to the agreement are IBK Capital and DB Capital, with 600,000 shares each, and the contract period runs from September 9, 2026 to September 9, 2027.

The loan amount under the collateral agreement totals KRW 12 billion, with an interest rate of 7.50% and a collateral maintenance ratio of 100%.

Accordingly, shares subject to major contracts increased from 375,501 shares (1.07%) in the previous report to 1,575,501 shares (4.50%).