Hyundai Motor starts Level 4 truck trials: target for Hyundai Motor stock falls to KRW 520,000

Published on 10/21/2026 at 09:35 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Hyundai Motor signs a five-party Level 4 truck agreement. For Hyundai Motor stock, third-quarter revenue is forecast at KRW 42.4 trillion, down 9.4 percent.

Autonomous trucking meets earnings pressure

Hyundai Motor signed a five-party autonomous-truck agreement on October 20, 2026.
LS Securities forecasts third-quarter revenue of KRW 42.4 trillion, down 9.4 percent year over year.
LS Securities cut its target from KRW 650,000 to KRW 520,000 on October 16, 2026.

Hyundai Motor, KR7005380001, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Hyundai Motor starts Level 4 truck trials and faces a lower earnings outlook: Seoul Economic Daily reported that Hyundai Motor and Kia signed a memorandum of understanding on October 20, 2026, while LS Securities cut its target for Hyundai Motor stock from KRW 650,000 to KRW 520,000 on October 16, 2026. The contrast is clear: technology investment is advancing as third-quarter profit expectations weaken.

Two trucks, two operating routes

According to Yonhap News Agency on October 20, 2026, Hyundai Motor and Kia will develop two Xcient trucks for the project, including a hydrogen fuel-cell model. The partners will test the vehicles on a 100-kilometer mixed highway and urban route and a 400-kilometer long-distance highway route.

The agreement brings together Hyundai Motor, Kia, Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Glovis, Mars Auto and RideFlux. The companies plan to provide the vehicles early in 2027 and use the trials to validate system integration, vehicle control and safety redundancy before commercial deployment.

What does the earnings pressure mean?

Financial News reported on October 16, 2026, that LS Securities forecasts third-quarter revenue of KRW 42.4 trillion, down 9.4 percent year over year, and operating profit of KRW 2.5 trillion. Global wholesale sales were 918,000 vehicles, down 11.5 percent year over year, with strikes disrupting production by 55,000 vehicles.

That forecast follows Hyundai Motor's second-quarter results. In the July 23, 2026 earnings call, Yahoo Finance reported consolidated revenue of KRW 49.2 trillion, up 1.9 percent year over year, while operating profit fell 20.8 percent to KRW 2.9 trillion and the operating margin was 5.8 percent. Management maintained its 2026 operating profit margin guidance at 6.3 percent to 7.3 percent.

Three dates frame the stock

On July 23, 2026, Hyundai Motor reported second-quarter revenue of KRW 49.2 trillion. On October 12, 2026, KB Securities cut its target from KRW 720,000 to KRW 700,000, according to Seoul Economic Daily. On October 20, 2026, Hyundai Motor announced the Level 4 truck demonstration with five partners.

What comes next for Hyundai?

The next milestones are vehicle delivery in early 2027 and completion of the testing program through the end of 2027. On October 20, 2026, Hyundai Motor closed at KRW 310,000 on the KRX, down 4.91 percent from KRW 326,000 in the prior session. The market picture therefore combines a concrete automation program with a near-term earnings test.