Earnings by local listed companies fell nearly 4.4 percent in 2013 from a year earlier on sluggish economic conditions, data showed Tuesday.

The combined net profit of 494 firms listed on the main bourse stood at 1,813 trillion won ($1.71 trillion) on a consolidated basis in 2013, up 1.84 percent from 1,780 trillion won a year earlier.

Operating income advanced 3.4 percent on-year to reach 60.4 trillion won, according to data compiled by the Korea Exchange.

Consolidated financial statements reflect all assets, liabilities and operating accounts of a parent company and its subsidiaries. The firms close their books on Dec. 31.

Their combined net profit dropped to 61.7 trillion won last year from 64.6 trillion won a year earlier, while the combined operating income gained 4.85 percent to reach 100 trillion won over the cited period, the bourse operator said.

The rate of operating income to sales, a key gauge of corporate profitability, rose to 5.57 percent last year, compared with 5.41 percent tallied a year earlier, according to the data.

By Bae Hyun-jung and news reports
(tellme@heraldcorp.com)