South Korean asset management firms' property edged up 2.1 percent in the third quarter of last year from six months earlier on a rise in securities, the financial watchdog said Wednesday.

The total property of 86 asset managers stood at 3.7 trillion won ($3.37 billion) as of September last year, compared with 3.65 trillion won six months earlier, according to the Financial Supervisory Service.

Their holdings of securities, including stocks and bonds, were worth 1.6 trillion won, up 7.1 percent, while the amount of cash and cash deposits slipped 1.2 percent to 1.8 trillion won from 1.83 trillion won.

The six largest companies with more than 100 billion won in property accounted for 51 percent of the total estate in the business.

Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. was the richest asset management company with 1.1 trillion won, followed by Samsung Investment Trust Management Co. with 218 billion won and KB Asset Management with 177.2 billion won. (Yonhap)