Kia vs Target: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Kia reported ~$81B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$5.4B of net income. Target reported $104.8B of revenue in FY2025 and $3.7B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Kia
Kia's revenue has risen every year since 2020: from ~$49.6 billion (KRW 69.9 trillion) in 2021 to ~$76.3 billion (KRW 107.4 trillion) in 2024 and a record ~$81 billion (KRW 114.1 trillion) in 2025 (+6.2%). Profit has not kept up. Operating profit fell 28.3% in 2025 to ~$6.45 billion (KRW 9.08 trillion), and the margin dropped from 11.8% to 8.0% as US tariffs and incentives ate into earnings. Net profit was about $5.36 billion (KRW 7.55 trillion). The squeeze continued into 2026. Q1 revenue was a record ~$20.9 billion (KRW 29.50 trillion) (+5.3%), but operating profit fell 26.7% to ~$1.57 billion (KRW 2.21 trillion). Q2 revenue reached ~$23.5 billion (KRW 33.04 trillion) (+12.6%) while operating profit fell 4.9% to ~$1.87 billion (KRW 2.63 trillion). The shares dropped about 13% on the day of the Q2 results. Shareholder returns are still high: the 2025 dividend was KRW 6,800 per share, a 35% consolidated payout ratio, and Kia has been cancelling treasury shares, cutting issued shares from 405.4 million in 2022 to 390.4 million at the end of 2025.
Target
Target's revenue fell three years in a row, from $109.1 billion in fiscal 2022 to $104.8 billion in fiscal 2025, while FY2025 net income was $3.705 billion. Fiscal 2026 has reversed the trend so far. Q2 FY2026 net sales rose 5.3% to $26.5 billion, comparable sales grew 3.8% on a 3.6% traffic gain, and digital comparable sales rose 8.7% with same-day delivery up more than 25%. Q2 GAAP EPS was $4.11 versus $2.05 a year earlier, but $1.65 of that came from $994 million of pretax tariff refunds; excluding refunds, EPS grew about 20%. Management now guides to roughly 5% net sales growth for fiscal 2026 and EPS of $9.90 to $10.90.
Revenue and profit by year
Kia
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$81B | ~$5.4B | 6.6% | +6.2% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$76.3B | ~$6.9B | 9.1% | +7.7% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$70.9B | ~$6.2B | 8.8% | +15.3% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$61.5B | ~$3.8B | 6.2% | +23.9% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$49.6B | ~$3.4B | 6.8% | — | Source |
Target
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $104.8B | $3.7B | 3.5% | -1.7% | Source |
| FY2024 | $106.6B | $4.1B | 3.8% | -0.8% | Source |
| FY2023 | $107.4B | $4.1B | 3.9% | -1.6% | Source |
| FY2022 | $109.1B | $2.8B | 2.5% | +2.9% | Source |
| FY2021 | $106B | $6.9B | 6.6% | +13.3% | Source |
| FY2020 | $93.6B | $4.4B | 4.7% | +19.8% | Source |
| FY2019 | $78.1B | $3.3B | 4.2% | +3.7% | Source |
| FY2018 | $75.4B | $2.9B | 3.9% | +3.6% | Source |
| FY2017 | $72.7B | $2.9B | 4.0% | +3.5% | Source |
| FY2016 | $70.3B | $2.7B | 3.9% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Kia
- Global Vehicle Sales
primary revenue source
Kia generates most revenue from selling SUVs, passenger cars, hybrids, EVs, and commercial vehicles through regional subsidiaries, importers, dealers, and fleet channels.
- Parts, Service, and Accessories
recurring support revenue
Genuine parts, aftersales service, accessories, and warranty-related activity provide higher-repeat revenue tied to Kia's installed vehicle base.
- Future Mobility and PBVs
emerging growth area
Dedicated EVs, software-defined vehicles, purpose-built vehicles, and connected services support Kia's longer-term mobility strategy.
Target
- Stores and digital merchandise
Primary revenue source
Sales of food, essentials, apparel, beauty, home, electronics, toys and seasonal products through stores and digital channels.
- Owned brands
Strategic margin driver
Target-owned and exclusive brands that support margin and differentiation.
- Same-day services and Shipt
Growth and retention stream
Delivery, pickup, Drive Up and Target Circle 360 services that deepen loyalty.
- Roundel retail media
High-margin supplemental stream
Advertising revenue from brands using Target's retail media network.
Business model and strategy
Kia
How it makes money
Kia makes money mainly by building and selling vehicles wholesale to its regional sales subsidiaries, importers and franchised dealers, which then sell to retail and fleet buyers. SUVs and RVs such as the Sportage, Sorento, Seltos, Carnival and Telluride make up most of the mix and earn more per unit than small sedans.
Growth strategy
Kia's current strategy, set out at the 2026 CEO Investor Day, uses several powertrains instead of only EVs. It plans to grow EVs (EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, EV9 and later models) and hybrids together, add a PBV line of modular electric vans starting with the PV5, and build up software-defined vehicles, autonomous driving and robotics as longer-term businesses.
Competitive advantage
Kia's main advantages are its scale inside Hyundai Motor Group and the way it can switch powertrains easily. Sharing platforms, the E-GMP 800V EV architecture, batteries, chips and logistics (Hyundai Glovis) with Hyundai lowers development and purchasing costs. Factories in Korea, the US (Georgia), Mexico, Slovakia and India let Kia shift production between combustion, hybrid and electric models.
Target
How it makes money
Target runs a general-merchandise, big-box retail model that pairs low-margin essentials (groceries, household basics) to drive store traffic with higher-margin discretionary categories (apparel, home decor, and private-label brands) to drive profit -- the classic 'basket size' strategy.
Growth strategy
Target is focusing on merchandising authority, guest experience, technology acceleration, team and community strength, stores-as-hubs, same-day fulfillment, retail media and owned-brand renewal.
Competitive advantage
Target's advantage is the mix of curated merchandise, owned brands, convenient stores, same-day fulfillment and a brand position between discount utility and design-led retail.
Questions about Kia vs Target
Which company has higher revenue — Kia Corporation or Target Corporation?
Kia Corporation reported ~$81B (FY2025), while Target Corporation reported $104.8B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Target Corporation is the larger business, with Kia Corporation reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Kia Corporation vs Target Corporation?
Kia Corporation's market capitalisation stands at $32.4B, while Target Corporation's is $72.0B. Target Corporation carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Kia Corporation.
Which is more financially efficient — Kia Corporation or Target Corporation?
Kia Corporation generates $1.52M / employee in revenue per employee, while Target Corporation generates $252k / employee. Kia Corporation shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Kia Corporation and Target Corporation make money?
Kia Corporation and Target Corporation generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Kia Corporation: Kia makes money mainly by building and selling vehicles wholesale to its regional sales subsidiaries, importers and franchised dealers, which then sell to retail and fleet buyers. Target Corporation: Target runs a general-merchandise, big-box retail model that pairs low-margin essentials (groceries, household basics) to drive store traffic with higher-margin discretionary categories (apparel, home decor, and private-label brands) to drive profit -- the classic 'basket size' strategy.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Kia Corporation or Target Corporation?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Kia Corporation trades at 0.4x P/S and Target Corporation at 0.7x P/S. Target Corporation commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Kia Corporation. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Kia Corporation bigger than Target Corporation?
By last reported revenue, Target Corporation ($104.8B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Kia Corporation (~$81B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Kia vs Target overview