"BTS Wasn't the Only Asset... The Group Sweeping Up Cash at HYBE"[Click eStock]

On September 10, LS Securities maintained its target price for HYBE at 300,000 won and its "Buy" investment opinion, stating that the company has secured two pillars for mid- to long-term growth: the rapid rise of its younger artists and the expanding profitability of its global fan platform, Weverse.

Park Sungho, a researcher at LS Securities, said in a report released on the same day, "While market interest in HYBE has mainly centered on BTS's activities, it is also important to focus on the rapid growth of newer intellectual properties (IP) and the platform business centered on Weverse." He added, "With numerous artists and a global fan platform, HYBE has tremendous potential to expand its business areas into content, character merchandise, and artificial intelligence (AI)."

Curtis, a rookie artist, is showing particularly remarkable growth. Park noted, "Curtis, whose previous album sold 3.3 million copies, has conducted a 14-stop tour across North America and Japan since July, recording the fastest rise in recognition among HYBE's younger artists." He added that the revenue base is expected to expand further thanks to Cats Eye's North American and European tour expansions and the upcoming debut of rookie group Tweed in the second half of the year.

The performance of the Weverse platform has also been positive. In the second quarter, Weverse reached 14.4 million monthly active users (MAUs), an increase of about 3.5 million compared to the same period last year. Park said, "The paid membership metrics are rising rapidly, so we expect a significant profit contribution this year. Going forward, it will be easier to expand AI-based features such as real-time translation and recommendation services, as well as the licensing business."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.