"Naver and Kakao Do Not Betray... Trusted Stocks Even in Volatile Markets"

From May 16 to June 16, Kakao and Naver Ranked 2nd and 3rd in Individual Net Purchases on the KOSPI Market

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] Despite the KOSPI index fluctuating more than 100 points in a single day, Naver (NAVER) and Kakao are attracting attention from individual investors as 'trustworthy' stocks.

According to the Korea Exchange on the 17th, Naver was trading at 249,500 KRW as of 10 a.m. This marks a 2.25% increase compared to 244,000 KRW on the 10th. Kakao also rose 1.15% from 262,000 KRW to 266,000 KRW. This contrasts with the KOSPI index, which fell 2.13% from 2,195.69 to 2,148.85 during the same period. Notably, Kakao showed two consecutive days of gains even during a three-day losing streak starting on the 11th.

Naver and Kakao have now become stocks that individuals trust and buy. From the 16th of last month to the 16th of this month, Kakao and Naver ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively in net purchases by individual investors in the KOSPI market. Office worker Kim Youngmin (34) said, "Even in volatile markets, I have faith in Kakao and Naver, so I am gradually buying their stocks," adding, "I experienced during the recent downturn that Kakao and Naver do not betray investors."

Naver Plus Membership (Photo by Asia Economy DB)

Naver is building a market where finance, shopping, and content can be handled all at once. On the 1st, it launched a subscription-based paid service called 'Naver Plus Membership.' For 4,900 KRW per month, users can receive up to 5% rewards when paying with Naver Pay, and choose benefits such as 20 Naver Webtoon cookies or 100GB of Naver Cloud storage. Additionally, on the 8th, Naver introduced the 'Naver Account,' a comprehensive asset management account (CMA) offering an annual interest rate of 3% on deposits up to 1 million KRW. Jo Taena, a researcher at Heungkuk Securities, explained, "Naver aims for a 'lock-in' effect by binding users through Naver Plus Membership," adding, "As the number one e-commerce operator, significant synergy effects centered on shopping, payment, and finance are expected."

Kakao (Photo by Asia Economy DB)

Kakao is expected to reach 1 trillion KRW in sales this year, driven by the growth of Talk Biz. In the first quarter, the Talk Biz segment increased by 77.1% year-over-year, confirming it as Kakao's core growth engine. Kakao Pay is also reducing its deficit. In the first quarter alone, Kakao Pay's transaction volume reached 14.3 trillion KRW, a 39% increase compared to the same period last year.

Analysts say both stocks still have ample potential for price appreciation. Jung Hoyoon, a researcher at Korea Investment & Securities, stated, "For a long time, the basic formula for the stock price increase of these two companies has been recognition of value through the emergence and growth of new services, and that formula remains valid," adding, "It is necessary to pay attention to Naver's Naver Grace and Works Mobile, which connect online and offline, and Kakao's Kakao M, which produces video content based on webtoons, and Kakao Kids, which is growing into a comprehensive educational content platform."

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