[Click eStock] "Cube Entertainment, Trusting '(G)I-DLE' Who Set Record-Breaking Milestones"

'(G)I-DLE' Becomes Fourth Ever to Surpass 100,000 First-Week Sales
New Album Release in July... Online Paid Concert Also Scheduled
However, Limitations Remain Due to COVID-19 Affecting Performances

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] Cube Entertainment's new girl group '(G)I-DLE' has achieved record-breaking album sales. There is an analysis that once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, they will be able to hold concerts across the entire Asian region and increase their revenue.

According to Ebest Investment & Securities on the 23rd, Cube Entertainment's '(G)I-DLE' mini 3rd album, released in early April, recorded initial sales of 112,000 copies and cumulative sales of 150,000 copies. It ranks 12th in all-time initial sales for girl groups and is the fourth girl group to surpass 100,000 initial sales, following TWICE, BLACKPINK, and IZ*ONE. Hyunyong Kim, a researcher at Ebest Investment & Securities, stated, "Even considering the concentration of album sales after COVID-19, it is well known that achieving record-breaking results outside of the four major entertainment companies is remarkable," adding, "The time taken to surpass 100,000 initial sales (about 23 months since debut) is somewhat slower compared to IZ*ONE (8 months), but similar to TWICE and BLACKPINK (22 months each)."

'(G)I-DLE' is expected to release two albums, including a digital single, in the second half of the year. Additionally, they plan to hold a paid online concert on the 5th of next month. Given the growth in album sales and the members' nationalities being Korean, Chinese, and Thai, it is analyzed that once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, they will be able to perform across the entire Asian region.

However, male idol groups are showing relatively sluggish performance. The completion of BTOB members' military service and resumption of album activities are expected no earlier than the second half of next year. PENTAGON, which was expected to follow a similar path as '(G)I-DLE,' ranked 3rd in the 'Road to Kingdom' competition.

Ultimately, there is an analysis that without the lifting of offline concert restrictions following the end of COVID-19, there will be limitations. For this reason, Ebest Investment & Securities did not provide target stock prices or investment opinions. Researcher Kim said, "Until offline concerts resume, Cube Entertainment's performance and stock momentum are expected to be weak," and added, "There is a high possibility that '(G)I-DLE's next album will be released before the end of summer, so short-term momentum in July and August is worth anticipating."

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