[Click e-Stock] "Netmarble, Strong New Release Momentum Expected in Second Half"

IBK Investment & Securities Issues 'Buy' Rating and 150,000 KRW Target Price... Closing Price on 29th at 130,500 KRW

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] An analysis has emerged that Netmarble is preparing a strong new game momentum for the second half of the year.

According to IBK Investment & Securities on the 30th, Netmarble's second-quarter earnings are estimated at 612.8 billion KRW in sales and 71 billion KRW in operating profit. These figures represent increases of 16.5% and 113.8%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

The strong performance in the second quarter is attributed to the reflected sales of 'A3: Still Alive,' which was released in March. Additionally, the global launch of 'The Seven Deadly Sins' is analyzed to have contributed to overall growth. Lee Seunghoon, a researcher at IBK Investment & Securities, explained, "In the second quarter, new titles 'Stone Age World' and 'Magumagu 2020' were released, but marketing expenses appear to have decreased compared to the previous quarter through efficient promotions."

Even stronger new game momentum is expected in the second half of the year. 'BTS Universe Story' is scheduled to be released in the third quarter, and 'A3: Still Alive' will be launched overseas. Since 'BTS Universe Story' is developed by the subsidiary Netmarble Monster, it is expected to perform well based on improved gameplay.

In the fourth quarter, major new titles based on well-known intellectual properties (IP) are expected to be released, including the collectible RPG 'Seven Knights 2,' the MMORPG based on Studio Ghibli animation 'The Second Country,' and Kabam's 'Marvel Realm of Champions.'

IBK Investment & Securities has given Netmarble a 'Buy' investment rating with a target price of 150,000 KRW, up from the previous 130,000 KRW. The closing price on the 29th was 130,500 KRW. The researcher stated, "As the success probability of recent new games is increasing and multiple major new games are scheduled for release in the second half, the possibility of earnings improvement is high. Additionally, with the rising value of shares in companies like NCSoft and Big Hit Entertainment and expectations for the issuance of Chinese game licenses, a high valuation is expected to be maintained."

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