[Special Stock] Pearl Abyss Weakens on 2Q Earnings Concerns and Red Desert Release Delay Expectations

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Hwajeong] Pearl Abyss's stock price is showing a decline of over 6% amid concerns over weak second-quarter earnings this year and expectations that the release of its next title, 'Red Desert,' will be delayed.

As of 10:04 AM on the 21st, Pearl Abyss was trading at 79,100 KRW, down 5,300 KRW (6.28%) from the previous day.

Samsung Securities estimated that Pearl Abyss's operating profit for the second quarter would record 5.9 billion KRW, a 55% decrease compared to the previous quarter, falling 68% short of market expectations (consensus). Samsung Securities analyst Oh Donghwan said, "Despite increased sales of 'Black Desert' PC in North America and Europe after switching to self-publishing from the first quarter, sales of the existing Black Desert Mobile and console versions continued to decline," adding, "Due to the decrease in sales and approximately 10 billion KRW in employee stock compensation paid in the second quarter, the second-quarter earnings are expected to fall short of consensus."

There are also forecasts that the release of the highly anticipated next title, Red Desert, will be postponed. Analyst Oh explained, "Due to factors such as the increase in remote work, the release date of Red Desert is likely to be postponed from this year to next year," adding, "Since information about the game is still limited, there is high uncertainty regarding the scale and timing of its success."

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