Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Equity Capital Markets

<p>In this insight, we discuss our initial thoughts on the Krafton IPO. According to the bankers' valuation, the expected market cap of the company is expected to be from 23.7 trillion won to 28.8 trillion won (IPO price range of 458,000 won to 557,000 won).</p><div class="content-highlight"><p>Our base case valuation of Krafton is an implied market cap of 24.1 trillion won or 465,055 won per share. Our valuation sensitivity suggests a valuation range from 18.3 trillion won to 30.6 trillion won. Our base case valuation of 465,055 won is close to the low end of the IPO price range of 458,000 won to 557,000 won. <strong>Given the lack of upside, we would PASS on this IPO deal. </strong></p></div>

In this insight, we discuss our initial thoughts on the Krafton IPO. According to the bankers' valuation, the expected market cap of the company is expected to be from 23.7 trillion won to 28.8 trillion won (IPO price range of 458,000 won to 557,000 won).Our base case valuation of Krafton is an implied market cap of 24.1 trillion won or 465,055 won per share. Our valuation sensitivity suggests a valuation range from 18.3 trillion won to 30.6 trillion won. Our base case valuation of 465,055 won is close to the low end of the IPO price range of 458,000 won to 557,000 won. Given the lack of upside, we would PASS on this IPO deal. 

Initial Thoughts on the Krafton IPO Valuation

<p>Krafton announced its IPO price range of 458,000 won to 557,000 won. There will be 10 million shares offered in this IPO including 7 million new shares and 3 million old shares. At the high end of the IPO price range, the company would be raising 5.6 trillion won ($5 billion). This would be the biggest ever amount of money raised in Korea for an IPO since Samsung Life Insurance when it raised 4.8 trillion won in 2010. </p><p>According to the bankers' valuation, the expected market cap of the company is expected to be from 23.7 trillion won to 28.8 trillion won. The book building for the institutional investors starts on 28 June 2021.  </p><table class="table table-striped">
<colgroup>
<col>
<col>
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 208pt;">Deal Specifics of the Krafton IPO:</td>
<td style="width: 278pt;"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Lead underwriters of the IPO: </td>
<td style="width: 278pt;">Mirae Asset Daewoo Securities, Credit Suisse, NH Investment Securities, Citi Global Markets Securities, JP Morgan </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Expected IPO price per share: </td>
<td style="width: 278pt;">458,000 won (low)/557,000 won (high)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Number of Shares for IPO:</td>
<td style="width: 278pt;">10m shares (7m new shares; 3m old shares)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IPO base deal size: </td>
<td style="width: 278pt;">US$4.1 bn (low);  US$5.0 bn (high)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Expected common shares outstanding, fully diluted (post-IPO):  </td>
<td style="width: 278pt;">51.766 m shares</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Expected market cap after IPO:</td>
<td style="width: 278pt;">23.7 trillion won (low)/28.8 trillion won (high)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Book open: </td>
<td style="text-align: left; width: 278pt;">28-Jun-21</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Book closed:</td>
<td style="text-align: left; width: 278pt;">9-Jul-21</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Listing date: </td>
<td style="text-align: left; width: 278pt;">22-Jul-21</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Source: Company data</td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Krafton announced its IPO price range of 458,000 won to 557,000 won. There will be 10 million shares offered in this IPO including 7 million new shares and 3 million old shares. At the high end of the IPO price range, the company would be raising 5.6 trillion won ($5 billion). This would be the biggest ever amount of money raised in Korea for an IPO since Samsung Life Insurance when it raised 4.8 trillion won in 2010. According to the bankers' valuation, the expected market cap of the company is expected to be from 23.7 trillion won to 28.8 trillion won. The book building for the institutional investors starts on 28 June 2021.  






Deal Specifics of the Krafton IPO:
 


Lead underwriters of the IPO: 
Mirae Asset Daewoo Securities, Credit Suisse, NH Investment Securities, Citi Global Markets Securities, JP Morgan 


Expected IPO price per share: 
458,000 won (low)/557,000 won (high)


Number of Shares for IPO:
10m shares (7m new shares; 3m old shares)


IPO base deal size: 
US$4.1 bn (low);  US$5.0 bn (high)


Expected common shares outstanding, fully diluted (post-IPO):  
51.766 m shares


Expected market cap after IPO:
23.7 trillion won (low)/28.8 trillion won (high)


Book open: 
28-Jun-21


Book closed:
9-Jul-21


Listing date: 
22-Jul-21


Source: Company data
 




Korea / Special Situations, Clepsydra Capital

Sanghyun Park

Korea / Special Situations

Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing

Clepsydra Capital

Investigate special situations, pairs, and index rebalancing trades in Korea.

Event-Driven

<p>Kakao merges with Kakao Commerce again. Kakao Commerce was spun off from Kakao three years ago. Kakao internally notified its employees of the merger with Kakao Commerce yesterday. Both companies plan to hold a board meeting next week (likely June 22) to approve the merger. They are reportedly discussing a plan to merge in the third quarter at the earliest.</p><p>Kakao Commerce has been in charge of operating Kakao's shopping-related services, such as Kakao Talk Gift. However, Kakao Commerce recently boosted its operating operation by merging Kakao Makers, the next-generation ordering platform. Through this merger, Kakao plans to shift its main business from advertising to online commerce. In particular, this merger is intended to prevent a situation in which the local online commerce market leads to an oligopoly between Coupang and Naver.</p><hr><h2>Regulatory filing</h2><p>Kakao Corp said in a regulatory filing that nothing had been finalized yet. Therefore, it now has to provide a follow-up filing within a month or at the time of finalization. The local market generally considers this type of not-denying response in a regulatory filing an acknowledgment. So, it'd be safe to assume that this merger will proceed.</p><section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/213/011/original/Screen+Shot+2021-06-14+at+2.51.47+PM.png?1623696739" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="213011"></figure></section>

Kakao merges with Kakao Commerce again. Kakao Commerce was spun off from Kakao three years ago. Kakao internally notified its employees of the merger with Kakao Commerce yesterday. Both companies plan to hold a board meeting next week (likely June 22) to approve the merger. They are reportedly discussing a plan to merge in the third quarter at the earliest.Kakao Commerce has been in charge of operating Kakao's shopping-related services, such as Kakao Talk Gift. However, Kakao Commerce recently boosted its operating operation by merging Kakao Makers, the next-generation ordering platform. Through this merger, Kakao plans to shift its main business from advertising to online commerce. In particular, this merger is intended to prevent a situation in which the local online commerce market leads to an oligopoly between Coupang and Naver.Regulatory filingKakao Corp said in a regulatory filing that nothing had been finalized yet. Therefore, it now has to provide a follow-up filing within a month or at the time of finalization. The local market generally considers this type of not-denying response in a regulatory filing an acknowledgment. So, it'd be safe to assume that this merger will proceed.

Kakao's Timely Trick to Defend Its Inflated Share Price: Merger with Kakao Commerce

<p>Kakao Japan, a subsidiary of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakao-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15002:1" rel="noopener">Kakao Corp (035720 KS)</a>, appears to be accelerating its IPO process.</p><p>The local news outlet, Seoul Economic Daily, exclusively reports that Kakao Japan has sent a request for a proposal (RFP) to the local brokerages in Japan to recruit additional bankers for an IPO. So far, it has chosen Nomura as a lead underwriter.</p><p>An unnamed Kakao official said that Kakao Japan is seeking additional underwriters as it now anticipates a larger offering size amid the rapid growth of Piccoma (ピッコマ).</p><div class="content-highlight"><p><em>Piccoma (ピッコマ) is a Japanese manga subscription service that is available on smartphones, tablets, and personal computers developed and released by Kakao Japan.</em></p></div><p>But as for the timing of an IPO, this Kakao official didn't give any specific detail.</p><div class="content-highlight"><p><a href="https://signalm.sedaily.com/NewsView/22NHS3OKO9/GX1102" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Here is the link to the news report by Seoul Economic Daily</a></p></div>

Kakao Japan, a subsidiary of Kakao Corp (035720 KS), appears to be accelerating its IPO process.The local news outlet, Seoul Economic Daily, exclusively reports that Kakao Japan has sent a request for a proposal (RFP) to the local brokerages in Japan to recruit additional bankers for an IPO. So far, it has chosen Nomura as a lead underwriter.An unnamed Kakao official said that Kakao Japan is seeking additional underwriters as it now anticipates a larger offering size amid the rapid growth of Piccoma (ピッコマ).Piccoma (ピッコマ) is a Japanese manga subscription service that is available on smartphones, tablets, and personal computers developed and released by Kakao Japan.But as for the timing of an IPO, this Kakao official didn't give any specific detail.Here is the link to the news report by Seoul Economic Daily

Kakao Japan ¥1T IPO: Latest Update on Progress

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Index Rebalance

<p>The Korea Exchange (KRX) launched 5 indices last year following the New Deal initiative that the Government launched to digitalise social infrastructure and jumpstart the transition to green energy.</p><p>The KRX created 4 indices tracking the Secondary Battery, Biotech, Internet and Gaming sectors that are expected to benefit from the New Deal initiative plus an additional index (BBIG) that includes the top 3 stocks from each sector.</p><p>All indices have performed well since then. The KRX announced changes to the 5 indices late last week and the changes become effective post the close of trading on 25 February.</p><div><p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakao-games-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26730:1" rel="noopener">Kakao Games Corp (293490 KS)</a> replaces <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pearl-abyss-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24391:1" rel="noopener">Pearl Abyss (263750 KS)</a> in the BBIG Index.</p></div><div><p>In the Secondary Battery index, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/soulbrain-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16883:1" rel="noopener">Soulbrain (036830 KS)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/l-f-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14300:1" rel="noopener">L&amp;F Co Ltd (066970 KS)</a> replace <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/doosan-solus-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28947:1" rel="noopener">Doosan Solus Co Ltd (336370 KS)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/foosung-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16811:1" rel="noopener">Foosung Co Ltd (093370 KS)</a>.</p></div><div><p>In the Biotech index, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shinpoong-pharmaceutical-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7296:1" rel="noopener">Shinpoong Pharmaceutical (019170 KS)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/green-cross-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:2969:1" rel="noopener">Green Cross (006280 KS)</a> replace <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alteogen-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15886:1" rel="noopener">Alteogen Inc (196170 KS)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hanmi-pharm-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12476:1" rel="noopener">Hanmi Pharm (128940 KS)</a>.</p></div><div><p>In the Internet index, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ace-technologies-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7868:1" rel="noopener">Ace Technologies (088800 KS)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/rsupport-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14783:1" rel="noopener">Rsupport Co Ltd (131370 KS)</a> replace <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kg-inicis-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5234:1" rel="noopener">KG Inicis Co Ltd (035600 KS)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ubiquoss-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14341:1" rel="noopener">Ubiquoss Holding (078070 KS)</a>.</p></div><div><p>In the Gaming index, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakao-games-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26730:1" rel="noopener">Kakao Games Corp (293490 KS)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/neptune-company" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28826:1" rel="noopener">Neptune Company (217270 KS)</a> replace <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/neowiz-games-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12425:1" rel="noopener">Neowiz Games (095660 KS)</a> and Golfzon (215000 KS).</p></div>

The Korea Exchange (KRX) launched 5 indices last year following the New Deal initiative that the Government launched to digitalise social infrastructure and jumpstart the transition to green energy.The KRX created 4 indices tracking the Secondary Battery, Biotech, Internet and Gaming sectors that are expected to benefit from the New Deal initiative plus an additional index (BBIG) that includes the top 3 stocks from each sector.All indices have performed well since then. The KRX announced changes to the 5 indices late last week and the changes become effective post the close of trading on 25 February.Kakao Games Corp (293490 KS) replaces Pearl Abyss (263750 KS) in the BBIG Index.In the Secondary Battery index, Soulbrain (036830 KS) and L&amp;F Co Ltd (066970 KS) replace Doosan Solus Co Ltd (336370 KS) and Foosung Co Ltd (093370 KS).In the Biotech index, Shinpoong Pharmaceutical (019170 KS) and Green Cross (006280 KS) replace Alteogen Inc (196170 KS) and Hanmi Pharm (128940 KS).In the Internet index, Ace Technologies (088800 KS) and Rsupport Co Ltd (131370 KS) replace KG Inicis Co Ltd (035600 KS) and Ubiquoss Holding (078070 KS).In the Gaming index, Kakao Games Corp (293490 KS) and Neptune Company (217270 KS) replace Neowiz Games (095660 KS) and Golfzon (215000 KS).

KRX BBIG K-NewDeal Index Rebalance: First Set of Changes Announced

South Korea

Kakao Games Corp. operates as a multiply platform gaming company. The Company provides mobile games, computer games, virtual reality games, and other related products. Kakao Games markets its products worldwide.

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Kakao Games (293490 KS)

Initial Thoughts on the Krafton IPO Valuation

Our base case valuation of Krafton is an implied market cap of 24.1 trillion won or 465,055 won per share. Given the lack of upside relative to the...

Douglas Kim

Krafton IPO Preview

According to the bankers' valuation, the expected market cap of Krafton is expected to be from 23.7 trillion won to 28.8 trillion won.

Douglas Kim

Kakao Japan ¥1T IPO: Latest Update on Progress

This post provides an update on Kakao Japan's IPO progress, which reportedly aims at a target IPO valuation of 1 trillion yen.

Sanghyun Park

KRX BBIG K-NewDeal Index Rebalance: First Set of Changes Announced

The KRX has announced changes to the KRX New Deal indices that will be effective after the close of trading on 25 February. Pearl Abyss is...

Brian Freitas

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Initial Thoughts on the Krafton IPO Valuation

Our base case valuation of Krafton is an implied market cap of 24.1 trillion won or 465,055 won per share. Given the lack of upside relative to the...

Douglas Kim

Krafton IPO Preview

According to the bankers' valuation, the expected market cap of Krafton is expected to be from 23.7 trillion won to 28.8 trillion won.

Douglas Kim

Kakao's Timely Trick to Defend Its Inflated Share Price: Merger with Kakao Commerce

This post looks at Kakao's timely attempt to support its inflate share price by merging with Kakao Commerce to get an even higher valuation premium.

Sanghyun Park

Kakao Japan ¥1T IPO: Latest Update on Progress

This post provides an update on Kakao Japan's IPO progress, which reportedly aims at a target IPO valuation of 1 trillion yen.

Sanghyun Park

KRX BBIG K-NewDeal Index Rebalance: First Set of Changes Announced

The KRX has announced changes to the KRX New Deal indices that will be effective after the close of trading on 25 February. Pearl Abyss is...

Brian Freitas