Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>In this insight, we discuss the major reasons why Coway Co Ltd (021240 KS) is a prime candidate for corporate activism in Korea.</li>
<li>Netmarble has done a poor job with Coway post its acquisition in 2019.</li>
<li>An action plan for Coway is to return at least half of its net profit through dividends and share buybacks/cancellations.</li>
</ul>


In this insight, we discuss the major reasons why Coway Co Ltd (021240 KS) is a prime candidate for corporate activism in Korea.
Netmarble has done a poor job with Coway post its acquisition in 2019.
An action plan for Coway is to return at least half of its net profit through dividends and share buybacks/cancellations.


Coway Is a Prime Candidate for Corporate Activism in Korea

<ul>
<li>In this insight, we discuss the five most aggressive corporate activist firms that have been moving the Korean equity market in the past year.</li>
<li>They include Align Partners Capital Management, KCGI, Flashlight Capital Partners, Truston, and LIFE Asset Management.</li>
<li>Share prices of 15 companies that the corporate activist firms have invested in Korea are up on average 9.7% YTD, outperforming KOSPI which is up 7.1% in the same period.</li>
</ul>


In this insight, we discuss the five most aggressive corporate activist firms that have been moving the Korean equity market in the past year.
They include Align Partners Capital Management, KCGI, Flashlight Capital Partners, Truston, and LIFE Asset Management.
Share prices of 15 companies that the corporate activist firms have invested in Korea are up on average 9.7% YTD, outperforming KOSPI which is up 7.1% in the same period.


Five Most Aggressive Corporate Activists Moving the Korean Market: Align, KCGI, FCP, Truston, & LIFE

<ul>
<li>On 20 January, SM Entertainment announced that Lee Chang-Hwan, the CEO of Align Partners Capital will join the company as a board member. </li>
<li>This will mark one of the first cases of an activist investor becoming a board member of a Korean company which already has a major shareholder.</li>
<li>We believe that Lee Chang-Hwan (CEO of APCM) joining SM Entertainment as a board member will have a positive impact on the company to meaningfully improve its corporate governance.</li>
</ul>


On 20 January, SM Entertainment announced that Lee Chang-Hwan, the CEO of Align Partners Capital will join the company as a board member. 
This will mark one of the first cases of an activist investor becoming a board member of a Korean company which already has a major shareholder.
We believe that Lee Chang-Hwan (CEO of APCM) joining SM Entertainment as a board member will have a positive impact on the company to meaningfully improve its corporate governance.


Align Partners' Lee Chang-Hwan Joins SM Entertainment as a Board Member

<ul>
<li>DearU's acquisition of NCSoft's Universe K-Pop fandom platform will expand DearU Bubble's number one position in the K-Pop fandom platform in Korea.</li>
<li>The sale of Universe by NCSoft is a win-win situation for both DearU and NCsoft.</li>
<li>Applying a 25x P/E to an estimated net profit of 50 billion won in 2024 would suggest an market cap of 1.25 trillion won for DearU, representing a 52% upside. </li>
</ul>


DearU's acquisition of NCSoft's Universe K-Pop fandom platform will expand DearU Bubble's number one position in the K-Pop fandom platform in Korea.
The sale of Universe by NCSoft is a win-win situation for both DearU and NCsoft.
Applying a 25x P/E to an estimated net profit of 50 billion won in 2024 would suggest an market cap of 1.25 trillion won for DearU, representing a 52% upside. 


DearU' Bubble + NCsoft's Universe = The Largest K-Pop Fandom Platform in Korea

<ul>
<li>On 11 January, it was announced that Kakao Entertainment (103260 KS) has attracted large scale investments from Saudi Arabia's Sovereign Fund (Public Investment Fund - PIF) and GIC (Singapore).</li>
<li>Maekyung Business Daily reported that PIF and GIC combined invested about 1.1 trillion won to 1.2 trillion won in Kakao Entertainment, valuing the company at about 10 trillion won.</li>
<li>This major investment in Kakao Entertainment by PIF and GIC should have a positive impact on Kakao Corp (035720 KS), the controlling shareholder of the company.</li>
</ul>


On 11 January, it was announced that Kakao Entertainment (103260 KS) has attracted large scale investments from Saudi Arabia's Sovereign Fund (Public Investment Fund - PIF) and GIC (Singapore).
Maekyung Business Daily reported that PIF and GIC combined invested about 1.1 trillion won to 1.2 trillion won in Kakao Entertainment, valuing the company at about 10 trillion won.
This major investment in Kakao Entertainment by PIF and GIC should have a positive impact on Kakao Corp (035720 KS), the controlling shareholder of the company.


PIF and GIC Combined Invest About 1.2 Trillion Won in Kakao Entertainment

South Korea

S.M.Entertainment Co. plans, produces, promotes, and markets Korean rock and roll music in several formats, such as compact discs (CD), concert tours, television productions, and music videos.  The Company also operates artist management business as well as licensing and copyright business from the company's music records.

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S.M.Entertainment Co (041510 KS)

Coway Is a Prime Candidate for Corporate Activism in Korea

In this insight, we discuss the major reasons why Coway Co Ltd (021240 KS) is a prime candidate for corporate activism in Korea.

Douglas Kim

Five Most Aggressive Corporate Activists Moving the Korean Market: Align, KCGI, FCP, Truston, & LIFE

In this insight, we discuss the five most aggressive corporate activist firms that have been moving the Korean equity market in the past year.

Douglas Kim

Align Partners' Lee Chang-Hwan Joins SM Entertainment as a Board Member

We believe that Lee Chang-Hwan (CEO of APCM) joining SM Entertainment as a board member will have a positive impact on the company to meaningfully...

Douglas Kim

DearU' Bubble + NCsoft's Universe = The Largest K-Pop Fandom Platform in Korea

DearU's acquisition of NCSoft's Universe K-Pop fandom platform will expand DearU Bubble's number one position in the K-Pop fandom platform in Korea.

Douglas Kim

PIF and GIC Combined Invest About 1.2 Trillion Won in Kakao Entertainment

Maekyung Business Daily reported on 11 January that PIF (Saudi Arabia) and GIC combined invested about 1.2 trillion won in Kakao Entertainment,...

Douglas Kim

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