Hybe shares rise 10% on quarterly revenue forecasts — CNBC
In South Korea, shares of Hybe, the company behind K-pop group BTS, rose 10% on Friday. Investors responded positively to forecasts for third-quarter financial results, supported by the company artists’ global concert tours, CNBC reports.
According to estimates by brokerage firm iM Securities, Hybe’s third-quarter revenue could reach 1.5 trillion won, or $1.11 billion. This is 106% more than a year earlier. Operating profit is forecast at 172.2 billion won, while concert revenue is expected to reach 717 billion won, nearly three times the previous year’s figure.
BTS tour and nearly 3 million attendees
In the third quarter, BTS’s world tour included 16 stadium concerts in North America and eight in Europe. Together with the expansion of tours by other Hybe artists, including Enhypen, Katseye and Cortis, this could have generated nearly 3 million concert attendances during the quarter — a potential record for the company.
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More than 70% of all Hybe concert attendees were in Western markets for the first time. Analysts link this to the stronger presence of the company’s newer artists in North America and Europe. Despite currency factors, revenue from concerts, merchandise and licensing could reach record levels, according to forecasts.
New groups expected to reduce dependence on BTS
iM Securities believes that the profitability of Katseye and Cortis in Western markets will be important in reducing Hybe’s dependence on BTS. Kyobo Securities forecasts the company’s third-quarter concert revenue at 724.4 billion won and notes that the growth of younger artists is becoming increasingly visible alongside BTS’s tour.
According to Kyobo Securities, Cortis sells an average of about 600,000 albums per month, while Katseye is expanding its international presence through streaming figures and album sales. At the same time, iM Securities allows for an upward revision of Hybe’s 2027 earnings forecasts if demand for additional BTS concerts in Japan and the Middle East proves higher than expected.
