Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<div class="content-highlight">
<p>In this insight, we provide 8 examples of how metaverse is revolutionizing numerous businesses in Korea. We also provide a list of Korean companies that are actively trying to expand their metaverse businesses. Because metaverse is in the initial stages of growth for many of these businesses, their contributions to their companies' sales and profits may not be meaningful right now. However, they are experiencing a significant popularity. Metaverse is certainly one of the key industry trends that is likely to have a multi-years impact on the companies mentioned in this insight.</p>
<p>The term "metaverse" was first coined by the writer Neal Stephenson in his 1992 science fiction novel <a href="https://digiday.com/marketing/wtf-is-the-metaverse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Snow Crash </em></a>where metaverse refers to a popular virtual world where the main characters are equipped with augmented technologies. </p>
<p>Metaverse refers to a computerized domain where the users can share their virtual encounters. Still in the beginning phases of advancement, metaverse has become more important in key industries industries including technology, media, and telecom. In addition, metaverse is also impacting other major industries such as retail, gaming, and fashion. </p>
<p>Metaverse will empower its users to be more engaged in online shopping, web-based media, entertainment, and share virtual encounters. Metaverse is often considered as a "coming together" of numerous technologies including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), 5G, smartphones, and distributed computing. Up until recently, the gaming industry has been driving the demand for metaverse. However, greater improvements in technologies have allowed metaverse to flourish in other industries as well. </p>
<p>South Korea is one of the key countries driving the metaverse industry globally. This is one of the leaders in this area and there will be numerous, interesting opportunities involving metaverse in Korea. </p>
</div>


In this insight, we provide 8 examples of how metaverse is revolutionizing numerous businesses in Korea. We also provide a list of Korean companies that are actively trying to expand their metaverse businesses. Because metaverse is in the initial stages of growth for many of these businesses, their contributions to their companies' sales and profits may not be meaningful right now. However, they are experiencing a significant popularity. Metaverse is certainly one of the key industry trends that is likely to have a multi-years impact on the companies mentioned in this insight.
The term "metaverse" was first coined by the writer Neal Stephenson in his 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash where metaverse refers to a popular virtual world where the main characters are equipped with augmented technologies. 
Metaverse refers to a computerized domain where the users can share their virtual encounters. Still in the beginning phases of advancement, metaverse has become more important in key industries industries including technology, media, and telecom. In addition, metaverse is also impacting other major industries such as retail, gaming, and fashion. 
Metaverse will empower its users to be more engaged in online shopping, web-based media, entertainment, and share virtual encounters. Metaverse is often considered as a "coming together" of numerous technologies including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), 5G, smartphones, and distributed computing. Up until recently, the gaming industry has been driving the demand for metaverse. However, greater improvements in technologies have allowed metaverse to flourish in other industries as well. 
South Korea is one of the key countries driving the metaverse industry globally. This is one of the leaders in this area and there will be numerous, interesting opportunities involving metaverse in Korea. 


How Is Metaverse Revolutionizing Businesses in Korea? Virtual Humans Rozy & Lucy Are Just a Start

Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing, Clepsydra Capital

Sanghyun Park

Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing

Clepsydra Capital

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

Equity Capital Markets

<h2>Offering terms</h2><p>Dear U, a fan messenger company invested by SM Entertainment and JPY Entertainment, will be listed on the KOSDAQ market in November. The total offering is 3.3 million, representing 17.92% of the current number of shares. The institutional allotment is 60% of the offering.</p><table class="table table-striped">
<colgroup>
<col width="100">
<col width="100">
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr><td colspan="2" rowspan="1" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Offering size"}'>Offering size</td></tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Ticker"}'>Ticker</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"DEAR U Co.,Ltd."}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"[$₩-412]#,##0","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-3]">DEAR U Co., Ltd.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Bourse"}'>Bourse</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"KOSPI"}'>KOSPI</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Pre-IPO SO"}'>Pre-IPO SO</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":18412769}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=R[1]C[-3]">18,412,769</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Offering"}'><strong>Offering</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":3300000}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=R[3]C[-3]"><strong>3,300,000</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"- % of SO"}'><strong>- % of SO</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":0.1792234508563052}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=Terms!R[5]C[-3]"><strong>17.92%</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"- Institutional allotment"}'>- Institutional allotment</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":0.6}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":3,"2":"0%","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=Terms!R[5]C[-3]">60%</td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan="2" rowspan="1" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Source: DART"}'>Source: DART</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table><p>It is a 100% primary offering, so the capital increase rate is 17.92%, and the share dilution is 15.20%.</p><table class="table table-striped">
<colgroup>
<col width="100">
<col width="100">
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Split"}'>Split</td></tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Primary %"}'><strong>Primary %</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":1}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=Terms!R[3]C[-3]"><strong>100.00%</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Post-IPO shares outstanding"}'>Post-IPO shares outstanding</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":21712769}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-9]C[0]+Terms!R[2]C[-3]">21,712,769</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Capital increase rate"}'><strong>Capital increase rate</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":0.1792234508563052}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=Terms!R[4]C[-3]"><strong>17.92%</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Dilution"}'>Dilution</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":0.15198430011390993}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=Terms!R[4]C[-3]">15.20%</td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Source: DART"}'>Source: DART</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table><p>The indicative price band is ₩18,000~₩24,000. So, based on this band, the IPO valuation is between ₩390B and ₩520B. The company plans to raise ₩79.2B based on the upper end of the price band.</p><table class="table table-striped">
<colgroup>
<col width="100">
<col width="100">
<col width="100">
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Pricing"}'>Pricing</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Low"}'>Low</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"High"}'>High</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Price"}'><strong>Price</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":18000}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"[$₩-412]#,##0","3":1}'><strong>₩18,000</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":24000}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"[$₩-412]#,##0","3":1}'><strong>₩24,000</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Base deal size"}'><strong>Base deal size</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":59.4}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"₩#,##0.0B"}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-1]C[0]*Terms!R8C2/1000000000"><strong>₩59.4B</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":79.2}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"₩#,##0.0B"}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-1]C[0]*Terms!R8C2/1000000000"><strong>₩79.2B</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":" - Institutional allotment"}'>- Institutional allotment</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":35.64}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"₩#,##0.0B"}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-1]C[0]*Terms!R7C5">₩35.6B</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":47.52}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"₩#,##0.0B"}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-1]C[0]*Terms!R7C5">₩47.5B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Implied market cap"}'><strong>Implied market cap</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":390.829842}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"₩#,##0.0B"}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-3]C[0]*Terms!R13C5/1000000000"><strong>₩390.8B</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":521.106456}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"₩#,##0.0B"}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-3]C[0]*Terms!R13C5/1000000000"><strong>₩521.1B</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":" - Discount"}'>- Discount</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":0.3414312893311869}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=(27332-R[-4]C[0])/27332">34.14%</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":0.12190838577491585}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=(27332-R[-4]C[0])/27332">12.19%</td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan="3" rowspan="1" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Source: DART"}'>Source: DART</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table><p>The company selected four valuation peers: JYP Entertainment, Cube Entertainment, Kakao, and YG Plus.</p><p>They came up with an IPO valuation of ₩600B by multiplying a 1H21-based annualized net profit of ₩11.24B by the average PER of the four valuation peers (53.46x). The price per share arrived at ₩27,332, and they applied a discount rate of 12.19~34.14% to derive the price band.</p><table class="table table-striped">
<colgroup>
<col width="100">
<col width="100">
<col width="100">
<col width="100">
<col width="100">
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"PER valuation"}'>PER valuation</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"JYP Entertainment Corp"}' data-sheets-formula='=googlefinance(R[1]C[0], "name")'>JYP Entertainment Corp</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Cube Entertainment Inc"}' data-sheets-formula='=googlefinance(R[1]C[0], "name")'>Cube Entertainment Inc</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Kakao Corp"}' data-sheets-formula='=googlefinance(R[1]C[0], "name")'>Kakao Corp</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"YG Plus Inc"}' data-sheets-formula='=googlefinance(R[1]C[0], "name")'>YG Plus Inc</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Ticker"}'>Ticker</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"035900"}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0","3":1}' data-sheets-formula='="035900"'>035900</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"182360"}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0","3":1}' data-sheets-formula='="182360"'>182360</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"035720"}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0","3":1}' data-sheets-formula='="035720"'>035720</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"037270"}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0","3":1}' data-sheets-formula='="037270"'>037270</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Annualized net profit based on 1H21"}'>Annualized net profit based on 1H21</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":33.736403}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"₩#,##0.00B","3":1}'>₩33.74B</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":3.145899}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"₩#,##0.00B","3":1}'>₩3.15B</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":1072.392165}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"₩#,##0.00B","3":1}'>₩1,072.39B</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":7.080872}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"₩#,##0.00B","3":1}'>₩7.08B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Shares outstanding"}'>Shares outstanding</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":35497492}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0","3":1}'>35,497,492</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":13804687}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0","3":1}'>13,804,687</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":444992180}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0","3":1}'>444,992,180</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":63429410}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0","3":1}'>63,429,410</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"EPS"}'>EPS</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":950.388354196967}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":4,"2":"[$₩]#,##0","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-2]C[0]*1000000000/R[-1]C[0]">₩950</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":227.88629687873402}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":4,"2":"[$₩]#,##0","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-2]C[0]*1000000000/R[-1]C[0]">₩228</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2409.9123831794077}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":4,"2":"[$₩]#,##0","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-2]C[0]*1000000000/R[-1]C[0]">₩2,410</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":111.63389348884058}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":4,"2":"[$₩]#,##0","3":1}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-2]C[0]*1000000000/R[-1]C[0]">₩112</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Reference share price"}'>Reference share price</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":40050}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":4,"2":"[$₩]#,##0","3":1}'>₩40,050</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":13116}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":4,"2":"[$₩]#,##0","3":1}'>₩13,116</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":122500}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":4,"2":"[$₩]#,##0","3":1}'>₩122,500</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":7070}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":4,"2":"[$₩]#,##0","3":1}'>₩7,070</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"PER"}'><strong>PER</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":42.140667889223394}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00x"}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-1]C[0]/R[-2]C[0]"><strong>42.14x</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":57.55501835627908}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00x"}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-1]C[0]/R[-2]C[0]"><strong>57.56x</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":50.831723532780565}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00x"}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-1]C[0]/R[-2]C[0]"><strong>50.83x</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":63.332020222933}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00x"}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-1]C[0]/R[-2]C[0]"><strong>63.33x</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Average PER"}'><strong>Average PER</strong></td>
<td colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="text-align: center;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":53.46485750030401}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00x"}' data-sheets-formula="=average(R[-1]C[0]:R[-1]C[3])"><strong>53.46x</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan="5" rowspan="1" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Source: DART"}'>Source: DART</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table><table class="table table-striped">
<colgroup>
<col width="100">
<col width="100">
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr><td colspan="2" rowspan="1" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"PER valuation"}'>PER valuation</td></tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Annualized net profit based on 1H21"}'><strong>Annualized net profit based on 1H21</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":11.244}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"₩#,##0.00B","3":1}'><strong>₩11.24B</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Shares outstanding"}'>Shares outstanding</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":21994260}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0","3":1}'>21,994,260</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"EPS"}'>EPS</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":511}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":4,"2":"[$₩]#,##0","3":1}'>₩511</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"PER"}'>PER</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":53.46485750030401}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":2,"2":"#,##0.00x"}' data-sheets-formula="=R[-7]C[0]">53.46x</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Price per share"}'><strong>Price per share</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":27332}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":4,"2":"[$₩]#,##0","3":1}'><strong>₩27,332</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan="2" rowspan="1" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Source: DART"}'>Source: DART</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table><p>The book opens on October 25, and the allotment will be unveiled on October 28. The subscription follows on November 1, followed by the payment on November 4. The listing date will be announced later.</p><table class="table table-striped">
<colgroup>
<col width="100">
<col width="100">
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr><td colspan="2" rowspan="1" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Schedule"}'>Schedule</td></tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Book open"}'><strong>Book open</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":44494}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":5,"2":"yyyy\". \"mm\". \"dd","3":1}'><strong>2021. 10. 25</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Book close"}'><strong>Book close</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":44495}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":5,"2":"yyyy\". \"mm\". \"dd","3":1}'><strong>2021. 10. 26</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Allotment"}'>Allotment</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":44497}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":5,"2":"yyyy\". \"mm\". \"dd","3":1}'>2021. 10. 28</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Subscription"}'>Subscription</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":44501}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":5,"2":"yyyy\". \"mm\". \"dd","3":1}'>2021. 11. 01</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Payment"}'><strong>Payment</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":44504}' data-sheets-numberformat='{"1":5,"2":"yyyy\". \"mm\". \"dd","3":1}'><strong>2021. 11. 04</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Listing"}'>Listing</td>
<td style="text-align: right;" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"TBA"}'>TBA</td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan="2" rowspan="1" data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Source: DART"}'>Source: DART</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Offering termsDear U, a fan messenger company invested by SM Entertainment and JPY Entertainment, will be listed on the KOSDAQ market in November. The total offering is 3.3 million, representing 17.92% of the current number of shares. The institutional allotment is 60% of the offering.





Offering size

Ticker
DEAR U Co., Ltd.


Bourse
KOSPI


Pre-IPO SO
18,412,769


Offering
3,300,000


- % of SO
17.92%


- Institutional allotment
60%

Source: DART

It is a 100% primary offering, so the capital increase rate is 17.92%, and the share dilution is 15.20%.





Split

Primary %
100.00%


Post-IPO shares outstanding
21,712,769


Capital increase rate
17.92%


Dilution
15.20%

Source: DART

The indicative price band is ₩18,000~₩24,000. So, based on this band, the IPO valuation is between ₩390B and ₩520B. The company plans to raise ₩79.2B based on the upper end of the price band.







Pricing
Low
High


Price
₩18,000
₩24,000


Base deal size
₩59.4B
₩79.2B


- Institutional allotment
₩35.6B
₩47.5B


Implied market cap
₩390.8B
₩521.1B


- Discount
34.14%
12.19%

Source: DART

The company selected four valuation peers: JYP Entertainment, Cube Entertainment, Kakao, and YG Plus.They came up with an IPO valuation of ₩600B by multiplying a 1H21-based annualized net profit of ₩11.24B by the average PER of the four valuation peers (53.46x). The price per share arrived at ₩27,332, and they applied a discount rate of 12.19~34.14% to derive the price band.









PER valuation
JYP Entertainment Corp
Cube Entertainment Inc
Kakao Corp
YG Plus Inc


Ticker
035900
182360
035720
037270


Annualized net profit based on 1H21
₩33.74B
₩3.15B
₩1,072.39B
₩7.08B


Shares outstanding
35,497,492
13,804,687
444,992,180
63,429,410


EPS
₩950
₩228
₩2,410
₩112


Reference share price
₩40,050
₩13,116
₩122,500
₩7,070


PER
42.14x
57.56x
50.83x
63.33x


Average PER
53.46x

Source: DART







PER valuation

Annualized net profit based on 1H21
₩11.24B


Shares outstanding
21,994,260


EPS
₩511


PER
53.46x


Price per share
₩27,332

Source: DART

The book opens on October 25, and the allotment will be unveiled on October 28. The subscription follows on November 1, followed by the payment on November 4. The listing date will be announced later.





Schedule

Book open
2021. 10. 25


Book close
2021. 10. 26


Allotment
2021. 10. 28


Subscription
2021. 11. 01


Payment
2021. 11. 04


Listing
TBA

Source: DART



Dear U Offering Terms, Feat. Put-Back Options at 90% of the Offering Price

<div class="content-highlight"><p>Our base case valuation of DearU is implied market cap of 746 billion won or 33,907 won per share, which is 41% higher than the high end of the IPO price range of 24,000 won. Given the solid upside, we have a POSITIVE view of the DearU IPO and we would subscribe to the deal.</p></div><p>Our base case valuation is based on a P/E of 33.9x our estimated profit of 22 billion won in 2022. The valuation multiple of 33.9x is based on a 10% premium to the average P/E valuation multiple of the peers in 2022. We have used a 10% premium mainly due to the much higher sales growth rate of the company as well as higher operating margin of DearU as compared to its peers, despite its lower sales and earnings base. </p><p>We estimate DearU to generate sales of 40.5 billion won in 2021, up 210.7% YoY and 67.7 billion won in sales in 2022, up 67% YoY. We also estimate the company to generate an operating profit of 13.4 billion won in 2021 and 22 billion won in 2022. This represents an operating margin of 33.1% in 2021 and 32.5% in 2022.</p>

Our base case valuation of DearU is implied market cap of 746 billion won or 33,907 won per share, which is 41% higher than the high end of the IPO price range of 24,000 won. Given the solid upside, we have a POSITIVE view of the DearU IPO and we would subscribe to the deal.Our base case valuation is based on a P/E of 33.9x our estimated profit of 22 billion won in 2022. The valuation multiple of 33.9x is based on a 10% premium to the average P/E valuation multiple of the peers in 2022. We have used a 10% premium mainly due to the much higher sales growth rate of the company as well as higher operating margin of DearU as compared to its peers, despite its lower sales and earnings base. We estimate DearU to generate sales of 40.5 billion won in 2021, up 210.7% YoY and 67.7 billion won in sales in 2022, up 67% YoY. We also estimate the company to generate an operating profit of 13.4 billion won in 2021 and 22 billion won in 2022. This represents an operating margin of 33.1% in 2021 and 32.5% in 2022.

<p>DearU is another very interesting small cap IPO in Korea. DearU has enjoyed phenomenal sales growth rate and this company has figured out a way to monetize the huge popularity of K-Pop around the world. </p><p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/dearu-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:34381:1" rel="noopener">DearU (376300 KS)</a> is getting ready to complete its IPO in Korea in the next several weeks. The IPO price of DearU is from 18,000 won to 24,000 won. The IPO base deal size is from $51 million to $68 million. According to the bankers' valuation, the expected market cap of the IPO is from 396 billion won to 528 billion won. The book building for the institutional investors starts on 25 October 2021. </p><p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/dearu-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:34381:1" rel="noopener">DearU (376300 KS) </a>is a global fan messenger platform. The company's core platform is called DearU bubble which is a global fan messenger platform that has enhanced the communications among stars/artists and their fans. The company plans to capitalize on its strong global user base and IPO proceeds to expand into the metaverse platform, increase brand awareness, expand abroad, and include more top artists in the platform. </p><p><strong>Shareholding structure</strong> - The controlling shareholder of DearU is <a href="http://dart.fss.or.kr/dsaf001/main.do?rcpNo=20210817001014" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SM Studios</a> which own a 40.2% stake in the company. SM Studios is a subsidiary of SM Entertainment, the label which includes some of the top K-pop artists including Red Velvet, EXO, NCT, Girls Generation, TVXQ, and Super Junior. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/s-m-entertainment-co" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3500:1" rel="noopener">S.M.Entertainment Co (041510 KS)</a> owns a 100% stake in SM Studios.</p>

DearU is another very interesting small cap IPO in Korea. DearU has enjoyed phenomenal sales growth rate and this company has figured out a way to monetize the huge popularity of K-Pop around the world. DearU (376300 KS) is getting ready to complete its IPO in Korea in the next several weeks. The IPO price of DearU is from 18,000 won to 24,000 won. The IPO base deal size is from $51 million to $68 million. According to the bankers' valuation, the expected market cap of the IPO is from 396 billion won to 528 billion won. The book building for the institutional investors starts on 25 October 2021. DearU (376300 KS) is a global fan messenger platform. The company's core platform is called DearU bubble which is a global fan messenger platform that has enhanced the communications among stars/artists and their fans. The company plans to capitalize on its strong global user base and IPO proceeds to expand into the metaverse platform, increase brand awareness, expand abroad, and include more top artists in the platform. Shareholding structure - The controlling shareholder of DearU is SM Studios which own a 40.2% stake in the company. SM Studios is a subsidiary of SM Entertainment, the label which includes some of the top K-pop artists including Red Velvet, EXO, NCT, Girls Generation, TVXQ, and Super Junior. S.M.Entertainment Co (041510 KS) owns a 100% stake in SM Studios.

Cross Asset Strategy

<blockquote><p><a href="https://twitter.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1432647669864878083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1432647669864878083%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pcgamer.com%2Fsouth-korea-passes-law-with-major-implications-for-apple-vs-epic%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Korea</a> is first in open platforms! Korea has rejected digital commerce monopolies and recognized open platforms as a right. This marks a major milestone in the 45-year history of personal computing. It began in Cupertino, but the forefront today is in Seoul. (Tim Sweeney - Founder of Epic Games)</p></blockquote><p>In a landmark case (an amendment of the Telecommunications Business Act), the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-apple-hit-in-south-korea-by-worlds-first-law-ending-their-dominance-over-app-store-payments-11630403335" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Korean government</a> announced on 31 August that Google and Apple will need to open their app stores to alternative payment systems in South Korea. This change in regulation is likely to negatively impact Google and Apple's lucrative commissions on digital sales.</p><p>A new bill was passed by the Korean National Assembly on 31 August which will significantly reduce Google and Apple's dominance of digital sales on their app platforms. The final step is for President Moon to sign this bill but it is almost a near certainty that he will sign this bill. The following are the major companies/sectors that could benefit from the change in law:</p><ul>
<li><strong><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/naver-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16029:1" rel="noopener">Naver Corp (035420 KS)</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakao-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15002:1" rel="noopener">Kakao Corp (035720 KS)</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Korean Telcos</strong></li>
<li><strong>Korean Game Companies</strong></li>
<li><strong>Korean Entertainment/Music/Movies/Drama Companies </strong></li>
</ul>

Korea is first in open platforms! Korea has rejected digital commerce monopolies and recognized open platforms as a right. This marks a major milestone in the 45-year history of personal computing. It began in Cupertino, but the forefront today is in Seoul. (Tim Sweeney - Founder of Epic Games)In a landmark case (an amendment of the Telecommunications Business Act), the Korean government announced on 31 August that Google and Apple will need to open their app stores to alternative payment systems in South Korea. This change in regulation is likely to negatively impact Google and Apple's lucrative commissions on digital sales.A new bill was passed by the Korean National Assembly on 31 August which will significantly reduce Google and Apple's dominance of digital sales on their app platforms. The final step is for President Moon to sign this bill but it is almost a near certainty that he will sign this bill. The following are the major companies/sectors that could benefit from the change in law:
Naver Corp (035420 KS)
Kakao Corp (035720 KS)
Korean Telcos
Korean Game Companies
Korean Entertainment/Music/Movies/Drama Companies 


Korean Government Forces Google & Apple To Open Their App Stores to Alternative Payments

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)

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