South Korean entertainment stocks climbed after HYBE disclosed plans for a large-scale global tour by K-pop group BTS, with brokerages raising price targets and forecasting a rebound in the company’s earnings.
HYBE shares closed up about 2% on Jan. 15, local time, according to exchange data released Jan. 16, while other major entertainment companies—including YG Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and SM Entertainment—also finished higher, reflecting improving investor sentiment across the sector.
The rally followed HYBE’s announcement that BTS will begin a world tour in April. The group is set to open with three concerts in Goyang, near Seoul, before embarking on a global schedule covering 34 cities and 79 performances, the largest tour ever mounted by a K-pop act. Analysts estimate total attendance could reach approximately 4.7 million, with the number of shows potentially expanding to as many as 90 if additional dates in Japan and the Middle East are added.
Despite the upbeat outlook, HYBE’s near-term financial performance remains under pressure. Market expectations point to a weak fourth quarter in 2025, weighed down by restructuring costs at HYBE America and debut-related expenses for newly launched artists.
Park Soo-young, an analyst at Hanwha Investment & Securities, estimates HYBE’s fourth-quarter operating profit at about $3.5 million, well below consensus forecasts, citing one-time expenses that likely extended from the previous quarter.
Still, analysts say the full-group return of BTS marks a turning point for the company’s earnings trajectory.
Lee Hwan-wook of Yuanta Securities raised HYBE’s target price by roughly 27% to about $310 per share, saying the release of BTS’s fifth full-length album in March and the launch of the world tour would gradually lift the stock’s valuation floor. He expects tour-related revenue to begin contributing meaningfully from the second quarter and continue for more than a year.
Park Sung-ho of LS Securities echoed the bullish outlook, raising his target price to around $320 and maintaining a “top pick” rating. He said HYBE now has the strongest earnings momentum among Korea’s major entertainment companies, supported by a broader recovery in sector sentiment.
Optimism is also being fueled by the return of girl group Blackpink, which has confirmed a full-group comeback on Feb. 27, local time. Investors are increasingly betting that easing tensions between South Korea and China could lead to a resumption of concerts in mainland China, a long-closed but lucrative market for K-pop acts.
Lee Hwa-jung of NH Investment & Securities said 2026 could mark a structural re-rating of the entertainment industry. “The return of BTS and other top-tier acts is not just a short-term earnings catalyst,” she said, “but a signal of longer intellectual-property lifecycles and expanding economies of scale.”
