[THE INVESTOR] YG Entertainment will benefit the most among its domestic peers from new media, said Mirae Asset Daewoo on Dec. 6 maintaining a “buy” recommendation and 60,000 won (US$53.76) target price. 

Black Pink is leading the momentum with strong boost in traffic on YouTube. The girl group has been cultivating a fan base online and currently has 15.3 million followers, three times larger from end-2018. It recorded 370 million viewings in November alone. In addition, they are uploading contents more frequently and their influence is growing, building up a systemic and sustainable rise in fans, said analyst Park Jeong-yeop.

Although the absence of Big Bang has lowered earnings expectations, there are many promising variables. Activities of third-generation artists including Winner, iKON and Black Pink are expanding fast and it will debut a new boy band, through its audition program YG Treasure Box, in the first half of next year, said the analyst. 

By Hwang You-mee (glamazon@heraldcorp.com)