logo
Pop Mart's 200% stock rally spurs rush to hike price targets

Pop Mart's 200% stock rally spurs rush to hike price targets

Business Times13-06-2025
WALL Street analysts are rushing to raise price targets on Pop Mart International Group following the success of its Labubu dolls.
At least five brokerages, including Deutsche Bank AG and Morgan Stanley, have lifted projections on the Hong Kong-listed stock this week. Citigroup hiked its price target by 90 per cent to a street high of HK$308 apiece, citing the growing influence of the company's intellectual properties globally.
Pop Mart shares rose as much as 3.5 per cent on Friday, putting them on track for a fresh record close.
The growing popularity of Pop Mart's toothy monster dolls is boosting sales prospects for the firm. THE MONSTERS blind-box series, with Labubu at its center, generated more than 3 billion yuan in sales for Pop Mart last year, accounting for almost one-fourth of the company's revenue.
Pop Mart is trading above the 12-month average analyst price target tracked by Bloomberg and the rally has pushed shares to overbought territory.
While valuations at 45 times forward earnings have topped that for peers like Sanrio and Walt Disney, some analysts are optimistic that shares can continue to rise after tripling so far this year.
The stock is the best performer on the MSCI China Index this year after making it among the biggest gainers on the gauge in 2024. BLOOMBERG
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Why Buldak ramen is an US$8 billion brand
Why Buldak ramen is an US$8 billion brand

Business Times

time18 hours ago

  • Business Times

Why Buldak ramen is an US$8 billion brand

When it comes to instant noodles, there's no Korean discount. Only a Korean premium. Samyang Foods, the manufacturer of Buldak ramen, has gained 93 per cent this year. Trading at 26 times forward earnings, it boasts an US$8.1 billion market cap, as much as bigger rivals Japan's Nissin Foods Holdings and Korea's Nongshim combined. This rally has also made chief executive Kim Jung Soo, who married into a conglomerate family and turned around the instant-noodle company after it declared bankruptcy in the late 1990s, a rare billionaire in her own right in the country's male-dominated business world. Not for the faint-hearted Buldak, which translates to 'fire chicken' in Korean, is not for the faint-hearted. With its debut in 2012, Samyang introduced a level of spice previously unseen in the instant ramen market. It has roughly the same heat level as jalapeno peppers. Last year, Denmark briefly recalled the fiery ramen for being too spicy. Perhaps because of its 'seriously extreme spice', Buldak has become an object of fascination for social media influencers who might enjoy truth-or-dare antics. The carbonara version, in particular, resembles the boxed macaroni and cheese Americans grew up with – with a kick. In May, the number of TikTok hashtags related to Buldak surged 250 per cent from last year, according to CLSA, a brokerage. The keyword leaps up on Google trends, too. As these ramen packs go viral online, they fly off supermarket shelves. In the first quarter, revenue in the US jumped 20 per cent quarter on quarter, even as sales at Walmart declined slightly due to a Buldak Carbonara shortage. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 3 pm Thrive Money, career and life hacks to help young adults stay ahead of the curve. Sign Up Sign Up This is nonetheless music to investors' ears: Unrequited love can be a beautiful thing. Upon the completion of a second plant in Miryang in June, Samyang will soon be able to ramp up shipments to major distributors including Costco Wholesale. By 2030, Samyang's market share in the US can double from 8.1 per cent in 2024, according to CLSA estimates. In many ways, there are parallels between Samyang and China's Pop Mart International Group, the maker of Labubu, an elf-like plush toy that has become a global sensation. With US$45 billion market cap, the toy maker is worth more than twice as much as Sanrio and Mattel combined, owners of long-time favourites Hello Kitty and Barbie. A man walks with two Labubu plush toys of Pop Mart hanging from his backpack straps in Shanghai. PHOTO: AFP These products are not for everyone. With pointy ears and nine serrated teeth, Labubu has a weird look, which only some consumers find cute, while others scratch their head and puzzle over its stardom. Existing outside the mainstream, both generate conversation and attract eyeballs. They are designed to go viral. Adventurous young Americans Investors are also betting that unlike older generations, young Americans have the adventurous spirit for something different. These days, people are getting hooked on Korean specialty grocery chain H Mart, quite a cultural shift considering cucumbers were a new vegetable for McDonald's US menu just over a decade ago. And the youth are friendlier to China than their parents. IShowSpeed, a streamer with 38 million followers, certainly enjoyed Chinese cars and robots during his two-week trip in the spring. As for US President Donald Trump's trade policies? Investors are not at all worried, seeing that both brands are tariff-proof. In the US, eating out has become an expensive endeavour. A meal at a fast-food restaurant can easily set you back US$10. Instead, staying at home with a bowl of Buldak ramen, which will cost just over US$2 even with the incremental 25 per cent duty Trump plans to impose on South Korean products, can be equally satisfying. As for Labubu, good luck getting your hands on them at all. They are sold out at Pop Mart's retail stores worldwide. In a year's time, Gen Z and influencers might have moved on to something different. But for now, investors are happy to reward Samyang and Pop Mart with outsized valuation premium. They know that despite Trump's protectionism, young people are interested in exotic tastes and aesthetics, and that's worth billions. BLOOMBERG

Commentary: Why Samyang Buldak instant noodles is an US$8 billion tariff-proof brand
Commentary: Why Samyang Buldak instant noodles is an US$8 billion tariff-proof brand

CNA

time20 hours ago

  • CNA

Commentary: Why Samyang Buldak instant noodles is an US$8 billion tariff-proof brand

HONG KONG: When it comes to instant noodles, there's no Korean discount. Only a Korean premium. Samyang Foods, the manufacturer of Buldak ramen, has gained 93 per cent this year. Trading at 26 times forward earnings, it boasts US$8.1 billion market cap, as much as bigger rivals Japan's Nissin Foods and Korea's Nongshim combined. This rally has also made chief executive Kim Jung-soo, who married into a conglomerate family and turned around the instant noodle company after it declared bankruptcy in the late 1990s, a rare billionaire in her own right in the country's male-dominated business world. Buldak, which translates to 'fire chicken' in Korean, is not for the fainthearted. With its debut in 2012, Samyang introduced a level of spice previously unseen in the instant ramen market. It has roughly the same heat level as jalapeno peppers. Last year, Denmark briefly recalled the fiery ramen for being too spicy. SOCIAL MEDIA FASCINATION Perhaps because of its 'seriously extreme spice,' Buldak has become an object of fascination for social media influencers who might enjoy truth-or-dare antics. The carbonara version, in particular, resembles the boxed macaroni and cheese Americans grew up with – with a kick. In May, the number of TikTok hashtags related to Buldak surged 250 per cent from last year, according to CLSA, a brokerage. The keyword leaps up on Google trends, too. As these ramen packs go viral online, they fly off supermarket shelves. In the first quarter, revenue in the United States jumped 20 per cent quarter-on-quarter, even as sales at Walmart declined slightly due to a Buldak Carbonara shortage. This is nonetheless music to investors' ears: Unrequited love can be a beautiful thing. Upon the completion of a second plant in Miryang in June, Samyang will soon be able to ramp up shipments to major distributors including Costco. By 2030, Samyang's market share in the US could double from 8.1 per cent in 2024, according to CLSA estimates. PARALLELS WITH POP MART AND LABUBU In many ways, there are parallels between Samyang and China's Pop Mart, the maker of Labubu, an elf-like plush toy that has become a global sensation. With US$45 billion market cap, the toy maker is worth more than twice as much as Sanrio and Mattel combined, owners of long-time favourites Hello Kitty and Barbie. These products are not for everyone. With pointy ears and nine serrated teeth, Labubu has a weird look, which only some consumers find cute, while others scratch their head and puzzle over its stardom. Existing outside the mainstream, both generate conversation and attract eyeballs. They are designed to go viral. Investors are also betting that unlike older generations, young Americans have the adventurous spirit for something different. These days, people are getting hooked on Korean specialty grocery chain H Mart, quite a cultural shift considering cucumbers were a new vegetable for the McDonald's US menu just over a decade ago. And the youth are friendlier to China than their parents. IShowSpeed, a streamer with 38 million followers, certainly enjoyed Chinese cars and robots during his two-week trip in the spring. TARIFF-PROOF BRANDS As for US President Donald Trump's trade policies? Investors are not at all worried, seeing that both brands are tariff-proof. In the US, eating out has become an expensive endeavour. A meal at a fast-food restaurant can easily set you back US$10. Instead, staying at home with a bowl of Buldak ramen, which will cost just over US$2 even with the incremental 25 per cent duty Trump plans to impose on South Korean products, can be equally satisfying. As for Labubu, good luck getting your hands on them at all. They are sold out at Pop Mart's retail stores worldwide. In a year's time, Gen Z and influencers might have moved on to something different. But for now, investors are happy to reward Samyang and Pop Mart with outsized valuation premium. They know that despite Trump's protectionism, young people are interested in exotic tastes and aesthetics, and that's worth billions.

OCBC Group CEO Helen Wong to step down end-2025; Tan Teck Long named successor
OCBC Group CEO Helen Wong to step down end-2025; Tan Teck Long named successor

CNA

timea day ago

  • CNA

OCBC Group CEO Helen Wong to step down end-2025; Tan Teck Long named successor

SINGAPORE: OCBC group CEO Helen Wong will step down from her role at the end of this year, the bank said in a bourse filing on Friday (Jul 11). She will be succeeded by the bank's head of global wholesale banking Tan Teck Long. Mr Tan will take over as group CEO on Jan 1, 2026. He will also with immediate effect assume the additional role of deputy CEO to facilitate the transition process over the next six months, said OCBC. Ms Wong, 64, will remain the chairman of OCBC China and a director of OCBC Hong Kong - both "strategically important banking subsidiaries" - after her retirement, added the bank. OCBC said that Ms Wong had expressed her wish last year to retire for family reasons. She had joined OCBC in February 2020 as deputy president and head of global wholesale banking, before becoming group CEO in April 2021. "Since the start of 2025, she has been spending more personal time in Hong Kong, where her family is based," said OCBC. "The Board reluctantly accepted Helen's request to retire to spend more time with her family. We thank her for agreeing to stay on to continue providing stewardship as Chair of our China Board and a director of the Hong Kong Board, given her vast experience and deep knowledge of Greater China," said Mr Andrew Lee, chairman of OCBC Group's board of directors. Ms Wong was the first woman to head a Singapore bank at the time of her appointment. On Mr Tan's new appointment, Mr Lee said it came after a "rigorous global search" and that the board had "unanimously agreed" that he was the best candidate. Mr Tan joined OCBC in March 2022 and has chaired the bank's Strategic Resilience Group since May. He also serves as a director on the boards of Bank of Ningbo and Maxwealth Fund Management Company in China, and which are both affiliated with OCBC. "He has demonstrated sterling leadership that goes beyond growing the wholesale banking business; as chair of the OCBC Strategic Resilience Group, he has shown the ability to zero in on the critical issues, be forward-thinking and act decisively," said Mr Lee.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store