Big Hit Entertainment (352820)

Acquisition to Bring and

Into the Fold

Sunhwa Lee Food & Beverage / Entertainment April 5, 2021 +82-2-6114-2939 [email protected]

Maintain BUY; TP raised by 13.0% We maintain BUY on Big Hit Entertainment (to be renamed HYBE this year), but raise our from KRW270,000 to KRW305,000 TP from KRW270,000 to KRW305,000. The company’s recent acquisition of U.S. music publisher Ithaca Holdings via its wholly owned subsidiary Big Hit America should (1) bolster the pipeline of global artists and (2) diversify the range of merchandise found on the company’s —a global fan community platform. We now expect 2021E-23E revenue CAGR for Weverse at 27.5% (as opposed to 19.1% previously). We believe future EPS growth (via acquisition-backed inorganic growth) will outweigh EPS dilution from the rights issue to fund the Ithaca acquisition.

Rights issue to fund acquisition of U.S. Big Hit Entertainment announced on Apr 2 that it would acquire Ithaca Holdings via its company Ithaca Holdings wholly-owned subsidiary Big Hit America. For the acquisition, Big Hit America would conduct a rights issue totaling KRW1.0tn, with the full amount of newly issued shares (950mn) to be acquired by parent Big Hit Entertainment. Big Hit Entertainment, in a bid to secure operating capital, decided on a rights issue worth KRW440.0bn targeting its existing shareholders. Meanwhile, related parties of Ithaca Holdings, in a bid to solidify collaborations, will participate in Big Hit Entertainment’s private placement, which should secure around KRW182.0bn. Ultimately, the parent will have around KRW2.0tn in cash (via existing cash holdings + two rights issues); in exchange for the 100% interest in Ithaca Holdings, it will pay around KRW1.2tn.

Acquisition to bolster pipeline of Ithaca Holdings owns a variety of music interests, including SB Projects (management global artists, Weverse revenue clients Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande) and Big Machine Label Group (famous country

Buy Maintain Trading Data Risk & Total Return (annualized over three years) Free float 40.0% Target Price (Raised) KRW305,000

Avg. T/O val. (3m, KRWbn) 108.1 Return 1 2 3 4 High5 Risk Dividend yield* 0.0% Foreign ownership 7.8% 1 FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE Major shareholders Si-Hyeok Pang and 2 others 34.8% Total return 25.5% 2 FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE Current price (Apr 2) KRW243,000 19.9% 3 FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE Consensus target price KRW298,182 Stock Price Performance

4High FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE Market capitalization USD7.7bn (%) 1M 3M 6M 12M 5 FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE * 12-month forward Absolute 17.4 51.9 0.0 0.0

Relative 14.8 40.2 0.0 0.0

Earnings Forecast & Valuation Stock Price & Relative Performance Fiscal year-end 2020A 2021E 2022E 2023E Revenue (KRWbn) 796 1,202 1,532 1,792 Relative performance (LHS) Stock price (RHS) OP (KRWbn) 146 221 290 352 % KRW NP to control. int. (KRWbn) 86 155 206 250 0 300,000 EPS (KRW) 2,843 4,248 5,637 6,864 -10 260,000 EPS growth (%) 9.3 49.4 32.7 21.8 -20 P/E (x) 56.3 57.2 43.1 35.4 220,000 -30 EV/EBITDA (x) 27.1 36.7 27.5 22.1 180,000 -40 P/B (x) 4.8 6.6 5.7 4.9 140,000 ROE (%) 12.5 12.2 14.2 14.9 -50 Div. yield (%) N/A 0.0 0.0 0.0 -60 100,000 Apr '20 Jul '20 Oct '20 Jan '21

Source(s): Company data, KB Securities

singers), and has major subsidiaries Silent Content Ventures (content producer and distributor) and Drew House (producer of merchandise based on proprietary artist IPs). The tie-up should shift Big Hit Entertainment away from its high dependence on the seven-member Korean boy band BTS (aka Bangtan Boys) and facilitate its entry into the overseas merchandise market with global artist IPs, which should translate into a jump in revenue for Weverse Shop.

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Investment Opinion & Risks

Base-case scenario: Catalysts

Bull-case scenario KRW455,000 (75.6x implied P/E) 1) 2021E-23E revenue CAGR at 16.0%-50.0%

2) 2021E-23E OP CAGR at 20.0%-60.5%

Base-case scenario (target price) KRW305,000 (50.7x implied P/E) Bull-case scenario: Upside risks 1) 2021E-23E revenue CAGR above 50.0%

Current price KRW243,000 2) 2021E-23E OP CAGR above 60.5%

Bear-case scenario: Downside risks

Bear-case scenario KRW188,000 (31.2x implied P/E) 1) 2021E-23E revenue CAGR below 16.0%

2) 2021E-23E OP CAGR below 20.0%

Revised Earnings Estimates Valuation & Target Price Calculation (KRWbn, %) Previous Revised Change 2021E 2022E 2021E 2022E 2021E 2022E 1) Valuation method: Revenue 1,195 1,472 1,202 1,532 0.6 4.1 Discounted cash flow model OP 219 272 221 290 1.0 6.8 NP (to control. int.) 153 192 155 206 1.0 6.9 2) Target price calculation: Source(s): KB Securities estimates 7.98% WACC; 4.15% TGR

KB Estimates vs. Consensus 3) Target price range: KRW188,000 - KRW 455,000 (KRWbn, %) KB Estimates Consensus Difference

2021E 2022E 2021E 2022E 2021E 2022E 4) Valuation at target price: Revenue 1,202 1,532 1,206 1,630 -0.3 -6.0 50.7x 12m fwd implied P/E, 16.94x P/B OP 221 290 241 333 -8.5 -12.8 NP (to control. int.) 155 206 171 231 -9.3 -11.1 Source(s): FnGuide, KB Securities estimates

Revenue Composition (2020) Earnings Sensitivity Analysis Albums Concerts Ad/performance fees (%) EPS change (%) Merchandising/Licensing Content Other 4.1 2021E 2022E +1% in FX rate 0.9 0.4 16.8 +1pp in interest rate -0.3 -0.1

40.3

32.5 5.9 0.4 Source(s): Company data, KB Securities

Peer Group Comparison (KRWbn, x, %) Market P/E P/B EV/EBITDA ROE Dividend Yield Cap 2021E 2022E 2021E 2022E 2021E 2022E 2021E 2022E 2021E 2022E Big Hit Entertainment 8,657 49.6 37.0 11.3 8.7 30.6 22.6 22.9 23.4 0.0 0.0 19,767 54.1 34.2 50.9 15.4 22.4 18.6 94.2 45.0 1.4 1.5 JYP Entertainment 1,239 28.0 23.5 5.4 4.6 18.9 15.7 19.4 19.4 0.5 0.6 YG Entertainment 835 34.2 32.8 2.3 2.1 14.9 12.4 6.6 6.4 0.2 0.4 Source(s): Bloomberg consensus, KB Securities

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I. Valuation

7.98% WACC, 4.15% TGR, 6.4x We maintain BUY on Big Hit Entertainment, but raise our TP from KRW270,000 to EV/EBITDA exit multiple KRW305,000. Our TP, derived using the DCF model, is based on 7.98% WACC (7.98% cost of equity; 3.06% after-tax cost of debt; 0.99 52w adj. beta) and 4.15% implied TGR (after 2032; 6.4x EV/EBITDA exit multiple), representing 50.7x implied 12m fwd, 16.94x P/B with 25.5% upside (against Apr 2 closing price).

Table 1. TP Calculation: Discounted Cash Flow Model (KRWbn) 2020 2021E 2022E 2023E 2024E 2025E 2026E 2027E 2028E 2029E 2030E 2031E 2032E Terminal Cash flow projection OP a 142 221 290 352 444 551 668 795 926 1,056 1,178 1,285 1,370 Marginal tax rate (%) b 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0 NOPLAT c=a*(1-b) 107 166 218 264 333 413 501 596 695 792 884 964 1,028 Depreciation & amortization d 0 1 1 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Total cash flow e=c+d 107 166 218 269 339 418 507 602 700 797 889 969 1,033 Change in working capital f 17 -86 -89 -85 -81 -76 -73 -69 -63 -57 -52 -47 -43 Capex g -2 -4 -4 -5 -6 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 Total investments h=f+g 15 -89 -93 -90 -86 -82 -78 -74 -68 -62 -57 -52 -48 FCFF i=e+h 123 77 126 179 253 336 429 527 632 735 832 916 985 Adjusted FCF 77 126 179 253 336 429 527 632 735 832 916 20,575 PV of cash flow WACC 7.98% Terminal growth rate 4.15% Discount 1.00 0.93 0.86 0.79 0.74 0.68 0.63 0.58 0.54 0.50 0.46 0.43 PV of terminal value 77 116 154 201 247 292 333 369 398 417 425 8,846 Valuation Sum of cash flow (PV) j 11,875 Net cash k -63 Investments in non-cons. affiliates l 1 Non-controlling interests m 4 Stock option n 0 Fair EV o=j+k+l-m-n 11,810 No. of outstanding shares (’000) p 38,715 Target price (KRW) q=o/p 305,000 Current price (KRW; Apr 2, 2021) 243,000 Upside (%) 25.5 12m fwd EPS 6,017 12m fwd BVPS 18,008 12m fwd P/E (x) 50.7 12m fwd P/B (x) 16.94

Source(s): Company data, KB Securities estimates

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Fig 1. WACC Calculation (1) Cost of debt is average yield of BBB+ credit (applied BBB+, the median rating of companies issuing credit, as four peer WACC (%) entertainment companies have no available 7.98 history of credit issuance); market value of debt is total debt as of end-1H20 Debt Equity (2) Cost of equity derived using CAPM; RFR is recent 3m avg. yield for 1y MBS; adj. equity beta is weighted avg. of Big Hit Cost of Debt Marginal Tax Rate Market value of Debt Cost of Equity Market value of Equity Entertainment’s 52m beta and market beta; 4.09 25.0 7.981 7.98 11,810 MRP is historical avg. of difference in yield between WMI500 and 1y MSB Risk free rate (%) Adj. Equity beta (X) Market risk premium (%) (3) Shareholders’ equity derived by multiplying 0.68= 0.99 7.37 total no. of outstanding shares by TP

Source(s): FnGuide, Infomax, KB Securities estimates

Table 2. TP Sensitivity to WACC & TGR (KRW) WACC → 7.5% 7.6% 7.7% 7.8% 7.9% 8.0% 8.1% 8.2% 8.3% 8.4% 8.5% TGR ↓ 4.0% 302,974 302,578 302,183 301,788 301,394 301,000 300,406 299,812 299,220 298,629 298,039 4.1% 304,987 304,588 304,191 303,793 303,396 303,000 302,402 301,804 301,208 300,613 300,020 4.2% 307,000 306,599 306,198 305,798 305,399 305,000 304,398 303,796 303,196 302,598 302,000 4.3% 309,013 308,609 308,206 307,804 307,402 307,000 306,394 305,789 305,185 304,582 303,980 4.4% 311,026 310,620 310,214 309,809 309,404 309,000 308,390 307,781 307,173 306,566 305,961

Source(s): FnGuide, Yonhap Infomax, KB Securities estimates

Table 3. TP Upside Sensitivity to WACC & TGR (%) WACC → 7.5% 7.6% 7.7% 7.8% 7.9% 8.0% 8.1% 8.2% 8.3% 8.4% 8.5% TGR ↓ 4.0% 24.7 24.5 24.4 24.2 24.0 23.9 23.6 23.4 23.1 22.9 22.6 4.1% 25.5 25.3 25.2 25.0 24.9 24.7 24.4 24.2 24.0 23.7 23.5 4.2% 26.3 26.2 26.0 25.8 25.7 25.5 25.3 25.0 24.8 24.5 24.3 4.3% 27.2 27.0 26.8 26.7 26.5 26.3 26.1 25.8 25.6 25.3 25.1 4.4% 28.0 27.8 27.7 27.5 27.3 27.2 26.9 26.7 26.4 26.2 25.9

Source(s): FnGuide, Yonhap Infomax, KB Securities estimates

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II. Earnings Forecast

2021E-23E revenue/OP CAGR at We forecast Big Hit Entertainment 2021E-23E revenue/OP CAGR at 22.1%/26.1%, 22.1%/26.1% reflecting the bolstered pipeline of artists and ramp-up in merchandise sales to come from the Ithaca acquisition. Our revenue estimate is roughly in line with the market consensus. However, factoring in acquisition costs and further investments (e.g., new hires to assist with expansion of global network, set-up of fulfillment centers), we are conservative with our OP estimate, which is below the market consensus.

Table 4. KB Estimates vs. Market Consensus (KRWbn, %, pp) KB Estimate Consensus Difference 2021E 2022E 2021E 2022E 2021E 2022E Revenue 1,202 1,532 1,206 1,630 -0.3 -6.0 OP 221 290 241 333 -8.5 -12.8 NP 155 206 171 231 -9.1 -10.9 OPM 18.4 18.9 20.0 20.4 -1.6 -1.5 NPM 12.9 13.5 14.2 14.2 -1.3 -0.7

Source(s): FnGuide, KB Securities estimates

Fig 2. Revenue Consensus vs. KB Estimates Fig 3. OP Consensus vs. KB Estimates

(KRWbn) (KRWbn) 2021E 2022E 2021E 2022E 1,800 400 2021 KB estimate 2022 KB estimate 2021 KB estimate 2022 KB estimate 1,600 300 1,400

1,200 200 1,000

800 100 600

400 0 09/20 10/20 11/20 12/20 01/21 02/21 03/21 09/20 10/20 11/20 12/20 01/21 02/21 03/21

Source(s): FnGuide, KB Securities estimates Source(s): FnGuide, KB Securities estimates

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Table 5. Earnings Trend & Forecast (KRWbn) 2018 2019 2020 2021E 2022E 2023E 1H19 2H19 1H20 2H20 4Q19 3Q20 4Q20 1Q21E 2Q21E 3Q21E 4Q21E Revenue 301 587 796 1,202 1,532 1,792 320 267 294 502 144 190 312 207 271 291 433 Albums 105 108 321 437 460 480 74 34 133 188 11 47 141 76 121 80 160 Concerts 88 191 3 160 264 400 132 60 0 3 33 3 0 4 6 51 101 Ad/performance fees 47 78 96 124 19 28 7 14 14 15 17 21 25 Merchandising/Licensing 51 168 259 318 460 480 72 96 92 168 60 100 67 62 75 89 92 Content 33 78 134 168 208 260 26 52 36 97 27 16 81 40 42 41 45 Other 24 42 33 41 44 48 17 25 14 19 7 10 10 10 10 10 10 Revenue proportion (%) 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Albums 35.0 18.4 40.3 36.3 30.0 26.8 23.2 12.7 45.2 37.4 7.7 24.7 45.1 36.6 44.4 27.5 37.0 Concerts 29.1 32.5 0.4 13.3 17.2 22.3 41.1 22.3 0.1 0.6 22.8 1.6 0.0 1.7 2.0 17.5 23.2 Ad/performance fees 5.9 6.5 6.3 6.9 6.5 5.5 4.6 7.4 4.4 7.3 6.4 7.0 5.9 Merchandising/Licensing 17.0 28.6 32.5 26.5 30.0 26.8 22.5 36.1 31.2 33.4 41.5 52.8 21.5 30.0 27.8 30.6 21.2 Content 11.1 13.3 16.8 14.0 13.6 14.5 8.0 19.6 12.4 19.3 18.4 8.5 25.9 19.4 15.6 13.9 10.4 Other 7.8 7.1 4.1 3.4 2.9 2.7 5.2 9.3 4.7 3.8 5.0 5.0 3.1 4.9 3.8 3.5 2.3 Revenue growth (% YoY) 94.8 35.6 51.0 27.5 17.0 -8.2 88.1 54.0 116.9 53.1 38.7 Albums 2.8 196.0 36.2 5.4 4.3 78.9 451.9 1,177.1 71.0 13.7 Concerts 117.9 -98.2 4,628.6 64.7 51.5 -99.8 -94.8 -100.0 1,544.0 N/A Ad/performance fees 67.6 22.4 29.2 108.1 46.1 84.5 Merchandising/Licensing 227.9 54.1 22.8 44.5 4.3 27.4 74.0 12.5 -11.3 36.8 Content 133.5 71.2 25.8 23.9 25.0 42.2 85.3 205.2 149.8 -44.4 Other 76.3 -20.9 23.3 8.4 9.1 -17.9 -22.9 31.3 5.4 4.8 GP 111 202 363 554 714 841 87 114 133 230 65 89 141 94 123 134 203 GPM (%) 37.0 34.3 45.6 46.1 46.6 46.9 27.3 42.8 45.3 45.8 45.0 47.1 45.0 45.5 45.5 45.9 46.8 % YoY 80.9 80.2 52.4 28.9 17.9 52.5 101.4 49.2 44.2 OP 80 99 142 221 290 352 52 47 50 93 24 40 52 36 44 55 86 OPM (%) 26.5 16.8 17.9 18.4 18.9 19.6 16.2 17.5 16.9 18.4 16.4 21.1 16.8 17.5 16.3 18.9 19.8 % YoY 23.5 44.2 55.2 31.3 21.2 -4.2 98.2 73.0 122.1 37.1 63.4 EBT -48 98 126 214 284 346 53 45 47 79 24 38 42 34 42 53 84 EBT margin (%) -16.1 16.8 15.9 17.8 18.6 19.3 16.6 17.0 16.0 15.8 16.7 19.8 13.4 16.6 15.6 18.3 19.4 % YoY TTB 28.2 69.6 32.7 21.8 -11.6 75.0 77.0 73.1 41.8 101.7 NP -70 72 86 155 206 251 39 33 33 53 19 27 26 25 31 39 61 NPM (%) -23.4 12.3 10.8 12.9 13.5 14.0 12.3 12.3 11.3 10.5 13.0 14.3 8.2 12.0 11.3 13.3 14.1 % YoY TTB 19.0 80.3 32.7 21.8 -15.9 60.8 92.0 37.3 42.0 137.0

Source(s): Company data, KB Securities estimates Note 1: 2018-19 Ad/performance fees included in Other Note 2: GP and EBT are based on KB estimates Note 3: TTB=turn to black

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III. Investment Points

At its 4Q20 earnings conference, Big Hit Entertainment announced that it would pursue organic and inorganic growth this year based on three growth drivers: Label (artist pipeline), Solution (IP-based products) and Platform (Weverse distribution). The Ithaca acquisition should bring inorganic growth as it reinforces the three growth drivers, acts as a stepping stone toward global expansion and deepens the company’s global presence.

Fig 4. 2021 Business Strategies

Three Growth Drivers Organic/Inorganic Growth

Label Organic Growth . 2021 Big Hit boy group debut . Artist training . 2021 Big Hit Japan boy group debut . Music production . 2021 girl group debut . 2022 Global Idol audition with UMG + Inorganic Growth . Weverse attracts investment from Naver Solution Platform and builds partnership with . Business cooperation via investment in . Various product/service . Upgrade to Weverse and YG Plus offerings (live, video, . Greater scope for JVs and M&A with licensing, game, education) ecosystem expansion foreign labels

Source(s): Company data, KB Securities

Investment point #1: Acquisition to BTS is the world’s top-tier K-pop group, boasting an unrivaled fan base, but Big Hit provide access to global labels and Entertainment derives almost all of its revenue from it, serving as the company’s diversify business portfolio biggest weakness. Revenue exposure to BTS stood at 98.2% as of 2018, but then the acquisition of Source Music in August 2019 and in June 2020 brought the figure down to around 80%. We believe Ithaca should further alleviate concerns regarding overdependence.

Table 6. Ithaca Holdings

Company name: Ithaca Holdings LLC Country: United States Business type: Artist management, publishing, content production and others Date of establishment: Jun 24, 2013 Major businesses: SB Projects (artist management) Big Machine Label Group (record label) Silent Content Ventures (production and distribution of TV/OTT content) Drew House (clothing/beauty brand) Major artists: Justin Bieber Ariana Grande

Source(s): Company data, KB Securities

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Table 7. Big Hit Entertainment’s Label Business Company Name Country Business Summary

Big Hit Music Korea Artist training, music production (Main artists: BTS, TXT)

Ithaca Holdings United States Artist management, music publishing, music production

Pledis Entertainment Korea Artist training, music production (Major artists: Seventeen, NU’EST)

Source Music Korea Artist training, music production (Major artist: Gfriend)

Belift Lab Korea JV with CJ ENM, artist training, music production (Major artist: )

Big Hit Entertainment Japan Japan Artist discovery, artist discovery/commercialization via major local labels

Training & Development Japan Japan Trainee education

Source(s): Company data, KB Securities

Ithaca CEO to join Big Hit board The Ithaca acquisition may be considered by some as all spin with no substance, but, given that Ithaca CEO Scooter Braun is set to join the Big Hit board, we view it as a serious global push that promises close collaborations with Ithaca’s artists. Also, the company’s major artists will participate in Big Hit Entertainment’s private placement, demonstrating a strong willingness for mutual growth.

Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande Music artists participating in Big Hit Entertainment’s private placement include Justin among music artists participating in Bieber and Ariana Grande. The equity holdings of major related parties of Ithaca private placement (~860,000 shares) represent 2.2% of no. of shares issued.

With the release of his album Justice (2021), Justin Bieber, renowned for having the largest YouTube following among global artists, recently became the first male solo artist to rank at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200 simultaneously in the first week of album release. We expect his merchandise (currently sold on his personal website) to hit Weverse shelves, to be available for Big Hit Entertainment’s fans worldwide.

In our view, Weverse is to become the world’s top-tier fan community platform, with some of the most influential music artists today Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande expected to join soon, alongside Korea’s girl group Blackpink in 2Q21. Although Weverse’s level of monthly active users (MAUs) recently stagnated at around 5.0mn, the new injection of talent should translate into a meaningful increase.

Fig 5. Justin Bieber Fig 6. Ariana Grande

Source(s): Google, KB Securities Source(s): Google, KB Securities

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Table 8. Big Hit America: Ithaca Holdings Acquisition Notes A. Big Hit America rights issue (targeting Big Hit Entertainment) KRW 1,072,835,000,000 -No. of newly issued shares 950,000,000 -Issuance price per share KRW 1,129.30 B. Big Hit America’s loan from KEB Hana Bank (New York) KRW 112,930,000,000 C. Ithaca Holdings acquisition price (debt guarantee by Big Hit Entertainment) (A+B) KRW 1,185,765,000,000

Source(s): DART, KB Securities

Table 9. Big Hit Entertainment: Fundraising Profile Notes A. Funds raised via Big Hit Entertainment’s private placement targeting related parties of Ithaca Holdings KRW 181,798,721,072 -Purpose of fundraising Acquisition of Ithaca Holdings interests -No. of newly issued shares 863,209 -Issuance price per share KRW 210,608 Payment date Jun 17, 2021 Listing date of newly issued shares Jun 30, 2021 Lock-up period One year B. Funds raised via Big Hit Entertainment’s rights issue targeting existing shareholders KRW 439,999,980,000 -Purpose of fundraising -Operating capital KRW 189,999,980,000 -Debt payment KRW 250,000,000,000 No. of newly issued shares 2,227,848 No. of new shares allotted per existing share 0.0625382609 Issuance price per share (KRW) KRW 197,500 Record date for new shares Apr 19, 2021 Confirmation date for issuance price May 27, 2021 Subscription date for existing shareholders Jun 1, 2021 – Jun 2, 2021 Payment date Jun 9, 2021 Listing date of new shares Jun 22, 2021

Source(s): DART, KB Securities

Fig 7. Deal Structure

Deal Structure Post-acquisition

2. Repayment HYBE of debt Ithaca Holdings LLC HYBE (Listed as Big Hit Ent.) creditors (Listed as Big Hit Ent.)

1. Rights issue 100% 100%

Ithaca Holdings LLC Big Hit America Inc. Big Hit America Inc. 2. Payment of shareholders acquisition price

100% 100% 100%

3. Merger BH Odyssey Ithaca Holdings LLC Ithaca Holdings LLC Merger Sub LLC

Source(s): DART, KB Securities

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Table 10. Big Hit Entertainment’s Private Placements Proportion of Subscribers/Followers No. of Proportion Sale of Recipients of Third- Privately (mn) Shares of Shares Personal Description party Capital Increase Placed You- Insta- Allotted Outstanding Twitter Merchandise Shares Tube gram Scott Braun 462,380 53.57% 1.19% Founder of Big Machine Label Group; 166,537 19.29% 0.43% discovered Ariana Grande-Butera 53,557 6.20% 0.14% 47.6 Global top-tier artist Justin Drew Bieber 53,557 6.20% 0.14% 62.1 169.0 110 Website Global top-tier artist Producer of Justin Bieber (“Believe” in 2013, Allison Kaye Scarinzi 26,778 3.10% 0.07% “Popstar” in 2020) Jose Alvaro Osorio Balvin 21,423 2.48% 0.06% 30.4 46.6 9.4 Columbian reggae artist Jason Scott Manson 10,711 1.24% 0.03% SB Projects COO, Partner Jennifer McDaniels 10,711 1.24% 0.03% SB Projects General Manager Demetria Devonne Lovato 5,355 0.62% 0.01% 17.1 102.0 55.3 Website Singer, actor Andrew Wotman 5,355 0.62% 0.01% 0.3 Producer, singer-songwriter Thomas Rhett Akins Jr 5,355 0.62% 0.01% 1.3 4.2 2.4 Website Singer Tyler Reed Hubbard 5,355 0.62% 0.01% 2.4 2.1 2.0 Website Part of Florida Georgia Line music duo David Bolno 5,355 0.62% 0.01% Owner of NKSFB; artist management David Andrew Burd 4,284 0.50% 0.01% 7.5 0.7 3.0 Website Rapper Victoria Kelly 2,677 0.31% 0.01% Daniel Smyers 2,677 0.31% 0.01% 1.5 1.1 0.6 Dan + Shay duo Shay Mooney 2,677 0.31% 0.01% Dan + Shay duo Jules Ferree 2,677 0.31% 0.01% SB Projects Head of Brand Partnership Andrew Kautz 2,677 0.31% 0.01% SB Projects COO Quavious Keyate Marshall 1,338 0.16% 0.00% BlueBucks Clan duo, rapper Michael Hertz 1,071 0.12% 0.00% Manager of rapper Eric Holden 1,071 0.12% 0.00% Ithaca Holdings CFO Fabio David Acosta 803 0.09% 0.00% Martinez Raymond Rock 803 0.09% 0.00% Manager of SB Projects artists James Shin 803 0.09% 0.00% Manager of SB Projects EVP, Film/Television Ryan David Aldred 803 0.09% 0.00% 535 0.06% 0.00% Rapper 535 0.06% 0.00% 3.8 2.0 9.8 Singer-songwriter Taylor James 535 0.06% 0.00% Joshua Gudwin 535 0.06% 0.00% Producer, Mixer Charles Hamilton Jr. 535 0.06% 0.00% Rapper Thomas Lee Brown 535 0.06% 0.00% Producer of Ariana Grande Jason Boyd 535 0.06% 0.00% Composer (aka Poo Bear) Jaclyn Augustus 535 0.06% 0.00% SB Projects Head of Digital Marketing Tony Bracy 535 SB Projects VP of Marketing & Promotion Shauna Nep 535 0.06% 0.06% Executive director of Braun Foundation Daniel Gross 535 0.06% 0.06% SB Projects co-founder Nicole Krolicki 267 0.03% 0.03% Zachary Cohen 267 0.03% 0.03% Assistant of Scooter Braun Total 863,209 173.8 328.0 192.6

Source(s): DART, KB Securities

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Fig 8. Governance Structure

Listed Big Hit 360 Big Hit IP Unlisted Merger of subsidiaries Bolstering of artist pipeline, engaged in solution business addition of merchandise for global artists to Weverse Shop

7.7% Naver YG Plus HYBE Ithaca Holdings LLC Kiswe Mobile Inc. (035420) (037270) Big Hit Ent. (352820)

10.2% 14.3% 100%

Superb Weverse Company Big Hit Edu Big Hit Solutions Japan Big Hit America Inc. TNDJ Inc. KBYK Live Inc. (acquisition of V Live)

51% 70.9% 100% 100% 100% 100% 59.1%

100% 47.5% 100% 66.7% 80% 85%

Big Hit Entertainment Belift Lab KOZ Entertainment Source Music Pledis Entertainment Japan

Artist labels under HYBE 100% 100% 100%

Pledis Hong Kong Xing Can Pledis Japan Limited Sheng Shi

Source(s): DART, KB Securities

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Investment point #2: Expansion via On Apr 1, Big Hit Entertainment merged with major solution subsidiaries Big Hit 360 solution business and Big Hit IP. The move should decrease the complexities of internal transactions between affiliates and expedite decision-making.

Big Hit IP is engaged in the content business (i.e., merchandising, character-based products and licensing business based on artist IPs). Big Hit 360 is engaged in the production and distribution of music albums/digital music/video content as well as artist performance planning/agencies; the subsidiary’s excellent capabilities in content planning allow Big Hit Entertainment to produce quality content independently.

Table 11. Big Hit Entertainment’s Solution Business Company Name Country Business Summary Performance planning/agency, albums/digital music distribution, production/distribution of video content, Big Hit 360 Korea advertising agency Development/distribution of derivative content (artist IP-based merchandise, character-based products, Big Hit IP Korea print) BeNX Korea Development/operation of fan community platform Weverse and fan e-commerce platform Weverse Shop

Superb Korea Maker of Big Hit Entertainment’s music-based games

Big Hit Edu Korea Artist IP-based publishing business; developer of educational content

Big Hit Solution Japan Subsidiary in charge of albums/digital music, content, merchandise, fan clubs, etc.

Big Hit America United States Subsidiary in charge of albums/digital music, content, merchandise, fan clubs, etc.

Source(s): DART, KB Securities

Investment point #3: Weverse to The global fan community platform Weverse is a space for fans to closely interact help expand revenue and secure with artists and strengthen relationships among fans. Dedicated solely to fans, it massive global traffic boosts loyalty and indirectly raises the value of limited-edition items sold at Weverse Shop. With products of Ithaca’s music artists expected to hit the shop’s shelves, Big Hit Entertainment should to see its revenue proportion from merchandising grow as global traffic increases. Last year’s revenue from Weverse accounted for 41% of Big Hit Entertainment’s total revenue; we believe this will rise to 66% in 2021, when the long list of artists appear on the platform.

Fig 9. Weverse: Revenue & Revenue Proportion Fig 10. Weverse Shop & Weverse

(KRWbn) (%) Revenue (L) Proportion (R) 1,200 80

1,000 60 800

600 40

400 20 200

0 0 2019 2020 2021E 2022E

Source(s): Company data, KB Securities Source(s): Company data, KB Securities

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Advent of world’s No. 1 fan Since its listing, Big Hit Entertainment has been expanding into new business areas via community platform relentless investments. Of them, particular attention has been paid to Weverse Company, the operator of the namesake Weverse platform. Big Hit Entertainment’s subsidiary BeNX was renamed Weverse Company in January after the company acquired the live-video-streaming service V Live from Naver. The consolidation of V Live, the leader in fan community platform with the largest MAU, and Weverse, the IP holder of BTS, should further sharpen Big Hit Entertainment’s competitive edge.

Table 12. Naver’s Acquisition of BeNX Shares; BeNX’s Acquisition of Naver’s V Live No. of Shares Ownership Notes BeNX’s no. of shares issued (before rights issue) 4,231,527 -Big Hit Entertainment 3,000,000 70.9% -Individual investors 1,231,527 29.1% -Sale of existing shares/first round of new share No. of BeNX existing shares sold 603,448 14.3% issuance completed after approval of merger declaration -Big Hit 0 -Individual investors 603,448 14.3% No. of shares held after existing BeNX share disposal -Big Hit Entertainment 3,000,000 70.9% -Individual investors 628,079 14.8% -Naver 603,448 14.3% -Sale of existing shares/first round of new share BeNX’s first round of new share issuance 1,257,763 issuance completed after approval of merger declaration BeNX’s no. of shares issued (after first rights issue) 5,489,290 No. of shares after first rights issue -Big Hit Entertainment 3,000,000 54.7% -Individual investors 1,861,211 33.9% -Naver 628,079 11.4% -Second round of new share issuance to occur on the earlier date between completion date for BeNX’s second round of new share issuance 1,624,590 platform consolidation and one year after Jan 27, 2021, contract signing BeNX’s no. of shares issued (after second round of rights issue) 7,113,880 Shares to be held by Big Hit Ent. and individual shareholders 3,628,079 51.0% person Naver 3,485,801 49.0% Summary Naver’s BeNX share acquisition -Existing shares Cash consideration KRW 94,529/ share -Newly issued shares Private placement KRW 123,108/ share Acquisition price (KRW) -Existing shares 57,043,314,250 -Individual investors’ disposal of existing shares -Newly issued shares 354,840,713,124 -New shares issued by BeNX Total (KRW) 411,884,027,374 BeNX’s acquisition of V Live Acquisition price (KRW) 199,999,533,288

Source(s): DART, KB Securities

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Blackpink to open fan community on In a bid to bring in more artist IPs for Weverse, Big Hit Entertainment and Big Hit’s Weverse affiliate Weverse Company invested KRW30.0bn and KRW40.0bn, respectively, to acquire existing and new shares of YG Plus, combining to become the second largest shareholder of the company. We expect synergies, as Big Hit Entertainment, through YG Plus, is set to distribute albums/digital music of Big Hit artists, and YG Plus, in collaboration with Big Hit Entertainment, will engage in planning/production of merchandise of YG Entertainment artists to be sold at Weverse Shop.

Table 13. Acquisition of YG Plus Shares by Big Hit Entertainment and BeNX No. of Shares Ownership YG Plus’ no. of shares issued 60,197,516 (before rights issue) Common stock 59,646,045 -YG Entertainment 22,208,770 36.89 % -Minsuk Yang 6,828,863 11.34% Preferred stock 551,471 -Minsuk Yang 183,824 0.31% -Hyunsuk Yang 367,647 0.61% YG Plus no. of existing shares disposed 8,198,066 -YG Entertainment 5,738,646 9.53% -Hyunsuk Yang 367,647 0.61% -Minsuk Yang 2,091,773 3.47% YG Plus no. of newly issued shares 3,152,584 YG Plus no. of shares issued 63,350,100 (after rights issue) YG Plus’ no. of shares (after rights issue) -YG Entertainment 16,470,124 26% -Hyunsuk Yang 0 - -Minsuk Yang 4,920,914 7.77% Big Hit Entertainment 4,864,565 7.68% BeNX 6,486,085 10.24% Note Acquisition of YG Plus shares Via cash consideration -Existing shares (Jan 28 after-hour block deal KRW 6,099/ share and OTC trading) Participation in rights issue -Newly issued shares KRW 6,344/ share (Feb 4) Acquisition price (KRW) -Existing shares 50,000,004,534 -Newly issued shares 19,999,992,896 Total (KRW) 69,999,997,430

Source(s): DART, KB Securities

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Products similar to BTS’ official light Big Hit Entertainment will be engaged in the customization of merchandise for global stick ARMY Bomb may appear at artists joining Weverse Shop. In Korea, a wider array of merchandise is available. In non-Korean concerts general, fans spend an average of USD5.50 in merchandise, whereas K-pop fans spend USD8.00. Korea’s unique cheering culture as well as the diversity and high quality of Korean-made merchandise are tempting fans around the world to loosen their purse strings.

While t-shirts are the best-selling artist merchandise, a more diverse range of items is gaining popularity among Korean fans. For instance, AR photo cards, wherein fans can watch artists’ video clips via the installation of an app, and ARMY Bomb—the digital version of BTS’ official glow stick, which, when connected to Bluetooth, changes in color in tandem with music—are among recent products that use cutting- edge technology. Of course, regular products such as stationery (e.g., character- printed pencil cases, pencils and erasers) are steady sellers.

But what if a version of ARMY Bomb were to appear at a Justin Bieber concert, where, like at most non-Korean concerts, basically the only type of merchandise available for sale is t-shirts? Such products could deepen fans’ concert experience with new forms of rapport with the artist and fellow concertgoers. The combination of Big Hit Entertainment’s merchandising capabilities and global artist IPs should work toward satisfying the needs of global fans today who are eager to buy various artist-related products.

Fig 11. Revenue Proportion by Merchandise (2019) Fig 12. Army Bomb (Bluetooth)

(%)

60 50

40

30 20

10

0

Source(s): atVenu, KB Securities Source(s): Company data, KB Securities

Fig 13. AR Photo Card Fig 14. BT21 Character Products (pencil cases)

Source(s): iLLUU, KB Securities Source(s): Company data, KB Securities

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Strategic alliance with Universal In November 2020, the American singer songwriter Gracie Abrams, who belongs to Music Group #1: Idol-fostering ’s representative label Interscope Geffen A&M, became the audition project first foreign artist on Weverse, debuting her fan community on the platform. She was followed by other artists under UMG’s roof, such as Alexander 23 (United States) and Yungblud (United Kingdom).

Fig 15. Gracie Abrams on Weverse Fig 16. Alexander 23 on Weverse Shop

Source(s): Company data, KB Securities Source(s): Company data, KB Securities

Table 14. UMG Artists Signed on to Join Weverse YouTube YouTube Weverse Artist Record Label Song Subscribers Views Joining Date Yungblud Interscope Records 11 Minutes 2,120,000 484,492,046 TBA New Hope Club Virgin EMI Records Dusk Till Dawn 1,830,000 160,253,991 Feb 1, 2021 Gracie Abrams Interscope Records I miss you, I’m sorry 312,000 29,338,441 Nov 25, 2020 Alexander 23 Interscope Records IDK You Yet 118,000 27,067,336 Feb 15, 2021

Source(s): YouTube (as of Feb 9), KB Securities

In February, Big Hit Entertainment and UMG’s Geffen Records announced via the digital live-streaming platform VenewLive that they will partner in the launch of a joint label and hold global auditions to debut a new boy group (program to be aired in 2022). Participating artists will be given a chance to experience the artist-fostering programs offered by the K-pop entertainment company (e.g., music, performance, fashion, video content and fan communication skills).

Fig 17. Big Hit & UMG Announce Plans for Joint Label Fig 18. Global Boy Group Debut Project

Big Hit Ent. Universal Music (352820) Group

100% Interscope Geffen A&M Records

Big Hit America Inc. Geffen Records

Launch of joint label and audition project

Source(s): Company data, KB Securities Source(s): Company data, KB Securities

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Strategic alliance with Universal Big Hit Entertainment signed an MOU with the U.S. broadcasting company Kiswe Music Group #2: Securing global Mobile in May 2020 to establish a JV named KBYK Live in September 2020. The JV has online broadcasting rights been holding online concerts via its digital live-streaming concert platform VenewLive. With its experience in broadcasting for the National Basketball Association, Kiswe Mobile has an edge in multi-view live-streaming techniques. Meanwhile, in February 2021, UMG and YG Entertainment agreed to equity investments in the JV in anticipation of the online concert market growing further.

Fig 19. Investments in KBYK Live Fig 20. BTS Virtual Concert: “Bang Bang Con: The Live”

Listed Unlisted Big Hit Ent. Kiswe (352820)

JV established (Sep 2020)

KBYK Live Inc.

Equity investments (expected)

YG Entertainment Universal Music (122870) Group

Source(s): Company data, KB Securities Source(s): Company data, KB Securities Note: Attracted 760,000 viewers from 107 countries

Table 15. Online Concert Platforms: VenewLive vs. Beyond LIVE VenewLive Beyond LIVE

Major affiliates Big Hit, Kiswe, YG, Universal SM, JYP Transmission channels Weverse Naver V Live Features Multi-view, live chats, light sticks Multi-cam, video chats, light sticks Major concerts BTS Map of the Soul On:e Beyond LIVE—NCT: RESONANCE ‘Global Wave’ 990,000 fans from 191 countries 200,000 fans from 124 countries Price KRW49,500 (HD multi-view) KRW44,000 KRW59,500 (4K single view + multi-view) Ticket revenue KRW49.2bn KRW8.0bn

Source(s): Media reports, KB Securities

Table 16. Major Events & Concerts Held via KBYK Live Date Major Event & Concerts May 2020 MOU signed between Kiswe Mobile and Big Hit Entertainment Jun 14, 2020 760,000 fans from 107 countries watched BTS’ “Bang Bang Con: The Live” Aug 30, 2020 Seventeen’s “Seventeen in Carat Land” September 2020 Founded JV KBYK Live and launched VenewLive Oct 11, 2020 990,000 fans from 191 countries watched BTS’ “BTS Map of the Soul On:e” Oct 30, 2020 Gfriend’s “Gfriend C:on” Nov 28, 2020 NU'EST “Fan Meeting ” Dec 31, 2020 Big Hit Entertainment’s “2021 New Year's Eve Live” Jan 1, 2021 Justin Bieber’s “T-Mobile New Year's Live” Jan 23, 2021 Seventeen’s “2021 Seventeen Online Concert In-complete” Feb 7, 2021 Enhypen’s “2021 Enhypen Fan Meeting

Source(s): Media reports, KB Securities

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IV. Risk Factors

Overhang issue Established in 2005, Big Hit Entertainment went public on the KOSPI on Oct 15, 2020. The IPO price was set at KRW135,000, which was at the high-end of the offer price. The stock opened at KRW270,000 and hit an intra-day high of KRW351,000. Currently, the stock price hovers around the opening price, as market participants have continued in their profit-taking.

An overhang issue could emerge, as some shares held by institutional investors (among those subscribed via IPO) are eligible for trading when the lock-up period ends on Apr 15. Also, there is potential of STIC Investments dumping its shares (8.05% stake).

Table 17. Potential Overhang Issue No. of Shares No. of Shares Ownership Ownership Shareholders (before sale) (after sale) (%, before sale) (%, after sale) STIC Special Situation Private Equity Fund 3,266,703 2,866,703 9.17 8.05 MainSton LLC 1,282,223 Partial sale during market hours (est.) 3.60 Small % left Eston First Private Equity Fund 399,064 Partial sale during market hours (est.) 1.12 Small % left Partial sale via block deal to Small % left Well Blink Ltd. (Legend Capital) 1,777,568 4.99 Singaporean institutional investors Institutional investors’ uncommitted 205,463 0.58 Institutional investors’ 15-day commitment 926,151 2.60 Institutional investors’ 1-month commitment 1,322,416 3.71 Institutional investors’ 3-month commitment 765,179 2.15 Institutional investors’ 6-month commitment 1,063,100 2.98

Source(s): Company data, KB Securities Note 1: Well Blink Ltd. owns RCPSs. Note 2: Ownership (after sale) is based on disclosed volume. Note 3: Based on ownership prior to rights issue.

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Income Statement Statement of Financial Position (KRWbn) 2019A 2020A 2021E 2022E 2023E (KRWbn) 2019A 2020A 2021E 2022E 2023E (Reporting standard) (IFRS-C) (IFRS-C) (IFRS-C) (IFRS-C) (IFRS-C) (Reporting standard) (IFRS-C) (IFRS-C) (IFRS-C) (IFRS-C) (IFRS-C)

Revenue 587 796 1,202 1,532 1,792 Total assets 363 1,924 1,702 1,928 2,200

Cost of revenue 386 422 648 818 951 Current assets 295 1,389 1,155 1,373 1,637 Gross profit 202 375 554 714 841 Cash and cash equivalents 161 380 113 231 446 SG&A expenses 103 229 333 423 489 Current financial assets 4 783 783 783 783

Operating profit 99 146 221 290 352 Trade receivables 95 112 173 261 299 EBITDA 108 180 221 290 352 Inventory 13 62 49 56 64 Non-operating accounts 0 -19 -7 -6 -6 Other current assets 22 52 37 42 45

Interest income 0 2 3 4 4 Non-current assets 68 535 547 555 564 Interest expenses 1 4 7 7 7 Investment assets 15 34 34 31 35 Profit on equity method -1 -2 -2 -2 -2 Property, plant and equipment 8 48 52 55 55

Net other non-operating income 1 -16 -1 -1 -1 Intangible assets 26 288 292 296 296 Profit before tax 98 126 214 284 346 Other non-current assets 20 165 169 174 178 Income tax expense 26 39 59 78 95 Total liabilities 189 726 728 749 770

Net profit 72 87 155 206 251 Current liabilities 175 296 299 322 340 NP attributable to controlling interests 74 86 155 206 250 Trade payables 25 35 69 78 90 Adj. net profit 74 86 155 206 250 Short-term financial liabilities 11 21 18 16 6

Other current liabilities 138 241 211 228 245 Operating Statistics & Ratios Non-current liabilities 15 429 429 427 430 (%) 2019A 2020A 2021E 2022E 2023E Non-current financial liabilities 3 323 323 323 323

Revenue growth 94.9 35.6 51.0 27.5 17.0 Other non-current liabilities 12 107 107 104 108 OP growth 23.5 47.4 51.9 31.3 21.2 Total equity 174 1,199 1,354 1,560 1,810

EBITDA growth 28.8 67.0 22.5 31.3 21.2 Issued capital 1 18 18 18 18 NP growth of parent TTB 16.1 80.8 32.7 21.8 Share premium 213 1,132 1,132 1,132 1,132 GP margin 34.3 47.1 46.1 46.6 46.9 Other equity interest 2 2 2 2 2

OP margin 16.8 18.3 18.4 18.9 19.6 Accumulated other comprehensive income 0 0 0 0 0 EBITDA margin 18.4 22.7 18.4 18.9 19.6 Retained earnings -42 44 199 405 655 EBT margin 16.8 15.9 17.8 18.6 19.3 Controlling interests 174 1,195 1,351 1,556 1,807

NP margin of parent 12.6 10.8 12.9 13.4 14.0 Non-controlling interests -1 4 4 4 4

Statement of Cash Flows Key Ratios (KRWbn) 2019A 2020A 2021E 2022E 2023E (x, %, KRW) 2019A 2020A 2021E 2022E 2023E

Cash flow from operating activities 92 117 112 119 220 Multiples Net profit 72 87 155 206 251 P/E N/A 56.3 57.2 43.1 35.4

Depreciation & amortization 9 35 0 0 0 P/B N/A 4.8 6.6 5.7 4.9

Other non-cash adjustments 9 26 61 80 97 P/S N/A 6.1 7.4 5.8 4.9 Investments in working capital 5 -26 -45 -87 -36 EV/EBITDA N/A 27.1 36.7 27.5 22.1

Decrease(Increase) in receivables -44 -20 -61 -88 -37 EV/EBIT N/A 33.6 36.7 27.5 22.1 Decrease(Increase) in inventory -8 -54 12 -7 -8 Dividend yield, ordinary (%) N/A N/A 0.0 0.0 0.0 Increase(Decrease) in payables 11 9 35 9 11 EPS 2,601 2,843 4,248 5,637 6,864

Investments in other working capital 46 39 -31 -1 -2 BVPS 6,113 33,554 37,014 42,648 49,514 Other operating cash flow -4 -6 -59 -80 -92 SPS 20,691 26,411 32,943 41,988 49,113 Cash flow from investing activities 12 -1,022 -12 -8 -9 DPS (annual, ordinary) 0 0 0 0 0

Capital expenditure -5 -39 -4 -3 0 Cash dividends payout ratio (%) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Investments in intangibles -2 -13 -4 -4 0 Operating performance Changes in investment assets 36 -783 0 3 -4 ROE 56.5 12.5 12.2 14.2 14.9

Other investment cash flow -17 -188 -5 -5 -4 ROA 25.5 7.6 8.6 11.4 12.2 Cash flow from financing activities -1 1,133 12 8 4 ROIC -8,573.3 56.1 42.4 47.8 51.5 Proceeds from (repayment of) debt -4 185 -3 -3 -10 Financial structure (%)

Changes in equity 0 948 0 0 0 Total liab./equity 109.2 60.5 53.8 48.0 42.6 Dividends paid 0 0 0 0 0 Net debt/equity Net Cash Net Cash Net Cash Net Cash Net Cash Other financing cash flow 2 0 15 11 14 Current ratio 1.7 4.7 3.9 4.3 4.8

Other cash flow 0 -8 0 0 0 Interest coverage (x) 78.4 37.4 31.2 41.2 50.2 Increase/decrease in cash 103 219 113 119 215 Activity ratios Cash and cash equivalents at FYE 161 380 113 231 446 Asset turnover (x) 2.1 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.9

Free cash flow 87 77 109 115 220 Receivables turnover (x) 8.2 7.7 8.4 7.1 6.4 Net cash flow 62 670 -265 121 225 Payables turnover (x) 30.2 26.6 23.2 20.8 21.3 Net cash (net debt) 150 820 555 676 901 Inventory turnover (x) 62.9 21.3 21.6 29.1 29.9

Source(s): Company data, KB Securities estimates

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Disclosures Rating and Target Price Changes (Share price ━, Target Price ━)

KRW Big Hit Entertainment Big Hit Entertainment (352820) Date R ating Target Price Differential (%) 340,000 (KRW) Av g. Max / Min 280,000 Nov-30-2020 Buy 256,000 -33.88 -25.98 Jan-07-2021 Buy 226,000 -8.41 10.18 220,000 Feb-24-2021 Buy 270,000 -17.67 -10.00 160,000 Apr-05-2021 Buy 305,000

100,000 Apr '19 Aug '19 Dec '19 Apr '20 Aug '20 Dec '20 Apr '21

KB Securities is an issuer and liquidity provider of equity-linked warrants (ELW) that Proportion of investment rating (as of March 31, 2021) have stock of Big Hit Entertainment underlying as of the date of this report. Buy Hold Sell KB Securities has not provided any material in this research report to institutional 79.9 20.1 - investors or third parties in advance of publication of this research report. The research analyst responsible for the preparation of this research report does not have any beneficial interest in any security or issuer covered and certifies that the analysis was * Note: Based on reports presented with investment ratings over the past one year made in good faith and that the views presented accurately reflect personal opinion without any undue influence or intervention.

Classification and Standards for Investment Rating All research reports are available through electronic publication on Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters and FactSet. Please contact your KB Securities sales representative for access. Investment Rating for Company (based on estimation of 12-month absolute returns) This report is provided for information only and is not an offer or solicitation to trade in Buy: +15% or beyond Hold: Between 15% and -15% Sell: -15% or beyond any security. Opinions in this report reflect the professional judgment of the research analyst(s) as of the date hereof and are based on information and data obtained from

Note: KB Securities’ classification of investment ratings has shifted from four stages sources that KB Securities considers reliable. KB Securities makes no representation that (Strong BUY, BUY, Marketperform, Underperform) to three stages (Buy, Hold, Sell) the information and data are accurate or complete and the views presented in this report based on Korean reports since February 23, 2017. are subject to change without prior notification. Clients should independently consider KB Securities’ standards for stock rating shifted starting on Feb 10, 2020 from an their own particular circumstances and objectives and are solely responsible for their estimation of six-month absolute returns to an estimation of 12-month absolute returns. investment decisions and we shall not have liability for investments or results thereof. These materials are the copyright of KB Securities and may not be reproduced, Investment Rating for Industry redistributed or modified without the prior consent of KB Securities. Comments and (based on estimation of 12-month absolute returns) views in this report are of a general nature and intended for reference only and not Positive: Neutral: Negative: authorized for use for any other purpose. To outperform market To match market performance To underperform market

Notes: The industry rating system of KB Securities has shifted from (Overweight, Neutral, Underweight) to (Positive, Neutral, Negative) as of Jun 28, 2017. KB Securities’ standards for industry rating shifted starting on Feb 10, 2020 from an estimation of six-month absolute returns to an estimation of 12-month absolute returns.

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