April 26, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] NCSoft will be short of momentum in the first half, said Samsung Securities on Feb. 8, lowering the target price to 530,000 won (US$487.09) from 560,000 won.

There is a possibility that the release of its next blockbuster mobile game “Blade & Soul 2,” originally set for the second quarter, may be pushed to the third quarter, which would undermine investor sentiments, said analyst Oh Dong-hwan.

There are some new games, including “Aion Legions,” slated for release in the first half, but considering the limitations of the genre, expectations for a hit will begin to boost its value from the second quarter, said the analyst. 

Meanwhile, investment with a long-term perspective is still valid, considering that it is undervalued compared to its rivals, has the capability to generate stable profits, and has a new game set to be rolled out in the latter half of the year, noted Oh.

The game developer will be able to post over 200 billion won in operating profit from the first quarter, on the back of stable revenue from “Lineage M” and elimination of one-off costs, he added.

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