Latest news with #JunkooKim
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WEBTOON (NASDAQ:WBTN) Reports Sales Below Analyst Estimates In Q1 Earnings, Stock Drops
Digital storytelling platform WEBTOON (NASDAQ:WBTN) fell short of the market's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, with sales flat year on year at $325.7 million. On the other hand, the company expects next quarter's revenue to be around $340 million, close to analysts' estimates. Its GAAP loss of $0.17 per share was 7% below analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy WEBTOON? Find out in our full research report. Revenue: $325.7 million vs analyst estimates of $328.8 million (flat year on year, 1% miss) EPS (GAAP): -$0.17 vs analyst expectations of -$0.16 (7% miss) Adjusted EBITDA: $4.08 million vs analyst estimates of $3.23 million (1.3% margin, relatively in line) Revenue Guidance for Q2 CY2025 is $340 million at the midpoint, roughly in line with what analysts were expecting EBITDA guidance for Q2 CY2025 is $3 million at the midpoint, below analyst estimates of $11.89 million Operating Margin: -8.2%, down from 4.3% in the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow was -$19.19 million, down from $20.79 million in the same quarter last year Monthly Active Users: 150 million Market Capitalization: $1.24 billion Junkoo Kim, Founder and CEO, said, 'We are pleased to report both revenue and Adjusted EBITDA above the midpoint of our guidance. Total revenue was up 5.3% on a constant currency basis, with all three revenue streams – Paid Content, Advertising, and IP Adaptations – contributing to growth.' Pioneering a vertical-scrolling format optimized for mobile devices, WEBTOON Entertainment (NASDAQ:WBTN) operates a global platform where creators publish serialized web-comics and web-novels that users can read in bite-sized episodes. Examining a company's long-term performance can provide clues about its quality. Any business can put up a good quarter or two, but many enduring ones grow for years. With $1.35 billion in revenue over the past 12 months, WEBTOON is a small player in the business services space, which sometimes brings disadvantages compared to larger competitors benefiting from economies of scale and numerous distribution channels. On the bright side, it can grow faster because it has more room to expand. As you can see below, WEBTOON's 7.9% annualized revenue growth over the last two years was solid. This is an encouraging starting point for our analysis because it shows WEBTOON's demand was higher than many business services companies. This quarter, WEBTOON missed Wall Street's estimates and reported a rather uninspiring 0.3% year-on-year revenue decline, generating $325.7 million of revenue. Company management is currently guiding for a 5.9% year-on-year increase in sales next quarter. Looking further ahead, sell-side analysts expect revenue to grow 13% over the next 12 months, an improvement versus the last two years. This projection is admirable and indicates its newer products and services will spur better top-line performance. Unless you've been living under a rock, it should be obvious by now that generative AI is going to have a huge impact on how large corporations do business. While Nvidia and AMD are trading close to all-time highs, we prefer a lesser-known (but still profitable) stock benefiting from the rise of AI. Click here to access our free report one of our favorites growth stories. WEBTOON's operating margin has been trending down over the last 12 months and averaged negative 6.9% over the last three years. Unprofitable, high-growth companies warrant extra scrutiny, especially if their margins fall because they're spending loads of money to stay relevant, an unsustainable practice. This quarter, WEBTOON generated a negative 8.2% operating margin. Free cash flow isn't a prominently featured metric in company financials and earnings releases, but we think it's telling because it accounts for all operating and capital expenses, making it tough to manipulate. Cash is king. WEBTOON broke even from a free cash flow perspective over the last two years, giving the company limited opportunities to return capital to shareholders. WEBTOON burned through $19.19 million of cash in Q1, equivalent to a negative 5.9% margin. The company's cash flow turned negative after being positive in the same quarter last year, prompting us to pay closer attention. Short-term fluctuations typically aren't a big deal because investment needs can be seasonal, but we'll be watching to see if the trend extrapolates into future quarters. We struggled to find many positives in these results as its revenue and EPS missed. Next quarter's EBITDA guidance also fell short of Wall Street's estimates. Overall, this was a weaker quarter. The stock traded down 6.6% to $9.22 immediately after reporting. WEBTOON underperformed this quarter, but does that create an opportunity to invest right now? When making that decision, it's important to consider its valuation, business qualities, as well as what has happened in the latest quarter. We cover that in our actionable full research report which you can read here, it's free.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WEBTOON Entertainment Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim and COO & CFO David Lee Named to Gold House's 2025 A100 List
The recognition highlights WEBTOON Entertainment's growing impact on the global entertainment industry and Creator Economy LOS ANGELES, May 01, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: WBTN), a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world's largest storytelling platforms, today announced that Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim and CFO & COO David Lee have been named to Gold House's 2025 A100 List. The annual list honors the most influential Asian Pacific leaders shaping culture and industry. Kim and Lee are recognized alongside directors Bong Joon Ho and Jon M. Chu, BLACKPINK superstars Lisa and Rosé, musician Charli XCX, Tubi CEO Anjali Sud, and many other luminaries for their contributions to entertainment, technology, and storytelling. Junkoo Kim founded WEBTOON in 2005 in Korea, pioneering the mobile vertical scroll format that revolutionized digital comics and inspired a new generation of creators. His vision has transformed WEBTOON Entertainment into a global storytelling powerhouse, reaching millions of readers and empowering anyone to build a global audience for their stories. "Being named to the A100 List is an incredible honor, and I'm grateful to be recognized alongside so many influential leaders shaping culture and innovation around the world," said WEBTOON Entertainment Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim. "At WEBTOON, we've always believed that great stories can come from anywhere, and this recognition is a testament to the power of storytelling and the creativity of our global creator community." David Lee has played a pivotal role in WEBTOON Entertainment's evolution as a global entertainment company. As CFO and COO, Lee helped lead WEBTOON through its historic IPO, guiding the company through a significant period of evolution. With a sharp strategic lens and strong track record transforming global businesses, Lee has helped position WEBTOON as a leading player at the nexus of tech, IP and entertainment. "It's a privilege to be named to the A100 List alongside our Founder and CEO Junkoo Kim, and such an inspiring group of leaders making an impact across industries," said WEBTOON Entertainment CFO & COO David Lee. "This recognition reflects the incredible work our team has done to revolutionize digital storytelling. WEBTOON has transformed storytelling and entertainment for a new generation, and I'm proud to help drive our mission of empowering creators and bringing diverse stories to audiences everywhere." WEBTOON Entertainment is a powerhouse in digital storytelling, fueling hit webcomics and webnovel adaptations worldwide. WEBTOON Entertainment content has been brought to life on screens everywhere, with projects like Sweet Home and Through My Window (Netflix), Vigilante (Disney+), Sidelined: The QB and Me (Tubi), and Tower of God (Crunchyroll), among many others. Leading brands, including Duolingo, CAPCOM, DC Comics, HYBE, Ubisoft, Dropout (formerly College Humor), and Discord, have partnered with WEBTOON Entertainment to reach new audiences and tap into its massive Gen Z fanbase. For more information or to see the complete list, please visit About WEBTOON Entertainment WEBTOON Entertainment is a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world's largest storytelling platforms. As the global leader and pioneer of the mobile webcomic format, WEBTOON Entertainment has transformed comics and visual storytelling for fans and creators. With its CANVAS UGC platform empowering anyone to become a creator, and a growing roster of superstar WEBTOON Originals creators and series, WEBTOON Entertainment's passionate fandoms are the new face of pop culture. WEBTOON Entertainment adaptations are available on Netflix, Prime Video, Crunchyroll, and other screens around the world, and the company's content partners include Discord, HYBE and DC Comics, among many others. With approximately 160 million monthly active users, WEBTOON Entertainment's IP & Creator Ecosystem of aligned brands and platforms include WEBTOON, Wattpad--the world's leading webnovel platform--Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, Studio N, Studio LICO, WEBTOON Unscrolled, LINE MANGA, and eBookJapan, among others. View source version on Contacts Jacquelyn Brazzale, Senior PR Manager, WEBTOON: Palmer Haasch, Communications Specialist, WEBTOON: Sign in to access your portfolio
National Post
01-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
WEBTOON Entertainment Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim and COO & CFO David Lee Named to Gold House's 2025 A100 List
Article content LOS ANGELES — WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: WBTN), a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world's largest storytelling platforms, today announced that Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim and CFO & COO David Lee have been named to Gold House's 2025 A100 List. The annual list honors the most influential Asian Pacific leaders shaping culture and industry. Kim and Lee are recognized alongside directors Bong Joon Ho and Jon M. Chu, BLACKPINK superstars Lisa and Rosé, musician Charli XCX, Tubi CEO Anjali Sud, and many other luminaries for their contributions to entertainment, technology, and storytelling. Article content Junkoo Kim founded WEBTOON in 2005 in Korea, pioneering the mobile vertical scroll format that revolutionized digital comics and inspired a new generation of creators. His vision has transformed WEBTOON Entertainment into a global storytelling powerhouse, reaching millions of readers and empowering anyone to build a global audience for their stories. Article content 'Being named to the A100 List is an incredible honor, and I'm grateful to be recognized alongside so many influential leaders shaping culture and innovation around the world,' said WEBTOON Entertainment Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim. 'At WEBTOON, we've always believed that great stories can come from anywhere, and this recognition is a testament to the power of storytelling and the creativity of our global creator community.' Article content David Lee has played a pivotal role in WEBTOON Entertainment's evolution as a global entertainment company. As CFO and COO, Lee helped lead WEBTOON through its historic IPO, guiding the company through a significant period of evolution. With a sharp strategic lens and strong track record transforming global businesses, Lee has helped position WEBTOON as a leading player at the nexus of tech, IP and entertainment. Article content 'It's a privilege to be named to the A100 List alongside our Founder and CEO Junkoo Kim, and such an inspiring group of leaders making an impact across industries,' said WEBTOON Entertainment CFO & COO David Lee. 'This recognition reflects the incredible work our team has done to revolutionize digital storytelling. WEBTOON has transformed storytelling and entertainment for a new generation, and I'm proud to help drive our mission of empowering creators and bringing diverse stories to audiences everywhere.' Article content WEBTOON Entertainment is a powerhouse in digital storytelling, fueling hit webcomics and webnovel adaptations worldwide. WEBTOON Entertainment content has been brought to life on screens everywhere, with projects like Sweet Home and Through My Window (Netflix), Vigilante (Disney+), Sidelined: The QB and Me (Tubi), and Tower of God (Crunchyroll), among many others. Leading brands, including Duolingo, CAPCOM, DC Comics, HYBE, Ubisoft, Dropout (formerly College Humor), and Discord, have partnered with WEBTOON Entertainment to reach new audiences and tap into its massive Gen Z fanbase. Article content WEBTOON Entertainment is a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world's largest storytelling platforms. As the global leader and pioneer of the mobile webcomic format, WEBTOON Entertainment has transformed comics and visual storytelling for fans and creators. Article content With its CANVAS UGC platform empowering anyone to become a creator, and a growing roster of superstar WEBTOON Originals creators and series, WEBTOON Entertainment's passionate fandoms are the new face of pop culture. WEBTOON Entertainment adaptations are available on Netflix, Prime Video, Crunchyroll, and other screens around the world, and the company's content partners include Discord, HYBE and DC Comics, among many others. Article content With approximately 160 million monthly active users, WEBTOON Entertainment's IP & Creator Ecosystem of aligned brands and platforms include WEBTOON, Wattpad–the world's leading webnovel platform–Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, Studio N, Studio LICO, WEBTOON Unscrolled, LINE MANGA, and eBookJapan, among others. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
Business Wire
01-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
WEBTOON Entertainment Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim and COO & CFO David Lee Named to Gold House's 2025 A100 List
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: WBTN), a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world's largest storytelling platforms, today announced that Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim and CFO & COO David Lee have been named to Gold House's 2025 A100 List. The annual list honors the most influential Asian Pacific leaders shaping culture and industry. Kim and Lee are recognized alongside directors Bong Joon Ho and Jon M. Chu, BLACKPINK superstars Lisa and Rosé, musician Charli XCX, Tubi CEO Anjali Sud, and many other luminaries for their contributions to entertainment, technology, and storytelling. Junkoo Kim founded WEBTOON in 2005 in Korea, pioneering the mobile vertical scroll format that revolutionized digital comics and inspired a new generation of creators. His vision has transformed WEBTOON Entertainment into a global storytelling powerhouse, reaching millions of readers and empowering anyone to build a global audience for their stories. "Being named to the A100 List is an incredible honor, and I'm grateful to be recognized alongside so many influential leaders shaping culture and innovation around the world,' said WEBTOON Entertainment Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim. 'At WEBTOON, we've always believed that great stories can come from anywhere, and this recognition is a testament to the power of storytelling and the creativity of our global creator community." David Lee has played a pivotal role in WEBTOON Entertainment's evolution as a global entertainment company. As CFO and COO, Lee helped lead WEBTOON through its historic IPO, guiding the company through a significant period of evolution. With a sharp strategic lens and strong track record transforming global businesses, Lee has helped position WEBTOON as a leading player at the nexus of tech, IP and entertainment. "It's a privilege to be named to the A100 List alongside our Founder and CEO Junkoo Kim, and such an inspiring group of leaders making an impact across industries,' said WEBTOON Entertainment CFO & COO David Lee. 'This recognition reflects the incredible work our team has done to revolutionize digital storytelling. WEBTOON has transformed storytelling and entertainment for a new generation, and I'm proud to help drive our mission of empowering creators and bringing diverse stories to audiences everywhere." WEBTOON Entertainment is a powerhouse in digital storytelling, fueling hit webcomics and webnovel adaptations worldwide. WEBTOON Entertainment content has been brought to life on screens everywhere, with projects like Sweet Home and Through My Window (Netflix), Vigilante (Disney+), Sidelined: The QB and Me (Tubi), and Tower of God (Crunchyroll), among many others. Leading brands, including Duolingo, CAPCOM, DC Comics, HYBE, Ubisoft, Dropout (formerly College Humor), and Discord, have partnered with WEBTOON Entertainment to reach new audiences and tap into its massive Gen Z fanbase. For more information or to see the complete list, please visit WEBTOON Entertainment is a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world's largest storytelling platforms. As the global leader and pioneer of the mobile webcomic format, WEBTOON Entertainment has transformed comics and visual storytelling for fans and creators. With its CANVAS UGC platform empowering anyone to become a creator, and a growing roster of superstar WEBTOON Originals creators and series, WEBTOON Entertainment's passionate fandoms are the new face of pop culture. WEBTOON Entertainment adaptations are available on Netflix, Prime Video, Crunchyroll, and other screens around the world, and the company's content partners include Discord, HYBE and DC Comics, among many others. With approximately 160 million monthly active users, WEBTOON Entertainment's IP & Creator Ecosystem of aligned brands and platforms include WEBTOON, Wattpad--the world's leading webnovel platform--Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, Studio N, Studio LICO, WEBTOON Unscrolled, LINE MANGA, and eBookJapan, among others.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Digital Media & Content Platforms Stocks Q4 Highlights: WEBTOON (NASDAQ:WBTN)
As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here's a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q4. Today, we are looking at digital media & content platforms stocks, starting with WEBTOON (NASDAQ:WBTN). AI-driven content creation, personalized media experiences, and digital advertising are evolving, which could benefit companies investing in these themes. For example, companies with a portfolio of licensed visual content or platforms facilitating direct monetization models could see increased demand for years. On the other hand, headwinds include growing regulatory scrutiny on AI-generated content, with many publishers balking at anything that gets no human oversight. Additional areas to navigate include the phasing out of third-party cookies, which could make traditional ways of tracking the online behavior of consumers (a secret sauce in digital marketing) much less effective. The 7 digital media & content platforms stocks we track reported a slower Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts' consensus estimates by 1.4% while next quarter's revenue guidance was 3.5% below. Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 10.7% since the latest earnings results. Pioneering a vertical-scrolling format optimized for mobile devices, WEBTOON Entertainment (NASDAQ:WBTN) operates a global platform where creators publish serialized web-comics and web-novels that users can read in bite-sized episodes. WEBTOON reported revenues of $352.8 million, up 5.6% year on year. This print fell short of analysts' expectations by 1.3%. Overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts' EPS estimates. Junkoo Kim, Founder and CEO, said, '2024 was an exciting year for WEBTOON Entertainment as we became a public company, expanding the global influence of our creators and IP. We're proud to have delivered strong financial results in 2024 that prove our strategy is working, including revenue growth on a constant currency basis of 13%, driven by growth across all revenue streams – Paid Content, Advertising, and IP Adaptations – as well as record Adjusted EBITDA of $67.9 million, a growth rate of over 600%.' Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 9.3% since reporting and currently trades at $9.10. Is now the time to buy WEBTOON? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free. Formerly known as K12, Stride (NYSE:LRN) is an education technology company providing education solutions through digital platforms. Stride reported revenues of $587.2 million, up 16.3% year on year, outperforming analysts' expectations by 2.9%. The business had a very strong quarter with a solid beat of analysts' EPS estimates. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 15.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $139.59. Is now the time to buy Stride? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free. Originally a pioneering technology publisher founded in 1927 that became famous for PC Magazine, Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) operates a portfolio of digital media brands and subscription services across technology, shopping, gaming, healthcare, and cybersecurity markets. Ziff Davis reported revenues of $412.8 million, up 5.9% year on year, falling short of analysts' expectations by 2.7%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts' full-year EPS guidance estimates. Ziff Davis delivered the highest full-year guidance raise but had the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 35.5% since the results and currently trades at $30.95. Read our full analysis of Ziff Davis's results here. With a vast library of over 562 million visual assets documenting everything from breaking news to iconic historical moments, Getty Images (NYSE:GETY) is a global visual content marketplace that licenses photos, videos, illustrations, and music to businesses, media outlets, and creative professionals. Getty Images reported revenues of $247.3 million, up 9.5% year on year. This print topped analysts' expectations by 0.5%. Taking a step back, it was a softer quarter as it produced a significant miss of analysts' EPS estimates. Getty Images had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is down 8.6% since reporting and currently trades at $1.97. Read our full, actionable report on Getty Images here, it's free. Founded in 2013 as a champion for content creator rights and free expression, Rumble (NASDAQ:RUM) is a video sharing platform that positions itself as a free speech alternative to mainstream platforms, offering creators more favorable revenue-sharing opportunities. Rumble reported revenues of $30.23 million, up 48.2% year on year. This result beat analysts' expectations by 1.7%. Zooming out, it was a softer quarter as it logged revenue guidance for next quarter missing analysts' expectations and a significant miss of analysts' EPS estimates. Rumble delivered the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 2.7% since reporting and currently trades at $8.24. Read our full, actionable report on Rumble here, it's free. As a result of the Fed's rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has come down from frothy levels post-pandemic. The general rise in the price of goods and services is trending towards the Fed's 2% goal as of late, which is good news. The higher rates that fought inflation also didn't slow economic activity enough to catalyze a recession. So far, soft landing. This, combined with recent rate cuts (half a percent in September 2024 and a quarter percent in November 2024) have led to strong stock market performance in 2024. The icing on the cake for 2024 returns was Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. Presidential Election in early November, sending major indices to all-time highs in the week following the election. Still, debates around the health of the economy and the impact of potential tariffs and corporate tax cuts remain, leaving much uncertainty around 2025. Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Hidden Gem Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Join Paid Stock Investor Research Help us make StockStory more helpful to investors like yourself. 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