28-05-2025
Morgan Stanley buys 5% stake in APR amid K-beauty boom
Morgan Stanley & Co. International, a wholly owned affiliate of US investment bank Morgan Stanley, has acquired more than a 5 percent stake in South Korean beauty tech firm APR, signaling potential interest in the fast-evolving Korean beauty sector.
In its regulatory filing Tuesday, APR reported that Morgan Stanley had acquired 2,162,951 shares of APR through open-market transactions, amounting to a 5.76 percent ownership stake.
APR clarified that the disclosure followed mandatory procedures, triggered when an investor's stake surpasses the 5 percent reporting threshold. The company characterized the move as a 'simple investment."
APR's largest shareholder is its CEO, Kim Byung-hoon, who holds a 31.81 percent stake as of May, while the National Pension Service holds an 8.49 percent stake.
While no formal statement has been issued, speculation has surfaced among industry observers that Morgan Stanley may eventually transition from a passive investor to an active participant in the company's management, aiming to leverage the ever-growing Korean beauty industry worldwide.
Known for its Medicube brand, APR reported record-high sales of 722.8 billion won ($526 million) last year, up 38 percent from the previous year. Its operating profit rose 17.7 percent to 122.7 billion won.
The company's growth trajectory continued in the first quarter of this year, with sales revenue climbing 78.6 percent on-year to 266 billion won.
