S.Korea’s Kakao Enjoyment secures $966 mln investment from sovereign prosperity funds

SEOUL, Jan 12 (Reuters) – Tech conglomerate Kakao Corp (035720.KS) reported on Thursday device Kakao Amusement secured a 1.2 trillion won ($966.27 million) expense from major sovereign wealth funds, generating it the largest abroad funding in a South Korean articles corporation.

The go indicators investors’ bullish outlook for progress potential of Korean content and its “economic downturn-evidence” tendencies when weak financial outlook has dried up liquidity in many other sectors, analysts mentioned.

Singapore’s GIC and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) determined to every make investments 600 billion won in the amusement organization, local newspaper Korea Economic Day by day noted on Thursday, citing unnamed expense banking resources.

Kakao, nevertheless, did not title the sovereign wealth funds in its statement. PIF declined to comment, though GIC did not promptly remark.

Kakao Corp shares rose 1% in early early morning trade, outperforming a .2% rise in the broader market place (.KS11).

“It truly is significant that we were being equipped to safe resources of this scale at a time when both the Korean and world wide markets face a great deal of uncertainty and expense sentiment is weak,” Kakao Main Financial investment Officer Bae Jae-hyun claimed.

Unlisted Kakao Leisure has a company portfolio ranging from K-Pop – like artist administration – to displays, movies, and on the net-focused, comparatively small-value articles such as comics termed webtoons and serial world wide web novels.

“Webtoons and web novels are steadily getting turned into thriving dramas and other formats, so buyers assume this is superior value and timing to make investments in an mental assets holder,” claimed Kim Jin-woo, analyst, Daol Expense & Securities.

“Having secured funds, Kakao Leisure may possibly look for to improve its artist lineup that can far better focus on abroad markets by using M&A or other methods.”

Saudi Arabia’s PIF individually revealed in a Japanese regulatory submitting on Thursday that it boosted its stake in Nintendo Co Ltd (7974.T) from 5.01% to 6.07%. go through additional

The sovereign prosperity fund has amplified its exposure to the Japanese online video gaming industry a short while ago, having taken stakes also in video video game providers Nexon (3659.T), Capcom (9697.T), and Koei Tecmo (3635.T).

($1 = 1,241.8900 gained)

Reporting by Joyce Lee Extra reporting by Makiko Yamazaki in Tokyo Editing by Chris Reese, Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Jane Merriman

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