"I have been waiting for the 9 a.m. stock morning opening broadcasting only."
This is the title of a live broadcast at 9 a.m. on the 6th by "Hangyeong" (real name Woo Hang-kyeong), who is active on SOOP (formerly Africa TV). It is said that she danced to wish for a rise in stock prices.
Hangyeong is a famous female streamer who started global SOOP broadcasting on the 1st of this month. In just four days, the cumulative audience of her broadcasts surpassed 130,000, with the peak concurrent viewers nearly reaching 2,000.
SOOP's stock price is soaring. From a closing price of 80,300 won on the 31st of last month, it rose 59.3% (47,600 won) to a closing price of 127,900 won, just four trading days later. The previous day, it even recorded the upper limit price (the highest daily price limit).
Investors are cheering on the rising stock prices, calling it the Hangyeong effect. They are sponsoring "star balloons" on Hangyeong's broadcasts again, and she is responding with broadcasts wishing for stock price increases, creating a virtuous cycle where SOOP's performance improves.
The rise in stock prices attributed to female streamers, including Hangyeong, appears to alleviate concerns about global SOOP. Global SOOP tried to attract traffic centered around e-sports after its launch in November of last year but did not achieve notable results.
The stock price reflects the market's disappointment. SOOP's shares have drawn a downward curve since peaking at 143,800 won on July 14 of last year. On the 31st of last month, it plummeted to 78,600 won during trading, halving its value.
However, expectations for global SOOP have also been revived based on female streamer content. Lee Jun-ho, a Research Institute analyst at Hana Securities, noted, "While it is difficult to expect immediate achievements from domestic streamers based on Hangyeong's first simultaneous broadcast on global SOOP, this event confirms the growth momentum of global SOOP and presents a clear opportunity to secure loyal customers on the platform."
Although SOOP changed its name to improve its image, some have given it a harsh assessment, saying it has ultimately returned to money-making "sensationalism." There was also a related incident. Oh Dong-hwan, an analyst at Samsung Securities, released a SOOP report titled "Female Streamers Going Global" on that day, attaching pictures of Hangyeong's broadcasts for better understanding. There was a reaction that it was "not appropriate" for use in a report, leading to the removal of the pictures and the submission of a revised report.
However, Oh did not modify the report's content. He stated, "SOOP clearly holds a competitive edge in female streamer content based on its high content freedom, and it is expected to contribute to the early settlement and monetization of global SOOP by expanding beyond just e-sports in the East Asian market."
He also compared it to global platforms for adult content, such as Patreon and OnlyFans. Oh remarked, "While SOOP complies with domestic review regulations, making the potential for expansion into adult content limited, considering the high growth potential and demand for creator support platforms like Patreon or OnlyFans in the global market, the growth potential of SOOP's female streamer content is sufficiently high."
As SOOP's stock price has risen sharply in a short period, the possibility of a correction should be kept in mind. According to the financial information company FnGuide, the average target price for SOOP set by domestic securities firms is 141,200 won. Reflecting the target prices set by foreign securities firms, it is 138,300 won, indicating an 8% difference from the closing price that day.
The target prices set by securities firms are calculated based on the average price-to-earnings ratio (PER) of 14 times (market capitalization ÷ net income) for live streaming platforms both domestically and internationally. This means that for SOOP's stock price to rise significantly, it must demonstrate something that surpasses other platforms.
Lee Sang-min, the representative of Pluto Research, projected that as SOOP, which had relied on the domestic market, expands its market globally, it would be able to justify its steep stock price increase. He remarked, "SOOP has distinct differences from overseas game-centric internet broadcasts and is also engaged in advertising businesses, providing additional potential for business upside."