SEOUL, March 23 (AJP) - BTS may have returned in full force, but investors were in no mood to celebrate.
Despite the group’s highly publicized comeback spectacle in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun on Saturday, distributed globally through Netflix, and the release of its first studio album in six years, Hybe shares tumbled sharply on Monday, the first trading session after the official return.
Hybe closed down 15.55 percent at 290,500 won, a much steeper fall than the benchmark KOSPI’s 6.5 percent decline. The stock has now shed about 21 percent from last Wednesday, before the album’s Friday release.
The sell-off came even as early sales of BTS’s fifth studio album, ARIRANG, appeared robust. The album sold about 3.98 million copies on its first day and topped 4 million within three days, setting a new K-pop sales record.
That performance surpassed BTS’s previous benchmarks, including MAP OF THE SOUL: 7, which posted 3.37 million first-week sales, and MAP OF THE SOUL : PERSONA, which had held a Guinness-recognized mark with 3.39 million copies sold.
Kim Doo-un, an analyst at Hana Securities, said the drop appeared to reflect a mix of profit-taking and broader market weakness rather than any single company-specific disappointment.
“Overall market conditions were not favorable, and downside pressure was widespread across sectors,” Kim said. “It is difficult to attribute the fall solely to BTS’s comeback.”
Asian markets were broadly under pressure Monday as rising geopolitical tensions dampened risk appetite, dragging down equities across the region.
Some analysts also said much of the optimism surrounding BTS’s return had already been priced in.
“Expectations had been high going into the comeback, and some elements may not have fully met those expectations,” Kim said.
He added that while Hybe’s long-term growth story remains intact, the stock is still highly sensitive to whether short-term expectations are met.
BTS is set to begin a new world tour in Goyang on April 9, followed by additional shows on April 11 and 12, before heading to Tokyo as part of a multi-city global run.
In a statement released after the concert, Hybe thanked authorities and local residents for their cooperation, highlighting the cultural significance of holding the performance in Seoul’s historic Gwanghwamun district.
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