Which South Korean cosmetics stocks recorded the biggest gains this year?

Kolmar Korea shares more than doubled, while Cosmax shares gained 88.04 percent and APR shares rose 60.82 percent through Thursday. These gains helped lift the KRX Consumer Staples index, which includes cosmetics and food companies, by 17.29 percent.

Why have South Korean entertainment stocks declined this year?

Entertainment stocks faced narrower valuation premiums as investors compared the sector’s growth with the semiconductor sector’s stronger expansion. Investors also questioned whether entertainment companies had enough next-generation intellectual property to follow up on existing intellectual property.

How much have the KRX K-Content index and major entertainment stocks fallen this year?

The KRX K-Content index dropped 31.37 percent, the steepest fall among KRX industry indexes, and 17 of its 19 constituent companies declined. Hybe fell 50.33 percent, Kakao dropped 46.26 percent and JYP Entertainment declined 45.52 percent.

S. Korean cosmetics stocks up this year; entertainment shares down

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Summary

South Korean cosmetics stocks rose sharply this year, while entertainment shares declined on the Korea Exchange. The KRX Consumer Staples index gained 17.29 percent through Thursday, led by Kolmar Korea, Cosmax and APR. The KRX K-Content index fell 31.37 percent, with 17 of its 19 companies posting declines. An analyst said entertainment valuations narrowed as investors questioned whether firms had enough new intellectual property to sustain growth.

Key Facts

Kolmar Korea shares more than doubled during the period, while Cosmax and APR shares rose 88.04 percent and 60.82 percent, respectively.
The KRX K-Content index recorded the sharpest decline among KRX industry indexes.
Hybe shares fell 50.33 percent, while Kakao and JYP Entertainment shares declined 46.26 percent and 45.52 percent, respectively.
Lim Soo-jin, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities, said entertainment stocks faced valuation pressure compared with the semiconductor sector’s growth.
The KRX Consumer Staples index includes cosmetics and food companies, while the KRX K-Content index tracks online platforms, game developers and entertainment agencies.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 9, 2026 11:04 am KST

Foreign tourists look around a cosmetics shop, Myeong-dong, Seoul, Aug. 27. Yonhap

Shares of South Korean cosmetics companies have risen sharply this year, while those of entertainment firms have declined, data from the main bourse operator showed Friday.

According to data compiled by the Korea Exchange (KRX), the KRX Consumer Staples index, which includes cosmetics and food companies, rose 17.29 percent this year through Thursday.

Shares of Kolmar Korea Co. more than doubled over the period, while those of Cosmax Inc. and APR Co. gained 88.04 percent and 60.82 percent, respectively.

In contrast, the KRX K-Content index, which tracks online platforms, game developers and entertainment agencies, shed 31.37 percent, posting the sharpest decline among KRX industry indexes.

Of the 19 companies in the KRX K-Content index, 17 saw their shares decline over the period.

Shares of Hybe Co., the agency behind K-pop boy band BTS, tumbled 50.33 percent, while those of Kakao Corp. and JYP Entertainment Corp. fell 46.26 percent and 45.52 percent, respectively.

"Entertainment stocks' valuation premiums have narrowed as the sector's growth has been compared with the overwhelming growth of the semiconductor sector," said Lim Soo-jin, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities Co., noting investors were concerned about whether the companies had enough next-generation intellectual property to follow up on their existing IP.

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