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WEBTOON Entertainment Inc (WBTN)
NASDAQ:WBTN
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WEBTOON Entertainment Inc (WBTN) AI Stock Analysis

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WBTN

WEBTOON Entertainment Inc

(NASDAQ:WBTN)

Rating:58Neutral
Price Target:
$15.50
▲(8.09% Upside)
WEBTOON Entertainment Inc.'s overall stock score is primarily impacted by its financial performance challenges, including significant revenue declines and ongoing losses. However, strong technical indicators and positive earnings call highlights, such as strategic partnerships and revenue growth, provide some optimism. The valuation remains a concern due to negative earnings, and while corporate events are positive, they have minimal immediate impact.
Positive Factors
Financial Performance
Solid 2Q results with revenue 2% ahead and EBITDA significantly ahead of expectations, driven by growth in paid content, advertising, and IP adaptations.
Partnerships
WBTN announced a partnership with Disney to bring their owned IP comics to Webtoon, covering titles from Disney, Marvel, 20th Century Studios, and Star Wars.
User Engagement
English language webcomic app MAUs increased by 19% for the second consecutive quarter.
Negative Factors
Market Expansion Risks
WBTN faces downside risks such as slower-than-expected monetization in Japan and North America and inconsistent trajectory of IP adaptation revenue.
Revenue Guidance
EBITDA guidance of $0.5-$5.5mn was $3mn (50%) below us at the midpoint.
User Growth
Total MAUs declined 8% year-over-year, with declines in Korea and the Rest of the World offsetting growth in Japan.

WEBTOON Entertainment Inc (WBTN) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

WEBTOON Entertainment Inc Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionWEBTOON Entertainment Inc (WBTN) is a leading digital comics platform that specializes in the creation, distribution, and monetization of web-based comic content. Catering to a global audience, WEBTOON offers a diverse range of genres and stories, making it accessible to readers and creators worldwide. The platform operates primarily through its online portal and mobile application, allowing users to access thousands of comic series from various creators, both amateur and professional.
How the Company Makes MoneyWEBTOON Entertainment Inc generates revenue through several key streams. Primarily, the company monetizes its platform through advertising, offering ad placements to businesses targeting its large and engaged user base. Additionally, WEBTOON provides a 'Fast Pass' feature, where users can pay to access episodes of comics ahead of the free release schedule, creating a direct revenue stream from its readers. Another significant revenue source is the partnership with creators, where WEBTOON shares a portion of the advertising and Fast Pass revenue with the content creators, incentivizing high-quality content production. Strategic partnerships and collaborations with other media companies for licensing and adapting popular series into other formats, such as films and merchandise, also contribute to the company's earnings.

WEBTOON Entertainment Inc Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Aug 12, 2025
(Q2-2025)
|
% Change Since: 53.21%|
Next Earnings Date:Nov 06, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The earnings call highlighted strong revenue growth, significant strategic partnerships, and reductions in net loss, but also noted declines in global MAU and challenges with Wattpad. The sentiment is mixed with both strong positive growth indicators and notable areas of concern.
Q2-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Strong Revenue Growth
Revenue grew 5.5% on a constant currency basis, with reported revenue up 8.5% year-over-year.
Significant Reduction in Net Loss
Net loss decreased to $3.9 million from $76.6 million in the prior year, attributed to lower G&A expenses associated with the IPO.
Successful Strategic Partnerships
Partnerships with Disney and Dark Horse Comics to bring popular franchises like Spider-Man, Avengers, and Star Wars to the platform.
Growth in English Platform
English platform WebComic app MAU was up 19% for the second consecutive quarter, showing momentum in key markets.
Advertising Revenue Increase
Advertising posted 10.2% revenue growth year-over-year, driven by growth in Korea and Japan.
IP Adaptations Business Growth
Revenue from IP adaptations increased by 42.6% year-on-year on a constant currency basis.
Negative Updates
Decline in Global MAU
Global MAU was down 7.6%, with declines primarily in Korea and Rest of World, influenced by government bans on Wattpad.
Decrease in Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA decreased to $9.7 million from $20.4 million in the prior year.
Challenges with Wattpad
Wattpad continues to face challenges with government bans and issues with search engine indexing affecting MAU.
Decrease in Korea MAU
Korea MAU decreased by 11.1% year-over-year.
Company Guidance
During the WEBTOON Entertainment Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call, the company provided guidance for the third quarter, expecting revenue growth in the range of 9.4% to 12.2% on a constant currency basis, translating to anticipated revenue between $380 million and $390 million. The adjusted EBITDA is projected to be in the range of $2 million to $7 million, representing a margin of 0.5% to 1.8%. The call highlighted strong revenue growth in Q2, with an 8.5% increase in reported revenue and a net loss reduction to $3.9 million from $76.6 million the previous year. The company also discussed strategic initiatives, including a major partnership with Disney to bring 100 blockbuster comics to the platform, and steady growth in the English platform WebComic app MAU, which increased by 19% for the second consecutive quarter. Adjusted earnings per share were reported at $0.07, down from $0.18 the prior year.

WEBTOON Entertainment Inc Financial Statement Overview

Summary
WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. faces significant financial challenges, particularly with its income statement where revenue has fallen dramatically. While the balance sheet remains relatively stable with a strong equity position and low debt levels, the company's profitability metrics are weak. Cash flow generation shows some promise but remains inconsistent.
Income Statement
25
Negative
WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. has faced significant challenges on its income statement. The company reported zero revenue in the latest period, which is a substantial decline from the previous year. The gross profit margin and net profit margin are negative, indicating cost pressures and inefficiencies. Revenue growth is non-existent, and both EBIT and EBITDA margins are deeply negative, reflecting ongoing operational losses.
Balance Sheet
60
Neutral
The balance sheet shows a moderate level of stability. The debt-to-equity ratio is low, suggesting limited leverage risk, and the equity ratio is relatively healthy, indicating a strong equity position. However, the return on equity is negative due to the company's losses, which impacts overall attractiveness.
Cash Flow
55
Neutral
Cash flow analysis reveals a mixed picture. The company has managed to generate positive free cash flow in the latest period, but the growth rate has been volatile. The operating cash flow to net income ratio indicates some degree of cash generation capability despite net losses, which is a positive sign. However, the free cash flow to net income ratio remains a concern.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022
Income Statement
Total Revenue1.37B1.35B1.28B1.08B
Gross Profit-13.73M339.07M295.49M269.71M
EBITDA-72.71M-113.09M-96.81M-84.47M
Net Income-100.01M-143.91M-116.45M-129.87M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets2.01B1.94B1.78B2.02B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments581.55M598.73M251.62M279.71M
Total Debt27.71M17.24M33.44M53.56M
Total Liabilities411.80M378.87M429.13M505.13M
Stockholders Equity1.51B1.47B1.25B1.38B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-27.56M4.73M-7.54M-161.80M
Operating Cash Flow-17.46M17.88M14.80M-140.61M
Investing Cash Flow-4.26M-17.28M-51.98M-76.11M
Financing Cash Flow18.04M353.87M-6.50M350.34M

WEBTOON Entertainment Inc Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price14.34
Price Trends
50DMA
10.14
Positive
100DMA
9.41
Positive
200DMA
10.45
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
1.48
Negative
RSI
63.25
Neutral
STOCH
59.97
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For WBTN, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 14.34 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 11.58, above the 50-day MA of 10.14, and above the 200-day MA of 10.45, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 1.48 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 63.25 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 59.97 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for WBTN.

WEBTOON Entertainment Inc Risk Analysis

WEBTOON Entertainment Inc disclosed 74 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. WEBTOON Entertainment Inc reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

WEBTOON Entertainment Inc Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (57)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
72
Outperform
$652.90M55.343.26%-1.35%-59.67%
63
Neutral
$1.56B33.0275.95%-7.41%
60
Neutral
$1.15B182.58-0.50%22.16%-107.92%
59
Neutral
$593.00M276.495.20%30.92%
58
Neutral
$1.89B-6.61%5.79%44.42%
57
Neutral
HK$14.66B10.33-0.76%4.28%7.00%-31.51%
50
Neutral
$663.59M-75.71%-5.06%-2318.18%
* Technology Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
WBTN
WEBTOON Entertainment Inc
14.34
0.82
6.07%
PRCH
Porch Group
16.63
15.13
1008.67%
DSP
Viant Technology
10.28
-0.85
-7.64%
BMBL
Bumble
6.36
-0.53
-7.69%
SEMR
SEMrush Holdings
7.91
-5.99
-43.09%
VMEO
Vimeo
4.20
-0.99
-19.08%

WEBTOON Entertainment Inc Corporate Events

Executive/Board ChangesBusiness Operations and Strategy
WEBTOON Entertainment Expands Board with New Appointment
Positive
Jun 18, 2025

On June 16, 2025, WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. expanded its Board of Directors by appointing Saeju Jeong, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Noom, as an independent director and member of the Audit Committee. Jeong’s extensive experience in scaling consumer technology businesses is expected to be valuable as WEBTOON continues its global growth and mission to inspire with storytelling and entertainment.

Executive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
WEBTOON Entertainment Inc Holds Annual Stockholders Meeting
Neutral
Jun 6, 2025

On June 4, 2025, WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. held its Annual Meeting of Stockholders, where key decisions were made regarding the company’s governance and executive compensation. Stockholders approved the election of Nancy Dubuc as a Class I director and endorsed executive compensation policies, including the frequency of advisory votes on executive pay, and ratified the selection of Samil PricewaterhouseCoopers as the independent auditor for 2025.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Aug 19, 2025