South Korean entertainment giant HYBE plans to sell 5.16 billion South Korean won (approx. USD $3.51m) worth of shares, cashing them out after a recent stock rally driven by the highly anticipated return of their biggest acts, BTS.
In a corporate filing on Thursday (January 15), HYBE disclosed plans to sell 24,500 shares of its common stock at 210,740 won ($143.28) apiece, representing a 36% discount to HYBE’s closing price yesterday (January 14).
The divestment comes as HYBE’s stock reached an over four-year high on January 2 at 346,000 won ($235.48), approaching levels last seen on December 30, 2021, when the stock hit 349,000 won ($237.52), before BTS announced a hiatus that sent shares plummeting.
News of the share sale boosted HYBE’s stock on Thursday, closing up 2.3% to end the trading session at 338,500 won ($230.33), more than double its 135,000 won ($91.85) IPO price in 2020.
After members completed mandatory military service in South Korea, BTS will release their fifth album on March 20 at midnight ET and embark on a world tour spanning 34 regions and 79 shows. The Live Nation-promoted tour will feature a 360-degree, in-the-round stage design. According to an earlier announcement, the immersive setup “places the audience at the center of the experience while allowing for increased capacity at every venue”.
Prior to their hiatus in 2022, the group was HYBE’s top revenue generator and were also the world’s biggest recorded music artists in 2021 and 2020, according to IFPI.
With the group’s absence, HYBE’s operating profit dropped 37.5% YoY to KRW 184.82 billion ($135.55 million) in FY 2024, which the company attributed to, among other factors, “BTS‘ temporary break.”
Early hints of a BTS comeback, however, triggered a rally in HYBE’s shares, such as in the summer of 2025 when BTS members appeared together at HYBE HQ with a “we are back” banner in the background.
In November, HYBE CEO Jason Jaesang Lee said the company expects “full-scale improvement” of its revenue structure starting in 2026. The executive said: “This recovery will be anchored by BTS’ return as a group, the accelerated growth of K-pop artists, further results from our ‘multi-home, multi-genre’ strategy, and stable profitability from Weverse.”
However, as MBW reported earlier, HYBE has become less reliant on the superstar group for its revenue during their absence. HYBE was busy with major expansions in the US, Latin America, and Africa. In July, it expanded into India, opening its fifth international headquarters in Mumbai.
HYBE has also made major investments into the acquisition of local music labels and the establishment of new global musical acts like KATSEYE (formed in partnership with Universal Music Group‘s Geffen Records). In 2026, Lee told HYBE staff that the company aims to turn those investments into profit.
The company has also continued to develop its superfan platform Weverse, which has been attracting Western artists with the promise of a stronger connection with fans and new monetization opportunities.
As MBW reported, Lee indicated that HYBE of today is moving beyond being “the label behind BTS,” and even moving beyond K-pop itself.
Lee told HYBE staff in his New Year’s address: “HYBE’s growth philosophy is clear: to create top-tier IP, lead the fandom business, and expand those results into new markets and genres.”
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