In the midst of the global K-beauty phenomenon, APR is maintaining its steep growth trajectory by leveraging its overseas expansion, particularly in the U.S. and Europe. The company is poised to report record-breaking results even in the first quarter, typically considered an off-season in the industry. This has led to heightened expectations for both performance improvements and valuation reassessments.
The company’s growth is accelerating due to increased overseas sales, primarily in the U.S. and Europe, coupled with a rising proportion of business-to-business (B2B) transactions.
According to industry reports, Shinhan Investment Corp. analyst Park Hyun-jin noted that APR is driving growth with triple-digit sales increases year-over-year in the U.S. and European markets. Park highlighted that sales growth potential in European countries like the UK and Germany is becoming more evident, and with the added demand for medical beauty device exports, there’s a strong possibility of upward revisions to this year’s and next year’s performance forecasts.
Despite recent gains in stock price, market analysts continue to focus on APR’s potential for further growth.
Hyundai Motor Securities analyst Ha Hee-ji projects APR’s Q1 consolidated revenue at 586 billion KRW (approximately 394 million USD) and operating profit at 142.4 billion KRW (about 95.7 million USD). These figures represent year-over-year increases of 120% and 161% respectively, potentially setting a new quarterly record.
Similarly, analyst Park forecasts Q1 consolidated revenue of 592 billion KRW (about 398 million USD) and operating profit of 149.2 billion KRW (around 100 million USD), projecting year-over-year growth of 123% and 173% respectively.
The surge in off-season performance is primarily attributed to growing overseas demand. In the U.S., Amazon’s Big Spring Sale and the popularity of products on TikTok are expected to boost sales to around 250 billion KRW (approximately 167.9 million USD).
Europe is emerging as a new growth engine for APR. The company is expanding into five countries, starting with Amazon UK, and increasing its presence in brick-and-mortar stores like Sephora, marking a significant push towards simultaneous online and offline expansion.
The expansion of B2B sales is also identified as a key factor in this trend. As global viral effects continue, demand is rising in Europe, the Middle East, and South America. The increasing share of B2B transactions is contributing to improved profitability as well.
Shinhan Investment Corp. also emphasizes the importance of sustained growth. The company’s dual business structure, encompassing both cosmetics and beauty devices, is proving advantageous in the global expansion phase. Additionally, social media-based marketing and competitive platform distribution are seen as key drivers of performance growth.
The medium to long-term growth outlook remains robust. Analyst Ha predicts that APR’s annual revenue will soar from 723 billion KRW (approximately 486 million USD) in 2024 to 2.5 trillion KRW (around 1.67 billion USD) by 2026. Operating profit is also expected to expand from 123 billion KRW (about 82.6 million USD) to 629 billion KRW (approximately 422 million USD) during the same period.
Consequently, expectations for valuation reassessment are growing. Ha suggests that there’s a need to apply valuations similar to those of cosmetics companies in the early stages of global expansion.
Market analysts believe that APR is evolving beyond a simple K-beauty company into a global consumer goods platform. The simultaneous operation of market expansion in the U.S. and Europe, an integrated online and offline distribution strategy, and a product portfolio that includes devices has elevated the quality of growth.
Ha concludes that with both global expansion and B2B structural transformation occurring simultaneously, there remains potential for further upward revisions in performance forecasts.
