In a significant development within South Korea's beauty technology sector, APR has eclipsed Amorepacific, attaining the foremost position in the nation's cosmetics industry by market capitalization. This recent advancement follows APR's prior overtaking of LG Household & Health Care, marking a pivotal moment for the traditional "Big Two" within the K-beauty segment as they confront mounting competition from emerging players.
Data from the Korea Exchange released on the 6th of the month indicates that APR's stock value surged by ₩27,200, equating to a 14.52% increase, reaching ₩214,500 at 9:40 a.m. The shares briefly hit a peak of ₩220,000, fueled by unexpectedly positive earnings in the second quarter. Presently, APR's market capitalization is approximately ₩8.16 trillion.
Established in 2014, APR owns several beauty brands, including Aprilskin and Forment, alongside MediCube, a rapidly expanding brand specializing in home beauty devices. The company's remarkable earnings growth is largely attributed to strong export performance in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. To bolster its international market strategy, APR has recently appointed IVE’s Jang Won-young as the ambassador for its MediCube Age-R line, succeeding actress Kim Hee-sun.
APR made its public market debut on February 27, 2023, with shares opening at ₩317,500, marking a 27% increase from its initial public offering (IPO) price of ₩250,000. At the time of its IPO, the company's market capitalization was valued at ₩2.41 trillion.
On June 23 of the current year, APR's market valuation surpassed that of LG Household & Health Care, securing its position as the second largest entity in South Korea's cosmetics sector. As reported the day before this publication, APR's market capitalization was ₩7.13 trillion, significantly outstripping LG H&H's ₩4.59 trillion—a difference exceeding ₩2.5 trillion. With its recent market performance, APR has now surpassed Amorepacific, claiming the top position in the K-beauty industry merely 17 months post its listing.