NCsoft Could Post 1Q Earnings Beat — Market Talk

NCsoft could post above-consensus 1Q earnings, driven by stronger-than-expected user traffic of its newly launched titles, "Aion 2" and "Lineage Classic," Nomura's Angela Hong and Won Kang say. The analysts estimate the South Korean videogame developer's operating profit at 95 billion won for the January-March period, higher than a Bloomberg-compiled consensus estimate of 85 billion won. They raise their 2026 earnings-per-share forecast for NCsoft by 20%. NCsoft plans to roll out a slate of new titles, including "Limit Zero Breakers" and "Time Takers," in 2H. However, they caution that the new lineup lacks a clear blockbuster, making commercial success uncertain. (kwanwoo.jun@wsj.com)