US Stock Futures Hold Steady as Iran Hormuz Deal and Earnings Shape Market Sentiment 
Singapore Says One-Third of U.S. Exports Hit by New 12.5% Tariff 
China Exports Beat July Forecasts as AI Demand Fuels High-Tech Trade 
US Dollar Falls as Weak July Jobs Report Dents Fed Rate Hike Bets 
Philippine GDP Growth Slows to 2.3% in Q2 
Novo Nordisk Raises 2025 Outlook Despite Wegovy Pill Miss and CagriSema Setback 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Dow Hits Record Despite Tech Weakness 
Asian Stocks Slip as AI Rally Fades, Oil Holds Steady on Iran Peace Deal Hopes 
Oil Prices Slip as Hormuz Shipping Progress and Rising U.S. Crude Stocks Weigh on Market 
Meta Ordered to Pay $567M Over Child Safety Violations in New Mexico 
Brazil Cuts Selic Rate to 14% as Inflation Eases but Risks Persist 
Gold Prices Surge 7% as Dollar Falls, Fed Rate Hike Bets Ease 
AMP Shares Surge 13% After Strong Profit and A$150 Million Buyback 
SoftBank Q1 Profit Beats Forecast as Intel Rally and OpenAI Investments Boost Returns 
Gold Prices Steady as Hormuz Tensions Fuel Fed Rate Concerns 
SK Hynix, Samsung Lead Asian Chip Stock Selloff After Sandisk, Western Digital Outlook 
Asian Stocks Cautious Ahead of US Jobs Data as Oil Rises 
Kakao Entertainment is getting bigger and bigger as it continues to acquire and merge with entertainment companies in S. Korea and overseas. Apparently, this is a strategic move to expand its business in the global arena.
Kakao Entertainment’s debut
The entertainment arm of Kakao came to be when Kakao Page Corp. and Kakao M Corp. announced in January that they have merged. The newly-formed entity was called Kakao Entertainment, and the merger was completed in March.
"The merger of Kakao Page and Kakao M is that of a strategic alliance to build a foundation to compete in the global entertainment industry,” Kakao Page said in a press release earlier this year. “By combining the two companies' business acumen, capabilities and value chain, we aim to disrupt the global entertainment industry."
Moreover, the companies said they are expecting to create a robust synergy effect given their respective capabilities in the content business and digital platforms. Their competence has set the ground for Kakao Entertainment’s growth through global expansion.
Local and international acquisitions
Not long after its debut, the company already acquired several labels. In fact, in March, Kakao purchased two firms in Thailand, and these are Studio Phoenix and Studio Orange. The acquisition was done for the Korean entertainment company to operate its content and commerce business ventures in Southeast Asia with a focus on Thailand.
"Kakao has acquired these two companies with the aim of starting music, video and commerce businesses in Southeast Asian countries," an official from Kakao Entertainment said.
As per The Korea Times, the firm did not reveal how much it invested in acquiring the two Thai firms or how many shares it had purchased. Kakao Entertainment’s investment in Thailand is said to be part of its plan to be an international content player in the market. Kakao also set up its own webtoon business to compete with Naver.
Finally, last month, Kakao also bought High Up Entertainment that manages the girl group called STAYC. Based on the report, it acquired 40% percent of the company and eventually became its largest shareholder. On top of this, it also merged with Yoo Hee Yeol’s Antenna Music in April.
