Naver and Kakao lag in this year's stock market… Naver 5.26% down, Kakao 32.45% down

![Naver and Kakao lag in this year's stock market… Naver 5.26% down, Kakao 32.45% down]/blog-images/gen-eb8e905d-69e0-4743-8bd8-f7e8c951cb31.jpg)

Naver and Kakao shares are relatively weak amid this year's rally in the South Korean stock market. Brokerage analysts say the companies are at a stage where they need to demonstrate the profitability of their artificial intelligence businesses. This is increasing concerns among shareholders of both companies.

According to the Korea Exchange, on 29Naver shares rose 14.15% from the previous day's close to 234,000won. The rise reportedly came after news that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang would visit South Korea soon, along with prospects for discussions on AI cooperation. The exchange said the shares recorded that price.

On the same day, Kakao shares rose 4.61% from the previous session to close at 41,950won. Kakao's share-price decline was reportedly affected by the risk of a strike after labor and management failed to reach an agreement on performance bonuses. The shares closed higher that day as bargain hunters entered the market.

Compared with the start of the year, Naver’s share price has fallen 5.26% . Kakao is down 32.45% compared with the start of the year. The difference between the two companies’ share prices since the start of the year remains a point of interest for investors.

Expectations of AI cooperation with Nvidia have repeatedly been cited as a factor behind Naver’s sharp rise. The related reports say discussions are expected to take place on ways to cooperate with major South Korean IT companies. No official schedule has been announced yet.

The exchange’s closing-price records and year-to-date change rates are indicators of the day’s share-price movements. Investors can check the data against disclosures by the respective companies. This report provides basic information for gauging the two companies’ positions in the market.