Chinese Streaming Stocks Still Surging, Sphere Entertainment Shares Gain

Chinese music streaming stocks continued their upward trajectory this week as trade tensions between Washington and Beijing showed signs of easing. Netease Cloud Music rose 12.1% to 302.40 HKD ($38.55), bringing the Chinese music streamer’s July gain to an impressive 25.5% and its year-to-date improvement to 164.8%. Tencent Music Entertainment (TME), China’s leading music streaming company, rose 8.3% to $21.43, valuing the company at $36.8 billion and bringing its year-to-date increase to 71.9%. 

Cloud Music and TME shares have both benefited from solid first-quarter results and growing consumer interest in music subscriptions. Chinese stocks in general received a boost this week after the U.S. government eased export bans and allowed the sale of Nvidia’s AI chips to China. In addition, Chinese data showed that China’s gross domestic product grew 5.2% in the second quarter despite continued trade tensions. 

The 20-company Billboard Global Music Index (BGMI) rose 3.0% to 2,982.90, breaking a two-week losing streak and improving its year-to-date gain to 40.4%. The BGMI nearly doubled the Nasdaq composite index’s 1.7% increase and was well ahead of the S&P 500’s 0.6% gain. In the U.K., the FTSE 100 rose 0.6%. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index advanced 0.4%. 

Warner Music Group (WMG) continued its winning streak, jumping 4.9% to $31.22 and getting a boost from Rothschild & Co Redburn’s upgrade of WMG to “neutral” from “sell” on Tuesday (July 15). After reaching the mid-year mark down 12.1%, WMG shares have gained 14.6% since the company’s July 1 announcement that it will save $300 million annually from layoffs and other cost-cutting measures. The company will announce earnings on Aug. 7. 

Most live music stocks were in positive territory. Sphere Entertainment Co. spiked 7.6% to $46.15, the stock’s highest closing price since Feb. 21 and more than $22 higher than its low point after President Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on U.S. trading partners on April 3. Live Nation climbed 4.6% to $150.52, bringing the stock to within approximately 5% of its all-time high of $157.75. MSG Entertainment was up 2.0% to $40.25. CTS Eventim fell 1.3% to 103.90 euros ($120.82), but the German concert promoter’s 27.3% year-to-date gain was the best of the peer group. 

Shares of Abu Dhabi-based music streamer Anghami rose 2.1% to $0.49 after the company announced on Wednesday that it will hold an extraordinary general meeting of its shareholders to vote on a reverse stock split that will allow the stock to remain listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market exchange. The company has until Aug. 18 to achieve a minimum bid price of at least $1.00 per share for at least 10 consecutive business days. 

SiriusXM shares fell 2.7% to $23.56 after Wednesday’s announcement of an affordable, ad-supported satellite radio tier, SiriusXM Play, that will cost under $7 per month. Morgan Stanley raised its price target on SiriusXM on Wednesday (July 16) to $22 from $21 and kept its “underweight” rating.

With HYBE in the news over a federal probe into Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, the K-pop giant’s stock fell 1.1% to 268,000 KRW ($192.98), marking it third consecutive weekly decline. At least one analyst was optimistic this week: On Thursday (July 17), Nomura increased its price target for HYBE shares to 370,000 KRW ($266.42) from 270,000 KRW ($194.42) and maintained its “buy” rating. HYBE will announce its second quarter results on Aug. 6. 

Spotify shares dipped 2.0% to $695.18, the fourth consecutive weekly decline after closing at $772.60 on June 27. After reaching the mid-year mark with a 71.4% gain, Spotify has dropped 9.4% in July. The company will report earnings on July 29. 

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