Republic Risk: We're Buying Gravity

Yes, we're in a difficult market, but the rule says that we need a pick every month. So, here we are... walking away from American stocks for now.

Dear Fellow Expat:

The May Model Portfolio Addition is Gravity Co. ADR (South Korea) (GRVY).

Gravity, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, is a popular video game publisher known for its Ragnarok series. The series maintains a strong foothold in Southeast Asian markets like Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. The company has had tremendous success adapting its games to mobile platforms, recognizing the growing trend towards mobile gaming.

Now… before we get into this… please know… I don’t understand any of these words. I just know that the company continues to generate massive amounts of profit, low risk, and huge consumer interest.

Ragnarok? Yeah… okay.

Let’s qualify before we quantify.

Ragnarok Online, the company’s flagship game, and its spinoffs performed exceptionally well in downloads and revenue generation following their releases. This success comes from an effective freemium model where the base game is free, but players can make purchases within the game. 

Gravity’s title, Rag…