(Yicai) Nov. 28 -- Shares of Chinese anime merchandise producers and sellers soared following optimistic signals about the rapidly growing market for toys, figures, cards, and collectible items inspired by popular animated content, comics, video games, films or literary works.

Stationery manufacturer Guangbo Group Stock [SHE: 002103] surged by the daily limit of 10 percent to CNY14.1 (USD1.90) in Shenzhen today. Amusement game maker Wahlap Technology [SHE: 301011] closed 8.3 percent higher at CNY39.89 while anime producer Alpha Group [SHE: 002292] ended 7.2 percent higher at CNY10.18.

Wahlap reported stable growth in its core business segments focused on anime intellectual property derivatives, according to an announcement on an investor relations platform yesterday. The Guangzhou-based firm continues to monitor developments in two-dimensional culture and Chinese trends.

Alpha noted yesterday that while related businesses are still in early development stages, the company aims to build brands and content targeting young consumers, expanding its presence in collectibles, cards, and other anime-related products.

Industry Expansion

Investors have recently received encouraging news about China's expanding anime economy. For example, COL Group, an e-book content provider with exclusive rights to Minions, Transformers, Luo Xiaohei, and One Piece in China, said it plans to develop collectibles, plush toys, educational products, anime badges, cards, and posters.

Producing IP spinoffs is one of the main businesses of Mango Excellent Media's e-commerce platform called Xiaomang, the Changsha-based media firm announced recently. Mango leverages its proprietary IP and partners with domestic and international owners of high-quality movie, television, anime, comics, and game intellectual properties.

Huace Film & TV said that the Zhejiang province-based media company held a comic illustration exhibition and four pop-up events this year. Moreover, it has independently developed over 50 kinds of IP products and co-developed over 300 products.

Stock Pickers' Opinions

Analysts are taking note. The anime goods economy has huge room for development with IP and channels at the core, Shenwan Hongyuan Securities said in a recent research note.

China has an abundant and high-quality pool of anime IP and talent, Citic Securities noted. Cultural confidence, target group penetration, and consumption are all expected to increase, and the anime merchandise market is predicted to grow to exceed CNY500 billion (USD68.9 billion).

Citic Securities is bullish on firms that are capable of transforming e-books and anime IP into cultural derivatives across movies, TV, animation, and spin-off products, the state-owned brokerage added.

Editor: Emmi Laine