Nomura Slashes Coupang (CPNG) 2026 EPS Forecast Following $900M Fine and Regulatory Pressure

Coupang Inc. (NYSE:CPNG) is one of the best US stocks to buy and hold in 2026. On January 12, Nomura downgraded Coupang to Neutral from Buy, with a price target of $22, down from $30. While the November 30 data breach was initially expected to cause only a brief decline in share price, the company is now contending with intensifying regulatory pressure in South Korea. Nomura warned that the country’s FTC has signaled aggressive administrative action, leading the firm to slash its 2026 EPS forecast by 95%, dropping it to just $0.03. This revision accounts for the costs of a large-scale consumer compensation package and a projected fine of up to $900 million.

Nomura Slashes Coupang (CPNG) 2026 EPS Forecast Following $900M Fine and Regulatory Pressure

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In Q3 2025, Coupang Inc. (NYSE:CPNG) announced consolidated revenue of $9.3 billion, which was an 18% year-over-year increase. The company’s net income reached $95 million, resulting in diluted EPS of $0.05. The Product Commerce segment remained the primary engine of growth, generating $8 billion in revenue, which was a 16% increase. This performance was driven by a 10% increase in active customers, now totaling 24.7 million, and a 5% increase in net revenue per active customer to $323. In contrast, the Developing Offerings segment, which includes newer initiatives like Coupang Eats and international expansion into Taiwan, saw rapid revenue growth of 32% to reach $1.3 billion.

The company continues to invest heavily in logistics and customer adoption in Taiwan. Management indicated that Taiwan is exceeding expectations, with customer behaviors mirroring the early successful stages seen in the Korean market.

Coupang Inc. (NYSE:CPNG), together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates a retail business through its mobile applications and internet websites in South Korea and internationally.

While we acknowledge the potential of CPNG to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CPNG and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.