Samsung Asset Management Lists KODEX K-Metaverse Active ETF

[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] Samsung Asset Management announced on the 13th that it will list the ‘KODEX K-Metaverse Active ETF,’ which focuses on investing in domestic metaverse companies leading the post-internet era.

The metaverse is a compound word of the Greek word Meta, meaning ‘beyond’ or ‘abstract,’ and Universe, meaning ‘the real world,’ referring to a world where the virtual and real worlds are mixed, eliminating the constraints of time and space.

The KODEX K-Metaverse Active ETF is a product that focuses on investing in domestic metaverse-related companies, with the benchmark index being the FnGuide K-Metaverse Index. The domestic metaverse market holds K-content, such as K-POP, which is globally recognized, and platform companies expected to experience high growth. The portfolio is characterized by a high proportion of game and entertainment-related content companies, such as HYBE at 9%, Pearl Abyss at 8%, and Krafton at 8%, accounting for about 70%.

Samsung Asset Management differentiated this product as an active ETF that can be managed freely compared to the index, focusing on the fact that the metaverse industry is an early market of a mega trend and related companies are rapidly changing. An active ETF is a product that managers can operate freely. The KODEX New Renewable Energy Active ETF, listed on May 25, has recorded a 19.4% return since its launch, attracting much investor interest with a higher return compared to the KOSPI’s decline of -7.2% during the same period.

Choi Chang-gyu, head of the ETF Consulting Division at Samsung Asset Management, said, “Currently, the metaverse market is in its infancy, and the definition of the metaverse is not yet complete, so we approached it uniquely with the concept of active management in the industry,” adding, “As the metaverse market matures, the differentiation from other companies will become clearer.”

Meanwhile, the ‘Samsung Global Metaverse Fund,’ launched in June, has gathered 83.8 billion KRW in assets under management within four months of its launch.