Baek Jaegyu, President of KTB Asset Management, "Semiconductors at the Core of Technological Innovation"

"Tech Advancement Goes Hand in Hand with Semiconductor Growth... A Success and Core of Investment"
Hantoo Asset Management Hosts 'ACE Big Tech & Semiconductor Investment Seminar'
Experts Including Mark Mahani Participate as Speakers

"All digital technologies are implemented through semiconductor chips. From automobiles, TVs, and mobile phones to even weapons, semiconductors are at the core of technological innovation."

On the 11th, Bae Jae-gyu, President of Korea Investment Trust Management, delivered the opening remarks at the ACE Big Tech and Semiconductor Seminar held in Yeouido. Photo by Yoo Hyun-seok

On the 11th, Bae Jae-gyu, CEO of Korea Investment Trust Management, said at the ACE Big Tech & Semiconductor Investment Seminar held at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, "The development of technology goes hand in hand with the growth of semiconductors. Understanding this is the key to successful investment going forward."

In particular, CEO Bae emphasized that investment in big tech companies is essential. He explained, "With the advent of smartphones in 2007, anyone could access the internet, which brought about tremendous changes in the world. This represents a paradigm shift from an industry structure centered on traditional manufacturing to a world dominated by fintech companies."

He continued, "Long-term investment in big tech companies is now both essential and sustainable. Since the present era we live in can be defined as the 'age of technology,' I hope this seminar provides insights into investing in tech stocks."

This seminar was organized to share expert analyses that can be referenced when investing in big tech and semiconductor companies, as well as to introduce the ACE Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). Speakers included Mark S.F. Mahaney, a tech analyst at Evercore ISI in the U.S. and author of "The Absolute Principles of Tech Stock Investment," Professor Kwon Seok-jun of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University and author of "The Semiconductor Trilogy," and Kim Seung-hyun, ETF Consulting Manager at Korea Investment Trust Management.

All speakers emphasized the importance of semiconductors and tech stocks. Adam Sichel, author of "Money Flows to Big Tech" and CEO of Gravity Asset Management, delivered a congratulatory speech, stating, "In 2004, tech stocks accounted for about 19% of the U.S. stock market, but now they make up 50-60%. While various trends are expected to emerge, tech stocks will continue to create the most value."

On the 11th, Mark Mahoney, Senior Analyst at Evercore ISI, is giving a presentation at the ACE Big Tech and Semiconductor Seminar held in Yeouido. Photo by Hyunseok Yoo

The first presenter, Mark Mahaney, shared methods for selecting quality tech stocks. Mahaney said, "A common characteristic of quality tech stocks like Google and Meta is faster revenue and profit growth compared to other companies. Even if they are not profitable right now, companies that maintain high revenue growth rates for several years can be excellent investment targets."

He added, "The market inevitably experiences volatility, and even quality companies’ stock prices can fall significantly depending on market conditions. A good strategy is to find stocks whose prices have dropped due to market conditions?so-called 'fallen quality stocks'?and buy them when they are cheap."

He also emphasized that profits from AI investments in tech stocks are beginning to appear in earnest. "Companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon are growing rapidly by utilizing AI," he said. "Through AI, they improve cost efficiency and increase profits. The topic of ROAI, or return on AI investment, and companies with good investment returns on AI will continue to be important for the next several years."

On the 11th, Professor Kwon Seok-jun of Sungkyunkwan University is giving a presentation at the ACE Big Tech and Semiconductor Seminar held in Yeouido. Photo by Yoo Hyun-seok

The second presenter, Professor Kwon Seok-jun, focused on the global semiconductor market. Professor Kwon stated, "With the advancement of the AI industry, significant changes are occurring in the semiconductor ecosystem. Benefits will concentrate on countries, companies, or corporate clusters capable of producing customized AI chips with high reliability and computational acceleration performance in specific domain areas, not just simple AI semiconductor chips."

He also advised that since AI is expected to impact all industries in the future, it is necessary to pay attention to various fields. He emphasized, "When AI is transplanted into other industries, the value it applies will differ. Currently, semiconductors influence AI, but in the future, AI will influence semiconductors."

Lastly, Kim Seung-hyun took the stage. Kim explained, "Investment in big tech and semiconductors is essential in the era of tech stocks. Since AI is a technology that will impact all industries in the future, proactive preparation is necessary."

Currently, Korea Investment Trust Management offers trendy product lineups related to semiconductors and big tech, such as the ACE Global Semiconductor TOP4 Plus SOLACTIVE ETF and the ACE U.S. Big Tech TOP7 Plus ETF. They are also providing investment-related content through the publication of guidebooks.