Samsung Asset Management Lists 'KODEX US S&P500 Active' ETF

An ETF has been launched that allows investors to pursue excess returns through flexible management while investing in the US S&P 500 Index, which is often referred to as the "textbook of long-term investing." With the S&P 500 Index down 12.3% so far this year, analysts say this product is suitable for active investors who believe the index has bottomed out and will trend upward.

Samsung Asset Management announced that the "KODEX US S&P500 Active" ETF was listed on April 22. This product invests in a concentrated portfolio of about 100 of the top constituents of the S&P 500 Index, and adjusts sector allocations flexibly depending on market conditions.

The S&P 500 is a representative index that has demonstrated strong long-term returns. Since its launch in 1957, it has risen by an average of 7.43% per year, showing upward performance over the long term. Warren Buffett, known as the "guru of investing," has even stated that "there is no better investment for most investors than the S&P 500 Index."

KODEX US S&P500 Active tracks the S&P 500 as its benchmark, but seeks to outperform the benchmark through an active management strategy. The portfolio will be constructed by narrowing it down to about 100 to 200 of the top S&P 500 constituents.

According to Bloomberg, as of the end of March, the top 100 stocks in the S&P 500 accounted for 72% of the index's total performance (by market capitalization), and the top 200 accounted for 86%. Based on this, KODEX US S&P500 Active plans to invest in a concentrated portfolio of about 100 top stocks to pursue excess returns over the benchmark. In fact, from January 2020 to the end of March 2025, the top 100 S&P 500 stocks achieved an excess return of 14.20% compared to the S&P 500 Index.

An active management approach is applied, adjusting the weightings of leading sectors and stocks depending on market conditions. While the S&P 500 Index has shown long-term upward performance, the leading sectors have changed each year. Last year, the communications services sector led the market, while technology stocks led in 2023 and 2019-2020, and the energy sector was the leader in 2021-2022.

Various factors have caused certain stocks to consistently have a negative impact on index returns, but passive strategies that track the index have had no choice but to accept this. In response, KODEX US S&P500 Active plans to analyze the macroeconomic environment using economic indicators, valuation metrics, and major news, and will adjust sector, stock, and exposure allocations to pursue excess returns.

With the launch of KODEX US S&P500 Active, Samsung Asset Management now offers a total of 16 ETFs related to the S&P 500 Index. This expands the range of options for investors to invest in the S&P 500, the "textbook of long-term investing," while also allowing them to tailor their investments to their own market outlook. This is the first time a major asset management firm has launched an actively managed ETF using the S&P 500 Index as a benchmark.

Han Donghoon, a manager at Samsung Asset Management, said, "We avoid excessive trading based on an active strategy focused on a few stocks, so as not to deviate significantly from the basic objective of investing in the S&P 500 Index," but added, "We plan to pursue excess returns over the benchmark by adjusting sector and exposure allocations according to market conditions."