KIC Discusses Second-Half Equity Investment Strategies with Institutional Investors in London

The sovereign wealth fund Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) has organized a meeting in London, United Kingdom, to discuss the outlook for the global stock market and investment strategies for the second half of the year with Korean institutional investors.

KIC announced on the 26th that its London branch hosted the 32nd 'London International Financial Cooperation Council' on the 25th (local time). Approximately 30 investment professionals from the Korean government and public investment institutions, as well as domestic securities, banking, and insurance companies operating in London, attended the meeting.

Mislav Matejka, Head of Global and European Equity Strategy at JP Morgan, stated, "After the announcement of large-scale tariff policies by U.S. President Donald Trump, both the U.S. and global stock markets experienced a sharp decline followed by a short-term rebound. However, recent U.S. consumer sentiment and employment indicators have slowed, and global manufacturing and services PMIs are also trending downward, raising the possibility that economic growth will decelerate in earnest from the third quarter."

He added, "While the weight of large-cap technology stocks within the S&P 500 index remains high, the scale of derivative investments focused on index gains is also at historically elevated levels. Therefore, it is necessary to be cautious about excessive market expectations and concentration risks in specific asset classes."

He predicted that rather than a broad market rally, there is a high likelihood of differentiated trends across stocks, sectors, and regions. In particular, if the weak dollar trend continues, domestic demand and small- to mid-cap stocks in Europe and Japan are expected to deliver relatively higher returns. Regarding the UK stock market, he explained that valuations remain low and that, historically, the market has demonstrated solid performance as a defensive investment destination during periods of increased volatility, making it worthy of attention.

Lee Geonwoong, head of KIC's London branch, said, "Due to the uncertainty of trade policies and geopolitical risks, the stock market is experiencing high volatility and rapid capital flows. In such a challenging investment environment, where market outlook and response are quite difficult, this was a valuable opportunity to review key risk factors in the stock market and discuss investment strategies for the second half of the year."