"August Returns at 6.5%": Overseas Retail Investors Outperform... Nvidia Tops Purchases

U.S. Market Returns 6.5%, Korean Market 3.3%
Nvidia and Ethereum-Related Stocks Lead Overseas
Shipbuilding and Defense Themes Stand Out Domestically

Kakao Pay Securities has compiled data on the returns and top purchased stocks of users who traded both domestic and overseas stocks through its platform during August. The results show that the returns of overseas retail investors (Seo-hak Ants) were nearly twice as high as those of domestic retail investors (Dong-hak Ants).

Compared to July, overall returns slowed somewhat. However, distinct themes emerged in certain sectors, resulting in differentiated trends.

U.S. Market: Nvidia Takes the Top Spot... Ethereum-Related Stocks Surge

According to Kakao Pay Securities on September 10, the average return for all U.S. stocks in August was 6.5%, a slight decrease from 7.8% in the previous month.

Despite weakened data center sales and negative news from China, Nvidia (-2%) secured the top spot in purchases, further solidifying its position as a leader in AI-driven stocks.

Ethereum-related stocks also showed strong performance. Driven by Ethereum's record-breaking rally, the Ethereum 2x Leveraged ETF (ETHU, +25%) and Bitmain Immersion Technologies (BMNR, +26%), the world's largest Ethereum-holding company, both ranked among the top purchased stocks.

Aggressive investment tendencies were evident, with newly added stocks such as Tharimmune (THAR, +376%) and Bolt Projects Holdings (BSLK, +72%) experiencing sharp price increases over the month, reflecting a willingness to accept volatility.

The average return for "stock experts"-those who ranked in the top 10% for monthly returns for three consecutive months-was 47.5%, down from 53.1% in the previous month. These investors favored growth stocks such as Tempus AI (+34%), Tesla (+8%), and IonQ (+7%), while also including short-term government bond ETFs (SGOV) in their portfolios to manage volatility.

Korean Market: Shipbuilding and Defense Expected to Benefit... Semiconductor Sector Faces Regulatory Concerns

The overall average return for Korean stocks was 3.3%, down from 4.8% in July.

The decline in returns was attributed to regulatory risks in the semiconductor sector and uncertainty over earnings. Doosan Enerbility (-6%) was the most purchased stock, but concerns over profitability persisted despite winning a nuclear power plant contract in the Czech Republic. Samsung Electronics (-2%) and SK Hynix (-2%) also weakened due to the impact of U.S. restrictions on semiconductor exports to China.

Policy issues also played a role. News of increased investment in shipbuilding and defense from the Korea-U.S. summit brought Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (-7%) and Hanwha Aerospace (-11%) into the top purchased stocks.

The average return for domestic "stock experts" was 35.9%, down from 37.6% in the previous month. The shipbuilding and defense theme was a common factor, while LG Innotek (+8%) rose in the rankings on expectations of benefiting from the government's AI semiconductor policy. Notable stocks in the bio and new growth sectors included Peptron (+5%), Ecopro Materials (-1%), and ITCEN Global (-17%).

Kakao Pay Securities commented, "August was a month marked by a complex mix of issues, including the Ethereum rally, AI expectations, and policy themes. All investors responded sensitively to these themes, and stock experts demonstrated strategies that combined growth stocks with defensive assets."

Detailed information on the August investment trends of Kakao Pay Securities users can be found in the "Uselessly Useful Investment News" section under the "Securities" tab in the "More" menu at the bottom of the Kakao Pay app.