KODEX Robot Active Surpasses 200 Billion Won in Net Assets

With the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the performance of robots is advancing at a remarkable pace and expectations for the commercialization of humanoids are rising, accelerating the transformation of the global robotics industry.

Samsung Asset Management announced on the 14th that the net assets of the 'KODEX Robot Active ETF' have surpassed 216.6 billion won, exceeding the 200 billion won mark. The fund's performance has also been robust. Over the past month, it has recorded a return of approximately 15.3%, and since the beginning of the year, a high return of 72.1%, establishing itself as a leading alternative for investments in the robotics theme.

The growth of KODEX Robot Active appears to be the result of both the structural expansion of the robotics industry and policy momentum. Domestic policy momentum is also strong. The government is providing active support to enhance the competitiveness of domestic robotics companies. The 'K-Humanoid Alliance', launched under the initiative of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in April, has expanded to include around 160 participating companies, with the government accelerating efforts to foster the robotics industry. There is also growing anticipation that changes in the labor environment will accelerate the shift from human labor to robots, which is contributing to the upward trend in the share prices of domestic robotics-related companies.

The ETF portfolio consists of core robotics stocks such as Robotis, Rainbow Robotics, and Doosan Robotics, as well as major domestic big tech companies that are actively investing in the robotics industry, including Samsung Electronics, NAVER, and Kakao, with significant portfolio weightings.

The fund is managed actively, aiming to generate excess returns over its benchmark index. As a result, it has achieved a return of 72.1% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the benchmark by 9.3 percentage points and demonstrating the strengths of active management.

Samsung Asset Management, recognizing the growth potential of the robotics industry, has been proactively launching related products. In addition to the KODEX Robot Active ETF listed in 2022, the company listed the 'KODEX US Humanoid Robot' and 'KODEX China Humanoid Robot' ETFs in April and May of this year, respectively. This has completed a global robotics ETF lineup focused on technology-leading countries such as Korea, the United States, and China.

Jung Jaeuk, Head of ETF Management Team 3 at Samsung Asset Management, stated, "The robotics industry is a sector with very high long-term growth potential, as it creates synergies by combining accumulated robotics technology with advances in artificial intelligence (AI). The three KODEX Robot ETF products will be the most effective means for proactive investment in the growth of the global robotics ecosystem."