[2025 Capital Investment Awards] "Outstanding Performance by Securities and Asset Management Firms Amid Unprecedented Stock Market Boom"

Review by Jin-Gyu Jun, Chief Judge (President of the Korea Securities Association)

This year, the stock market experienced an unprecedented boom, and domestic securities firms and asset management companies achieved remarkable growth, with record-breaking performance expected for the year. There was balanced growth across wealth management (WM), investment banking (IB), and retirement pension sectors, while capabilities in research and digital services were also strengthened. These companies are delivering strong results not only in Korea but also in overseas markets.

Jin-Kyu Jeon, President of the Korean Securities Association, is attending the '2025 Asia Capital Investment Awards' held at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 4th and delivering a judging comment. 2025.12.4 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

The judging panel compared and analyzed the official materials submitted by securities and asset management companies, as well as evaluation data prepared by The Asia Business Daily staff, across categories including WM, IB, information technology (IT), research, retirement pensions, funds, and deals.

This year, Mirae Asset Global Investments received the Grand Prize. As a global asset manager, Mirae Asset Global Investments is active not only in Korea but also in global markets. The company currently manages approximately 480 trillion won in assets across the United States, United Kingdom, India, Japan, and other countries, ranking as the world’s 12th largest exchange-traded fund (ETF) manager. Domestically, it is the top manager, accounting for 40% of the total net cumulative ETF purchases by individual investors. In the pension market, it holds the number one position in pension fund assets, target date fund (TDF) market share, and dedicated default option fund assets. Furthermore, this year, the company was reappointed as the lead manager for the National Pension Fund Investment Pool for four years from 2026 to 2029, reaffirming its long-term and stable management capabilities.

The top award in the WM category went to Mirae Asset Securities for the overseas division and Samsung Securities for the domestic division. Mirae Asset Securities maximized client portfolio returns through a differentiated global asset allocation strategy. Samsung Securities, leveraging its reputation as a “leader in wealth management,” provides services tailored to diverse client preferences and investment needs. In the third quarter of this year, total retail assets reached 393.5 trillion won, up about 26% from the same period last year, with the number of clients holding assets of 1 billion won or more reaching 343,000.

Shinhan Investment Corp. was selected as the top performer in the IB category. The company has established itself as a leading player by successfully managing major corporate bond issuances and rights offerings as the lead underwriter.

The top awards in the research category went to Daishin Securities and Hana Securities. Daishin Securities focuses on in-depth, market-leading analysis and timely research that meets client needs, offering long-term investment strategies. Hana Securities believes that expanding coverage is essential for supporting long-term investment and sound investment decisions by investors. As a result, it has steadily increased its coverage and now provides analysis on about 500 domestic companies and publishes reports on more than 100 overseas companies.

In the retirement pension category, Korea Investment & Securities received the top award. The company achieved the highest returns in the securities industry for six consecutive quarters in the default option segment from the first quarter of 2024 to the second quarter of 2025. Its performance in aggressive, neutral, and stable investment types has significantly exceeded the industry average.

In the digital category, NH Investment & Securities and KB Securities were selected as top performers. NH Investment & Securities provides innovative digital services utilizing AI, while KB Securities has built a trusted investment platform through customer-centric digital innovation, with the scale of its digital wealth management services surpassing 10 trillion won.

In the fund category, Samsung Asset Management was named the best asset manager. Leveraging its strengths in traditional investment assets such as stocks and bonds, the company introduced financial products and service systems previously unavailable in the Korean market, contributing to asset growth for both individual and institutional investors.

.

The Best Fund Award went to Korea Investment Management’s Korea Investment Global AI & Semiconductor TOP10 Fund, which delivered outstanding returns by focusing on 10 leading companies in the global AI and semiconductor industries; KB Asset Management’s KB OnGukmin Dynamic TDF, which achieved an average three-year return exceeding 47%; Shinhan Asset Management’s Shinhan Dollar Short-Term Fund (USD), which attracted over 400 billion won in inflows this year; and Glenwood Private Equity, which has delivered top-tier performance in the domestic private equity market.

.

The Deal of the Year Award went to Hahn & Company for its outstanding performance in acquiring SK Specialty, the global leader in specialty gases. The company received high praise for successfully completing the transaction despite major M&A deals in the same industry falling through.