[Weekend Money] Stock Investment Waiting Funds Surpass 100 Trillion Won... Securities Stocks "Beaming"

Trading Volume Surpasses 1,000 Trillion Won in January
Up 52% from Previous Month
Stock Market Rally Boosts Securities Firm Earnings
Mirae Asset Securities Named Top Pick

On the 29th, when the KOSPI surpassed the 5,200 mark intraday for the first time in history, dealers were working in the dealing room at the Woori Bank headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. On the same day, the won-dollar exchange rate opened at 1,429.60 won, up 7.1 won from the previous trading day. January 29, 2026 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

As the domestic stock market continues its historic rally, expectations for the securities sector as a whole are rising rapidly. Following the investor deposits waiting to enter the stock market surpassing 100 trillion won for the first time ever, key brokerage-related indicators such as trading volume and the number of accounts have also hit record highs one after another. This has led to forecasts that securities firms will see improved performance and share price strength.

On February 1, Ahn Youngjun, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, commented, "This is a market that is moving in a historic flow," adding, "You just need to be beside the rising market (the securities sector)." This means that the current direction of the stock market is favorable for the securities sector.

In fact, the strength of the domestic stock market is robust even compared to the past. The combined market capitalization of KOSPI and KOSDAQ reached 4,767 trillion won, up 23% from the end of the previous year, an increase of 884 trillion won in just one year. The domestic stock market is now considered to have entered an "unprecedented rally" phase.

Liquidity indicators make this momentum even clearer. On January 27, investor deposits surpassed 100 trillion won for the first time ever. At the end of last year, the figure stood at 87 trillion won, up 60% year-on-year, and this year, in less than a month, it has increased an additional 15% compared to the end of last year.

Along with the increase in deposits, trading volume is also surging. In January, the domestic stock market’s trading volume exceeded 1,000 trillion won for the first time ever, with a month-on-month growth rate of 52%. The number of active trading accounts also reached a record high of 99.82 million, up 2% from the end of last year, continuously setting new records.

This environment is structurally advantageous for the securities sector. Researcher Ahn explained, "The performance of securities firms is highly sensitive to stock market trading volume, and typically, the sector’s share price trends are closely aligned with the stock market and trading volume." As long as the stock market remains strong and money continues to move into the capital market, both the industry and share price trends are bound to be favorable.

Past cases support this view. In phases when the domestic stock market experienced significant rises-such as in 2009, 2017, and 2020-the securities sector's share prices also moved in tandem with the broader market. Researcher Ahn emphasized, "In a strong stock market phase like now, it is important to maintain a preference for the securities sector."

As an investment strategy, he recommended focusing on securities firms with high market share in the retail segment. Since the key driver behind the recent strength in securities stocks is the increase in trading volume, companies with a higher proportion of individual investors are expected to benefit more. Kiwoom Securities selected Mirae Asset Securities as its top pick.

Researcher Ahn added, "In addition to the benefits of high retail market share, expectations remain valid for factors such as a turnaround in earnings, IMA approval, the launch of the National Growth Fund, expansion of the cryptocurrency market, growth in overseas subsidiaries’ performance, active shareholder returns, group governance restructuring, and the listing of unlisted investment companies such as SpaceX."