Samsung Asset Management’s KODEX Semiconductor ETF Surpasses 3 Trillion Won in Net Assets

Samsung Asset Management announced on February 10 that the net assets of the KODEX Semiconductor Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) have surpassed 3 trillion won. This represents an increase of about 95.6% from 1.7135 trillion won in net assets at the end of last year, bringing the total to 3.3521 trillion won.

KODEX Semiconductor, listed in 2006, is Korea’s flagship semiconductor ETF. By allocating more than 49.1% to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, it actively reflects the share price movements of Korea’s leading semiconductor stocks. It also includes key semiconductor materials, components, and equipment companies such as Hanmi Semiconductor and Leeno Industrial, thereby providing diversified exposure across the entire Korean semiconductor industry. It is designed to help investors reduce the risks of investing in individual stocks while broadly capturing the benefits of the industry’s growth.

The recent surge in KODEX Semiconductor’s net assets is attributable to its strong year-to-date return of 44.1%. Driven by this performance, year-to-date net purchases by individual investors in this ETF have nearly reached 228.6 billion won. The returns over the past 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year were 27.9%, 54.9%, 139.5%, and 169.8%, respectively, demonstrating outstanding performance over both the short and long term.

Including KODEX Semiconductor, all four of KODEX’s semiconductor ETFs have seen steady net buying by individual investors since the beginning of the year. Samsung Asset Management offers a total lineup of four domestic semiconductor ETFs - KODEX Semiconductor, KODEX Semiconductor Leverage, KODEX AI Semiconductor, and KODEX AI Semiconductor Core Equipment - so that investors can choose ETFs according to their investment preferences and strategies. Since the beginning of the year, the combined net purchases by individual investors in these four semiconductor ETFs have reached 466 billion won.

KODEX Semiconductor Leverage is an ETF that seeks to deliver twice the daily return of the KRX Semiconductor Index. As more investors have sought to gain exposure to the high volatility in the semiconductor sector, year-to-date net purchases by individual investors reached 103 billion won, ranking fourth among all leveraged ETFs in terms of net individual buying. The ETF’s year-to-date return stands at 96.3%.

KODEX AI Semiconductor is an ETF that allows focused investment solely in stocks specialized in artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors within the semiconductor sector, such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM). It allocates more than 20% each to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, and invests in other companies in the AI value chain. Its year-to-date return is 38.2%.

KODEX AI Semiconductor Core Equipment is an ETF that selectively invests in domestic semiconductor equipment companies, which are regarded as the biggest beneficiaries of semiconductor industry growth. While other ETFs include Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix at high weights, this ETF has the advantage of enabling concentrated investment in semiconductor equipment stocks excluding these two names. Its year-to-date return reaches 33.2%.

Lee Daehwan, a manager at Samsung Asset Management, said, “Since the beginning of the year, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have hit record highs, leading gains across the semiconductor sector, and investors are efficiently participating in the sector’s growth through ETFs,” adding, “Through a variety of semiconductor ETFs, investors can strategically select ETFs according to their investment strategies and risk profiles.”