As earnings growth continues and positive news regarding expanded shareholder returns emerges, the upward trend in the semiconductor sector is resuming, with a dominance of semiconductors appearing in the ETF (exchange-traded fund) market. As artificial intelligence (AI) has established itself as a mega-trend, detailed thematic ETFs containing beneficiary companies at each stage of the growth process are also emerging one after another.
According to the financial investment industry on the 23rd, KB Asset Management plans to launch the RISE Global AI NAND Memory Semiconductor ETF on September 1. While memory semiconductor ETFs centered on DRAM are already available in domestic and overseas markets, this is the first ETF focused exclusively on NAND memory companies. The RISE Global AI NAND Memory Semiconductor will track the iSelect Global AI NAND Memory Semiconductor Index and invest in 10 stocks, including SK Hynix, SanDisk, Kioxia Holdings, Samsung Electronics, and Micron. Unlike existing memory semiconductor ETFs, a distinctive feature is the relatively higher weighting of companies with high market share in the NAND memory sector, such as Kioxia Holdings and SanDisk.
Yuk Dong-hwi, head of the ETF product marketing division at KB Asset Management, stated, "As the AI market grows and semiconductor demand surges, efficiency becomes a priority, and the importance of NAND flash is rising compared to the past." He added, "We anticipate an increase in demand for NAND flash, including HBF (high-bandwidth flash), starting next year, which is why we prepared this product."
Since the beginning of the year, the semiconductor sector has led both domestic and overseas stock markets amid favorable industry conditions, and the ETF market is similarly being driven by semiconductor ETFs. Among the top 10 performing ETFs so far this year, seven are IT and semiconductor ETFs. TIGER 200IT Leverage rose 247%, followed by HAVARO Fn K-Semiconductor with a 172% increase. KODEX Semiconductor Leverage and RISE Network Infrastructure also showed growth in the 150th% range.
ETF management companies are also launching new ETFs focused on semiconductors. Of the 25th ETFs listed since last month, 11 were thematic ETFs related to semiconductors and AI. Representative examples include ETFs concentrated on memory semiconductors, optical communication themes addressing data transmission bottlenecks, data centers, AI power and utilities, and AI software ETFs. Diverse bond-mixed ETFs focusing on core sectors such as semiconductors and AI are also emerging. Korea Investment Trust Management and Mirae Asset Asset Management will simultaneously launch the ACE Samsung Electronics SK Hynix Floating Rate Bond Mixed 50 and TIGER Samsung Electronics SK Hynix US Bond Mixed 50 on the 25th.
This trend is expected to continue. As the AI industry grows, demand will concentrate in specific industrial sectors where bottlenecks occur, inevitably leading to investment performance clustering in those areas. Im Eun-hye, a researcher at Samsung Securities, stated, "AI has become more than just a stock market theme or a temporary trend; it is a core technology reshaping the global economic landscape and a structural driver of future growth." She emphasized, "It is crucial to identify specific themes that will solve technological bottlenecks and achieve leapfrogging growth, as well as their valuations."
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