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By Lee Min-hyung
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on chips and robots turned out to have generated the largest returns in January in hopes of a gradual recovery in the global semiconductor market.
According to data from the Korea Exchange, TIGER U.S. Philadelphia Semiconductor Leverage ETF topped the list of most profitable ETFs listed here. The ETF generated returns of 30.03 percent between Jan. 2 and 30.
Other major chip-related ETFs also enjoyed a robust rally during the same period. ACE Global Chip Top 4 Plus, Solactive ETF, also reported returns of 22.15 percent this month. Data from the exchange also showed that all the 15 ETFs on semiconductors listed here generated double-digit profitability this month alone.
The solid growth has been driven by not just the industrial outlook, but the possible end to global monetary tightening.
"Starting from the second quarter of this year, signals will be detected that the cycle of decline in the memory chip industry bottoms out," KB Securities analyst Kim Dong-won said. "The memory chip industry is faced with oversupply for now, but this will not be the case in 2024 with overall supply reduction and Chinese chipmakers' delayed production as a reaction to U.S. sanctions."
ETFs associated with robots and the metaverse have also enjoyed their heyday in January. KODEX K-Robot Active ETF topped the list of most profitable ETFs here ― excluding leveraged ETFs ― with monthly returns of 20.2 percent, according to data from Samsung Asset Management. The robot-industry-focused ETF was listed for the first time in Korea in November, containing key tech stocks such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Naver.
The ETF gained traction on the growing demand for automation technology amid an aging population and falling birthrate here. The industry is considered one of the next major mid- to long-term growth areas here.
