"I Should Have Joined When Oil Prices Rose"… Crude Oil Fund Returns 17%

Crude Oil Funds Average Return 16.8% Since Early Year
35.4% in 6 Months, 67.5% in 1 Year
Domestic and Overseas Equity Funds Average Returns Negative in Same Period
Crude Oil Fund Returns Rise Due to International Oil Price Increase
Uptrend Paused Amid US-Iran Nuclear Deal Possibility

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Those who turned their eyes to crude oil funds instead of sighing over soaring gasoline prices emerged as winners. Since the beginning of the year, the return on crude oil funds has reached 17%. This contrasts with the negative returns recorded by both domestic and foreign stock and bond funds. The gap is even larger when comparing average returns over the past year.

According to financial information company FnGuide on the 9th, the average return of domestically established crude oil funds since the beginning of the year was 16.8%. In contrast, during the same period, domestic stock funds recorded -8.67%, domestic mixed funds -2.0%, bond funds -0.5%, foreign stock funds -7.5%, foreign mixed funds -3.0%, and foreign bond funds -1.6%, all showing negative returns.

Looking at returns by period, the difference becomes even greater. The 6-month and 1-year average returns of crude oil funds were 35.4% and 67.5%, respectively. Six months ago was when domestic gasoline prices were bottoming out and just beginning to rise. Even if money was invested in crude oil funds from November last year, when talks of fuel tax cuts surfaced, an average return of 14.0% (3 months) could be achieved. On the other hand, the 6-month and 1-year average returns of domestic stock funds were -13.7% and -10.6%, respectively. During the same period, foreign stock funds also recorded -5.6% and -3.1%. Conservative bond funds all showed negative returns.

By product, ‘Samsung KODEX WTI Crude Oil Futures Special Asset Listed Index Investment Trust [Crude Oil-Derivative Type H]’ recorded the highest return at 18.19%. Samsung WTI Crude Oil Special Asset Investment Trust 1 [WTI Crude Oil-Derivative Type] (A) followed with 17.81%, Samsung WTI Crude Oil Special Asset Investment Trust 1 [WTI Crude Oil-Derivative Type] (Ce) and Samsung WTI Crude Oil Special Asset Investment Trust 1 [WTI Crude Oil-Derivative Type] (C1) both at 17.78%, and Mirae Asset TIGER Crude Oil Futures Special Asset Listed Index Investment Trust [Crude Oil-Derivative Type] at 17.60%. The KBSTAR U.S. S&P Crude Oil Producers Securities Listed Index Investment Trust (Stock-Derivative Type) (Synthetic H), which tracks an index of crude oil producing companies, also posted a 12.20% return.

The reason for the high returns of crude oil funds is the steadily rising international oil prices since last year. Dubai crude oil reached $90.22 per barrel (February 4), and WTI (February 3) $90.27, surpassing $90 for the first time in seven years since 2014. Although oil demand is recovering, OPEC+ maintains its existing production increase policy despite pressure from the U.S. However, the possibility of a nuclear deal between the U.S. and Iran is increasing, which is expected to slow the rise in international oil prices. If Iran returns to the crude oil market, daily crude oil supply is estimated to increase by 1 to 2 million barrels.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.