Hanwha Asset Management's PLUS Global HBM Semiconductor ETF Surpasses 400 Billion Won in Net Assets

Hanwha Asset Management announced on April 21 that the net asset value (NAV) of the 'PLUS Global HBM Semiconductor' Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) has surpassed 400 billion won. This surge is attributed to a large influx of investor capital, driven by the structural growth of the semiconductor market stemming from the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

According to the Korea Exchange, the NAV of the PLUS Global HBM Semiconductor ETF reached 414 billion won as of April 17. Since the beginning of this year alone, individual investors have made net purchases totaling 106.3 billion won.

In particular, the ETF has stood out in terms of returns, recording a one-year return of 374.9%—the highest among all domestically listed ETFs, excluding leveraged and inverse products.

This product allocates 75% to 80% of its assets to the three global memory semiconductor leaders—Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron—that dominate the high bandwidth memory (HBM) market. The strategy, designed to maximize the benefits for core companies during the memory semiconductor upcycle, has proven highly effective.

Recently, global big tech companies have aggressively ramped up investments to build AI data centers, ushering in a supercycle for the memory semiconductor industry. Demand for memory semiconductors—including HBM, DRAM, and NAND flash—has skyrocketed, leading to sharp price increases and worsening supply shortages. As a result, big tech firms are entering into long-term supply agreements (LTAs) or negotiating minimum price guarantees, creating a market where suppliers have the upper hand.

Amid this environment, earnings forecasts for related companies are being raised daily. Samsung Electronics recorded a provisional operating profit of 57.2 trillion won in the first quarter, and there are projections that its annual operating profit could exceed 300 trillion won this year. SK Hynix, which is set to announce its earnings on April 23, is also expected to report first-quarter operating profit exceeding 40 trillion won.

Keum Jeongseob, Head of the ETF Business Division at Hanwha Asset Management, stated, "The expansion of AI infrastructure is driving structural growth in the memory semiconductor market, including HBM. In particular, because the memory market is an oligopoly dominated by three major companies, the PLUS Global HBM Semiconductor ETF—which invests more than 75% in these companies—is the optimal investment solution to most effectively benefit from the current semiconductor rally."

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