'PLUS Global HBM Semiconductor' Tops Annual Returns at 481.23%

SanDisk, Teradyne, and Techwing Newly Added to the Portfolio

The 'PLUS Global HBM Semiconductor' Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) by Hanwha Asset Management has recorded the highest annual return among domestically listed semiconductor ETFs, excluding leveraged and inverse products.

According to Hanwha Asset Management on May 7, as of the previous day, the annual net asset value (NAV) return of the PLUS Global HBM Semiconductor ETF stood at 481.23%. Among semiconductor ETFs listed in Korea, except for leveraged and inverse ETFs, this is the highest figure. This ETF invests 75 to 80 percent of its assets in the global memory semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and Micron.

In this month's regular rebalancing, the PLUS Global HBM Semiconductor ETF expanded its portfolio into the NAND flash and memory equipment sectors. During this rebalancing, it newly included ▲SanDisk (4.3%) ▲Teradyne (1.4%) and ▲Techwing (0.5%).

An official from Hanwha Asset Management explained, "The core of this rebalancing is to expand NAND exposure by including SanDisk." NAND is drawing attention alongside the recent surge in artificial intelligence (AI) data processing volume.

This change stems from the rapid increase in the 'KV cache' used in answer generation by large language models (LLMs). KV cache refers to the intermediate computation values generated during LLM operations. This data is sequentially stored, first in HBM and DRAM, then in SSDs. As the number of AI service users has soared in recent years, the volume of KV cache that needs to be processed has also grown significantly, resulting in a surge in demand for NAND-based SSDs to store this data.

The equipment sector has also been reorganized in the same context. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have announced plans to significantly increase their facility investments this year compared to the previous year. Teradyne, which was newly added to the portfolio, is the world's second-largest semiconductor test equipment company and supplies to both Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, while Techwing holds more than 60 percent share in the global memory handler market.

Geum Jungseop, Head of the ETF Division at Hanwha Asset Management, stated, "Through this rebalancing, we have maintained HBM and DRAM investments through the three memory giants, secured NAND exposure through SanDisk, and increased sensitivity to the memory capex expansion cycle through Teradyne and Techwing," adding, "We have built a portfolio that allows us to respond proactively to the next phase of the memory supercycle."

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