NH-Amundi K-Semiconductor ETF Leads Korea with 181% YTD Return
NH-Amundi’s K-Semiconductor ETF leads South Korean markets with a 181.65% year-to-date return, driven by AI infrastructure demand and heavy weighting in SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics.
NH-Amundi Asset Management’s HANARO Fn K-Semiconductor ETF has secured the top spot among non-leveraged South Korea-listed funds with a year-to-date return of 181.65%. As reported by GN stocks/chips, this performance reflects the strong recovery in the domestic semiconductor sector following earlier volatility. The fund’s gains are directly tied to the rebound in memory chip prices and renewed confidence in South Korea’s position in the global supply chain.
The ETF tracks the FnGuide K-Semiconductor Index, holding 20 stocks that represent the core of the industry. The portfolio is heavily concentrated in the two largest manufacturers, with SK Hynix accounting for 26.15% and Samsung Electronics for 25.18%. These two names drive the majority of the fund’s performance, while the remaining 48.67% is allocated to suppliers such as SK Square, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, and equipment makers like Hanmi Semiconductor.
AI Infrastructure Drives Sector Rebound
The recent price surge follows a mid-year correction as investors reassessed overheated valuations. The turning point came with confirmed expansions in global AI infrastructure, particularly from big tech companies increasing capital expenditure. NVIDIA’s reaffirmed focus on compute revenue and OpenAI’s deployment of over 100,000 GPUs for its next-generation models have validated demand for high-performance memory.
Kim Seung-chul, head of ETF investment at NH-Amundi, noted that AI performance is fundamentally dependent on massive computing infrastructure. This structural shift benefits memory-centric South Korean firms, which are positioned as key beneficiaries of the current cycle. The firm suggests that the recent cooling of sentiment has created a more sustainable entry point for investors focused on long-term hardware demand.
Competitors Capture Global Memory Demand
Other funds are also capitalizing on the memory semiconductor boom, though with different geographic exposures. Hanwha Asset Management’s PLUS Global HBM Semiconductor ETF recorded a six-month return of 70.33% and a one-year return of 388.07%. Unlike the NH-Amundi fund, which is domestic-focused, this product diversifies into U.S. suppliers like Micron and SanDisk to capture global HBM and NAND flash demand.
The distinction lies in the supply chain focus. While NH-Amundi’s fund relies on the integrated manufacturing capabilities of Samsung and SK Hynix, competitors are targeting the broader ecosystem of data storage and high-value-added DRAM. This differentiation allows investors to choose between pure domestic play and a blended global memory exposure, reflecting the fragmented nature of the modern semiconductor supply chain.
