Shinhan Asset Management's SOL AI Semiconductor TOP2 Plus exchange-traded fund (ETF) has surpassed 5 trillion won in net assets, just ahead of its third month since listing.
Shinhan Asset Management said Friday that the net assets of SOL AI Semiconductor TOP2 Plus stood at 5.6802 trillion won as of the 2nd of this month. The figure represents more than a 450-fold increase in about three months since the fund listed with net assets of 11 billion won on March 17 this year.
Buying by retail investors has been cited as the driver behind the steep growth. According to the Korea Exchange, cumulative net purchases by individual investors in SOL AI Semiconductor TOP2 Plus totaled 2.6579 trillion won as of the 2nd of this month. This is the highest level among domestically listed ETFs since the start of the year.
The concentration of funds in the related ETF is interpreted as a sign that investment demand for artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors is spreading beyond specific stocks to the entire value chain. Analysts say investor interest has risen as expectations for an improving memory chip market, centered on Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, have combined with expanding investment in AI infrastructure.
SOL AI Semiconductor TOP2 Plus holds Samsung Electronics and SK hynix as its core constituent stocks while investing in major semiconductor value-chain companies such as Samsung Electro-Mechanics and SK Square. The fund is designed to reflect growth benefits across the entire semiconductor industry by also incorporating companies related to substrates and multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC), which are expected to benefit from the expansion of AI servers.
The actual portfolio also includes major companies within the AI semiconductor supply chain, such as Isu Petasys and LG Innotek. A differentiating factor is that the fund allows investment not only in memory chips but also in the rising demand for components and materials driven by the expansion of AI infrastructure.
"SOL AI Semiconductor TOP2 Plus ranking first in net purchases by individual investors this year reflects the strong interest in the AI semiconductor industry," said Kim Jung-hyun, head of the ETF business group at Shinhan Asset Management. "It is establishing itself as a product that allows efficient investment in the key companies of Korea's AI semiconductor value chain."
