Seven out of ten active ETFs in Korea are trailing their benchmarks this month — and the semiconductor rotation trade is driving both the winners and the losers.
Korea's semiconductor sector saw sharp rotational moves in July as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix pulled back from recent highs, driving gains of up to 29% in equipment and materials ETFs. Meanwhile, retail and pension investors who entered chip ETFs in May and June are sitting on losses of up to 26% from March peaks. Active ETF managers broadly failed to protect capital, with TRUSTON Shareholder Value Active lagging KOSPI 200 by 8.7 percentage points and MIDAS Small and Mid-Cap falling 12.9% on heavy chip exposure. JP Morgan strategist David Lebovitz named re-inflation as the top risk through year-end, recommending multi-asset positioning as volatility is expected to continue.
Sources:
Semiconductor Equipment and Materials ETFs Surge on Sector Rotation — Seoul Economic Daily, July 20 2026
Pension Retail Investors Take Losses as Chip ETFs Slide from March Peaks — Seoul Economic Daily, July 20 2026
Seven in Ten Active ETFs Trail Benchmarks Amid Korea Market Volatility — Seoul Economic Daily, July 20 2026
JP Morgan Strategist Calls for Multi-Asset Strategy as Re-Inflation Risk Rises — Seoul Economic Daily, July 20 2026
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Tags:
#Semiconductor #ETF #ActiveETF #KOSPI #SamsungElectronics #SKHynix #KoreaMarket #Inflation #MultiAsset #JPMorgan #AIPRISM #SeoulEconomicDaily #WANIFRA
