After GPUs, CPUs: Korea Investment Management lists an ETF focused on Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) and ARM

[Financial News] As the spread of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) increases the importance of server central processing units (CPUs), an exchange-traded fund (ETF) focused on leading U.S. CPU companies such as Intel, AMD and ARM is set to launch. The fund invests not only in key companies but also across related value chains, including server manufacturing, memory and networking.
Korea Investment Management said on the 19th that it will launch the ACE U.S. CPU Semiconductor TOP3+ ETF on the 20th.
The fund invests in 10 CPU-related stocks listed in the United States. It allocates about 25% each to three leading CPU companies—Intel, AMD and ARM—concentrating about 75% of the total portfolio in them.
Intel and AMD have established supply bases in the market for large cloud service providers, while ARM is expanding its network of partners after launching a CPU for AI data centers last March.
The remaining seven holdings consist of companies across the value chain, including server CPU production, memory, networking and server manufacturing. The fund’s structure also reflects the possibility that rising CPU demand could spread beyond key chip companies to the server infrastructure sector as a whole. If major companies in the related sectors newly list after the ETF is listed, they may be added to the index after three business days from their listing date, subject to review by the index committee.
The fund’s launch comes amid expectations that the server CPU market will grow as agentic AI spreads. Mizuho Securities forecast that the agentic CPU market would grow to $80 billion by 2030. Bernstein said the total server CPU market, including its expanded ecosystem, could reach $223 billion in 2030 as CPUs become more important during the transition to agentic AI.
Nam Yong-su, head of the ETF Division at Korea Investment Management, said, “As the use of agentic AI becomes more widespread, CPUs will become even more important as multiple tasks are handled at once. We should pay attention to the server CPU market as well as GPUs.”
He added, “One strength of the ACE U.S. CPU Semiconductor TOP3+ ETF is that it allows investors to invest in one go across related value chains, including leading companies in the CPU market and server-rack manufacturers.”
[email protected] Bae Hangul Reporter