Top investors triple Hynix purchases amid market rout...also buy undervalued stocks Celltrion and Hyundai Motor [Top 1% Investors’ Picks]

[Financial News] As South Korea’s stock market plunged following the U.S. midterm elections, top investors tripled their net purchases of SK hynix. They cut their net purchases of Samsung Electronics while broadening their buying to non-semiconductor stocks such as Celltrion, Hyundai Motor and Hyosung Heavy Industries.■ Net purchases of Hynix tripleAccording to the “Detailed Trading Activity of Top-Performing Customers (the 25,000 customers with the highest returns over the previous three months)” provided by KIWOOM Securities on the 8th, SK hynix ranked first in net purchases from the 2nd to the 6th, at 118.7 billion won. Samsung Electronics ranked second at 76 billion won, and Celltrion third at 11.5 billion won.
Samsung Electronics, which had ranked first in net purchases the previous week (from the 26th to the 30th of last month), saw its net purchases fall 13.5%, from 87.8 billion won. SK hynix’s net purchases rose from 39.5 billion won to about three times that amount, reversing the ranking of the two stocks once again in a week. Their combined net purchases increased 52.9%, from 127.3 billion won to 194.6 billion won. Given that the combined net purchases of the 13 stocks ranked third or lower totaled 111.3 billion won, about 64% of net purchases of the top 15 stocks went to the two stocks.
This week, the stock market plunged amid concerns over regulation of AI data centers, which emerged as the Democrats took control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress in the midterm elections. Top investors, however, appear to have used the market rout as an opportunity to buy at lower prices.
Kim Rok-ho, a researcher at Hana Securities, said, “I believe the 12-month forward price-to-book (PBR) ratio lows for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have likely moved up to around 1.2 times,” adding, “As uncertainty is absorbed, it is worth considering a strategy of increasing exposure to domestic memory-chip makers.”■ Diversifying into Celltrion, Hyundai Motor and power equipmentAs volatility in semiconductor stocks increased, top investors also turned to other sectors. Han Ji-young, a researcher at KIWOOM Securities, said, “Semiconductor stocks are likely to remain volatile for the time being, with ‘buying on the perception that the declines have been excessive’ competing with ‘stop-loss selling reflecting concerns about slowing earnings,’” adding, “There is a possibility that a phase of capital flows spreading into other sectors will continue.”
Among semiconductor component stocks, Samsung Electro-Mechanics ranked fourth at 11.3 billion won. However, its net purchases fell 52.0% from the previous week, when it ranked third at 23.5 billion won. SK Square ranked sixth at 11 billion won, and HANMI Semiconductor ranked 12th at 5.7 billion won. Samsung Electro-Mechanics and SK Square were among the stocks that plunged on the 5th, by 15.34% and 10.01%, respectively.
Celltrion led net purchases among non-semiconductor stocks. Its shares have been rising since the beginning of this month. Shin Ji-hoon, a researcher at KB Securities, said, “OMLYCLO, an allergy treatment developed by Celltrion, will maintain its exclusive position in 2027, and its strong growth will continue.”
Hyundai Motor ranked fifth at 11.2 billion won, and Kia ranked 11th at 7.1 billion won. Expectations that the policy influence of U.S. President Donald Trump, who pursued a hard-line tariff policy, would weaken may have played some role, as the Democrats won a landslide victory in the U.S. midterm elections. Power equipment stocks also ranked among the top 10. Hyosung Heavy Industries ranked seventh at 10.8 billion won, LS ELECTRIC ninth at 9.1 billion won, and Doosan Enerbility 10th at 7.7 billion won.
[email protected] Han Young-jun Reporter