Kakao Pay Securities said on the 14th that, based on its tally of users' October returns and most-purchased stocks, Korea's market returns were at the highest level this year.
According to Kakao Pay Securities, the overall average return on Korean stocks was 9.2%, up 3.4 percentage points from September (5.8%), marking a record high this year.
In the domestic market, an improvement in semiconductor conditions drove overall returns. Samsung Electronics (+28%) and SK hynix (+61%) took the top two spots in purchases. Increased demand for AI Server Memory for AI servers and a rebound in semiconductor prices strongly lifted share prices, it said.
Shipbuilding and energy sectors also filled the rankings. Shipbuilding and defense names such as Hanwha Ocean (+25%) and Samsung Heavy Industries (+35%) drew strong buying on expectations of expanded defense investment after the South Korea-U.S. summit, while Doosan Enerbility (+41%) also showed strength on momentum from overseas power project orders and nuclear power plant export deals.
▲EcoPro (+85%) ▲HANMI Semiconductor (+49%) ▲Hyundai Motor (+35%) also newly appeared near the top.
The average return of domestic "stock masters" was 42.2%, up from the prior month (37.5%). While maintaining a semiconductor-centered allocation, they balanced their portfolios by diversifying into robots, entertainment, and biotech, including ▲HYULIM Robot (+102%) ▲HYBE (+28%) ▲Alteogen (+7%).
Meanwhile, the overall average return on U.S. stocks in October was 11.1%, continuing a similar trend to the prior month (11.4%). Tesla (TSLA, +3%) and Nvidia (NVDA, +9%) ranked first and second in purchases, respectively, with electric vehicles and AI themes leading the market.
The quantum computing theme also gained traction. As discussions on expanded U.S. government investment in quantum technology became public, Rigetti Computing (RGTI, +49%) and IonQ (IONQ, +1%) reentered the top tier of purchases.
Cambium Networks (CMBM, +236%) surged as cooperation with Elon Musk's Starlink coincided with the meme stock craze. By contrast, Beyond Meat (BYND, -12%) weakened due to earnings pressures despite meme stock interest.
The average return of "stock masters" who ranked within the top 10% in monthly returns for three straight months jumped to 78.6% from the prior month (64.1%). They responded quickly to short-term momentum, focusing on high-risk, high-return names such as ▲bitcoin-related stocks (Strategy 2x Leveraged ETF, MSTU) ▲AI Semiconductor stocks (Nvidia, AMD) ▲quantum computing stocks (Rigetti, IonQ).
A Kakao Pay Securities official said, "October was a period when growth centered on AI and semiconductors continued, spreading investor sentiment to meme stocks and short-term theme names," adding, "In particular, the domestic market's solidifying recovery in semiconductor conditions served as a key factor in achieving the highest level of returns this year."