Shyon
05-11
I’m paying much closer attention to Korea this year because the setup feels very different from past chip cycles. AI-driven HBM shortages, multi-year supply lock-ins, and the “Korea discount” unwinding are creating both earnings growth and valuation expansion together. Even after the rally, Samsung and SK Hynix still don’t look expensive to me at around 5-6x forward earnings while sitting at the center of the AI infrastructure boom.

Personally, I prefer a mix of direct semiconductor exposure & $iShares MSCI South Korea ETF(EWY)exposure. SK Hynix has the strongest HBM positioning, but Korea as a whole may still be in the early stages of rerating compared with expensive US AI names.

My biggest concern is not AI demand slowing, but expectations getting too far ahead. If capacity expands too aggressively into 2027-2028, the market could start pricing in oversupply risks. But for now, earnings momentum and pricing power still look very strong.

@TigerClub @TigerStars @Tiger_comments

JPMorgan Targets KOSPI 10,000: SK Hynix and Samsung are Better Choices?
$KOSPI$ surged more than 5% intraday today, triggering a circuit breaker. JPMorgan's latest strategy report names Korea its top pick in Asia-Pacific, raising the KOSPI target to 9,000 (base) / 10,000 (bull). Have You Participated in the Korea Rally? Do you think these are still cheap for where we are in the AI cycle, or has the EPS outlook already been fully priced in? Do you prefer direct Korean equity/ETF exposure, or playing the HBM cycle through $MU$/$SNDK$? What's your biggest concern — an unexpected slowdown in AI capex, or something else?
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