This year, several stocks in the domestic market have seen their prices soar by more than five times. Gaon Cable has risen by 587.95% since the beginning of the year, while JUSUNG Engineering has surged by 739.35% in the KOSDAQ market. Many of the top gainers are related to semiconductors, power, and optical communications.
According to the Korea Exchange, as of the end of September, Gaon Cable recorded the highest price increase in the KOSPI market this year. The stock price rose from 45,788 won at the start of the year to 315,000 won as of the end of last month, marking a 587.95% increase.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics ranked second with a 493.33% increase during the same period. The stock price climbed from around 250,000 won at the beginning of the year to 1,513,000 won by the end of last month. Other notable gainers include LG Innotek (430.52%), Samwha Capacitor (410.09%), and Daewoo Engineering & Construction (364.40%).
Samsung Electro-Mechanics has now surpassed 1.5 million won, earning it the title of 'blue chip.' SK Square also saw its stock price triple, rising from 368,000 won at the start of the year to 1,139,000 won by the end of last month. Excluding preferred shares, SK Square also ranked high in KOSPI price increases.
In the KOSDAQ, the gap between the index and individual stocks has become more pronounced. The KOSDAQ index fell 7.51% from 925.47 at the beginning of the year to 855.91 at the end of last month, while the top gainers recorded increases of 500% to 700%.
JUSUNG Engineering achieved the highest increase in the KOSDAQ, with a 739.35% rise this year. Its market capitalization jumped from 57th place at the beginning of the year to 3rd place by the end of last month, making it the third-largest company in the KOSDAQ after Alteogen and EcoPro.
Daehan Optical Communication followed closely with a 682.36% increase. Fidelix (617.39%), Light & Electronics (595.10%), and Aspro (515.95%) also recorded gains exceeding 500%. Notably, Light & Electronics saw its stock price rise significantly from 592 won at the beginning of the year to 4,115 won by the end of last month, escaping the 'penny stock' status.
The top gainers include many stocks related to semiconductors and power and optical communications. The increase in semiconductor investments due to the expansion of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry and the growing demand for related infrastructure are cited as reasons for the price increases of these stocks.
Recently, expectations have grown that AI investments will continue to expand, leading to a recovery in investor sentiment surrounding the semiconductor sector. There are forecasts that if the growth trend of the AI industry continues, it will lead to increased demand for memory semiconductors and improvements in the market conditions.
Moon Jun-ho, a researcher at Samsung Securities, stated, "Doubts about whether AI investment will continue have significantly decreased. The concern now is about the pace of investment growth, not a decline in investment." He added, "The market's focus is shifting to how far the massive investments, which are increasing daily, can expand."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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