[Yonhap]
[Yonhap]

A majority of salaried workers who invest in stocks have been turning a profit in the first half of this year, with AI and semiconductor stocks drawing the most investment and delivering the highest returns, a new survey shows.

SpaceAd, an office media company, released the results Friday of a stock investment survey of 700 salaried workers. The survey found that 75 percent of respondents are currently making a profit from stock investments, while only 12.6 percent reported losses — meaning more than 7 in 10 salaried investors are in the black.

AI and semiconductors attracted the largest share of investment capital. When asked which sector accounts for the largest portion of their portfolio, 49.6 percent of respondents chose AI and semiconductors. Domestic and international index-tracking exchange-traded funds came in second at 16.6 percent, followed by US big-tech growth stocks at 13.6 percent.

AI and semiconductors also dominated in terms of actual returns. Some 56.6 percent of respondents named the sector as the one that had delivered their highest profits.

When making investment decisions, respondents said they rely most heavily on expert opinion. Analysis from economic experts was cited as the most influential source of information at 22.0 percent, followed by gut instinct (20.7 percent), tips from acquaintances and colleagues (18.1 percent), real-time trading volume (13.1 percent), online communities (9.7 percent), financial statements and official disclosures (7.4 percent), and personally observed growth potential (6.9 percent).

Some 97 percent of respondents said they plan to continue investing in stocks. The most common reason was the need for an investment vehicle beyond savings accounts, cited by 46.7 percent, while 37.0 percent said they needed income beyond their monthly salary. Saving for retirement (8.4 percent) and purchasing real estate (3.9 percent) followed.

As for what prompted respondents to start investing, 43.1 percent pointed to falling interest rates on savings and time deposits. Another 21.7 percent cited anxiety about being the only one not investing, and 21.6 percent said they had heard people around them making money in stocks — suggesting that social atmosphere plays a significant role in shaping investor sentiment.

As the domestic stock market continues to rally on the strength of AI and semiconductor stocks, salaried investors are increasingly feeling the gains. However, with investment capital visibly concentrated in specific sectors, analysts advise diversification and a long-term investment strategy to guard against the risk of heightened market volatility ahead.


rainbow@heraldcorp.com