ETF posts 22.76% return over past 3 months
Recovery hopes spread across secondary battery sector
Shinhan Asset Management said Monday that its SOL Solid-State Battery & Silicon Anode ETF, which invests in companies at the forefront of next-generation battery technology including solid-state batteries, posted a return of 22.76% over the past three months.
That ranked first among all domestic equity ETFs listed in South Korea as of Friday, excluding leveraged and inverse products tracked by Korea Exchange. The fund outpaced Kospi by more than 39 percentage points over the same period, during which the benchmark index fell 16.90%.
The secondary battery sector has been emerging from a prolonged downturn driven by slowing electric vehicle demand, finding new growth engines in the process. Rising demand for energy storage systems from the expansion of AI data centers has begun translating into improved earnings for battery companies. Investor sentiment has also recovered on expectations that next-generation technologies such as solid-state batteries and silicon anode materials are nearing commercialization.
The SOL Solid-State Battery & Silicon Anode ETF captures these industry shifts by concentrating its holdings in companies central to solid-state battery and silicon anode material development.
Key holdings include Samsung SDI, which is pursuing mass production of solid-state batteries; LG Energy Solution, a major player in the ESS segment; Ecopro BM, which supplies cathode materials for solid-state batteries; ISU Specialty Chemical, active in lithium sulfide; Lotte Energy Materials, a battery materials supplier; and Daejoo Electronic Materials, a silicon anode material maker.
"The secondary battery industry is diversifying its growth drivers as the commercialization of next-generation technologies such as solid-state batteries and silicon anode materials comes into clearer view," said Kim Jung-hyun, head of the ETF business group at Shinhan Asset Management. "The SOL Solid-State Battery & Silicon Anode ETF concentrates on domestic companies with competitive next-generation battery technology, and is positioned to capture medium- to long-term growth opportunities arising from the ESS-led sector recovery and the commercialization of solid-state batteries."
Shinhan Asset Management also said retail investor net purchases in three of its semiconductor-focused ETFs — SOL AI Semiconductor Materials & Equipment, SOL Semiconductor Front-End Process, and SOL Semiconductor Back-End Process — totaled 223.1 billion won ($165 million) in the month through Tuesday.
yuni@heraldcorp.com
