[Weekend Money] SpaceX Set to Go Public... Which ETF Should You Choose?

Shinhan: "Among U.S. ETFs, NASA Draws the Most Capital Inflows
In Korea, Focus on Leading TIGER and Active ACE"

SpaceX is set to go public on June 12. Since the beginning of this year, numerous exchange-traded funds (ETFs) themed around aerospace have been launched both domestically and internationally, many of which have announced plans to include SpaceX in their portfolios. This trend is deepening investors' considerations and strategies.

The supply, trading volume, and momentum indicators of representative U.S.-listed ETFs, 'Procure Space ETF (UFO)' and 'Tema Space Innovators ETF (NASA),' have already been diagnosed as 'semiconductor anomalies.' Reuters Yonhap News

Park Wooyeol, a researcher at Shinhan Investment Corp., stated, "2026 marks the first year of the space arms race, with the United States increasing its Space Force budget by 40% year-on-year to $40 billion." He added, "If you are looking for the next theme after semiconductors that will attract significant capital flows, aerospace is worth attention." He pointed out that the supply, trading volume, and momentum indicators for leading U.S.-listed ETFs—'Procure Space ETF (UFO)' and 'Tema Space Innovators ETF (NASA)'—have already surpassed those of the semiconductor sector.

Comparing the two products, Park noted that the NASA ETF exhibits stronger momentum in terms of capital inflows. He explained, "Even though SpaceX has not yet gone public, the ETF has already secured over 10% of its holdings through a special purpose vehicle." He further added, "The net assets (AUM) of the NASA ETF have increased by 448% in the past month, making it the product attracting the strongest momentum and the highest capital inflows."

He assessed that some products that previously included SpaceX lacked stability. Park stated, "'ERShares Private-Public Crossover (XOVR.US)' ETF included more than 10% SpaceX holdings, but it is not a product focused solely on space investments. Meanwhile, 'Destiny Tech100 Inc (DXYZ.US)' is known for its high proportion of SpaceX holdings, but it is not an ETF; its structure is opaque and its volatility has been extreme." Destiny Tech100 Inc (DXYZ.US) is a closed-end fund listed on the New York Stock Exchange, not an ETF.

The number of aerospace ETFs in Korea has increased to nine. At the beginning of the year, the only product focused on U.S. space technology was '1Q U.S. Space Aero Tech' by Hana Asset Management. However, on March 17, KODEX U.S. Aerospace was listed, followed by TIGER U.S. Space Tech and ACE U.S. Space Tech Active on April 14, and SOL U.S. Aerospace TOP10 on April 21. Currently, TIGER U.S. Space Tech is the largest in terms of trading value and net assets.

Park noted, "Both ACE and TIGER have proven their performance and are emerging as leading ETFs." He continued, "They have outperformed not only the representative U.S.-listed space ETF, UFO ETF, but also the NASA ETF, which has secured over 10% exposure to SpaceX."

The two products differ in stock selection and allocation. ACE U.S. Space Tech Active is the only actively managed product among domestically listed ETFs of its kind, and has increased its allocation to EchoStar, which holds SpaceX shares. As of June 4, it focused 26.21% on EchoStar and 16.73% on Rocket Lab, with other stocks each comprising less than 4%. TIGER U.S. Space Tech consists of 22.63% Redwire, 20.74% Rocket Lab, 19.15% Intuitive Machines, 11.86% AST SpaceMobile, and 7.21% Planet Labs. The allocation to EchoStar is 4.72%.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.