Korea Investment Management's Two ACE ETFs Capture Top Two Three-Month Returns Among Value Chain ETFs

Benefiting from Value Chain-Wide High Growth
Advanced AI Investment and Strong Earnings Surprises Drive Performance

Korea Investment Management announced on August 12, 2026 that its two ACE Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) ranked among the top performers by return within the value chain ETFs listed in Korea.

According to the Korea Exchange, as of the previous day, out of the 22 value chain ETFs listed in Korea, the two ACE ETFs ranked first and second in three-month returns. The ACE Eli Lilly Value Chain ETF ranked first with a 13.59% return, while the ACE Microsoft Value Chain Active ETF ranked second with 6.17%. These products select and invest in leading companies in each industry and key firms within the related supply chain.

For the most recent six-month and one-year periods, the ACE Eli Lilly Value Chain ETF recorded returns of 5.15% and 39.91%, respectively, while the ACE Microsoft Value Chain Active ETF delivered returns of 28.20% and 18.36%, respectively.

This performance is believed to be driven by overall improvement in value chain earnings, attributable to the growth of the artificial intelligence (AI), pharmaceutical, and biotech ecosystems. Recently, leading big tech stocks have shown high volatility and a sideways trend, due to concerns over capital expenditures (CapEx) and overheated demand for AI chips; however, stronger-than-expected earnings momentum and further investment in AI infrastructure have served as positive catalysts.

Microsoft's fiscal year 2026 fourth-quarter earnings, announced at the end of last month, exceeded market expectations thanks to growth in AI infrastructure and cloud services. Sales reached USD 90.1 billion, an 18% increase compared to the same period last year, driving annual revenue to over USD 331 billion.

Eli Lilly posted an earnings surprise with second-quarter revenue surging 48% year-on-year, driven by high demand for obesity and diabetes treatments.

Nam Yongsoo, Head of ETF Division at Korea Investment Management, commented, "The outstanding returns of ACE Value Chain ETF products are the result of a design that diversifies single stock investment risk while reflecting the growth factors of core supply chain companies. Since value chain-focused investing is an area of long-term asset allocation based on structural growth trends, a long-term, systematic investment approach can help manage volatility and pursue greater performance."

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