Samsung Asset Management's "Samsung US S&P500 Index Fund" Surpasses KRW 1 Trillion in Net Assets

First Public S&P 500 Index Fund to Surpass 1 Trillion Won
Grew 398% Since End of 2023

Samsung Asset Management announced on August 12 that its “Samsung US S&P500 Index Fund” became the first public S&P500 index-tracking fund in Korea to surpass 1 trillion won in net assets (based on the master fund).

According to Samsung Asset Management, the fund’s net assets reached 1.004 trillion won. Since exceeding 200 billion won at the end of December 2023, the fund has grown by 397.7%, and by 27.8% since the end of last year.

The company explained that this achievement is due to its lineup strategy, which allows investors to flexibly choose between currency-hedged (H) and unhedged (UH) share classes according to their exchange rate outlook and risk appetite. As the won-dollar exchange rate, which was below 1,400 won a year ago, rose to 1,555.8 won in July amid rising geopolitical uncertainty, a large influx of funds moved into the unhedged (UH) class to take advantage of currency gains. Over the past year, the currency-hedged (H) class’s net assets grew by 29.4%, while the unhedged (UH) class saw remarkable growth of 82.0%.

The fund’s precise management, which enables it to closely track the index, was also cited as a key factor boosting investor confidence. The fund has consistently maintained a low tracking error, recording 0.6% over the past year and 0.66% for the entire period since its inception in March 2016.

Over the past year, the currency-hedged (H) class posted a return of 19.5%, while the unhedged (UH) class recorded 23.5%. The Samsung US S&P500 Index Fund invests in 500 leading US companies, including Nvidia, Apple, Alphabet, and Visa. Even as the MV US Semiconductor Index (MVSMH)—comprising 25 major US semiconductor companies—dropped by 14.3% from its peak on June 22 to August 11, 2026, reflecting increased volatility in the semiconductor sector, the S&P 500 Index rose 3.4% during the same period, demonstrating the benefits of diversified sector investment.

Jongha Ryu, manager at Samsung Asset Management, said, “The S&P 500 Index has established itself as a key benchmark in the global market with an average annual return of about 10% over the past 30 years. This achievement is the result of continuous industrial transformation led by innovative US companies. The broadly diversified S&P 500 portfolio is a proven investment option that can effectively participate in the long-term growth of the US economy while mitigating the volatility risk of individual sectors.”

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