KOSPI200 ETF Tops Investment Returns This Year

KOSPI200 ETF: Up 81% Despite July Slump
Returns 41 Times Higher Than Fixed Deposits
Crude Oil Ranks Second

Among the major financial investment options this year, the KOSPI200 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) recorded the highest return. Crude oil, which rose by 67%, followed. In contrast, gold, Bitcoin, and bonds saw declines compared to the beginning of the year.

According to asset-class return data from Daishin Securities on the 27th, KODEX200 jumped from 60,460 won on January 2 this year to 109,285 won on September 20, marking a return of 80.76%. Despite the KOSPI200 index falling more than 20% from its peak during the highly volatile session in July, KODEX200 maintained its position as the top performer. KODEX200 is an ETF designed to follow the movements of the KOSPI200 index, which consists of 200 leading large-cap stocks representing the domestic stock market.

The return on this product is 40.6 times higher than the 1-year fixed deposit return rate offered by the five major banks, which stood at 1.99%. The deposit return was calculated on a day-count basis from January 1 to September 20 this year—262 days—using the average base rate of KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori, and Nonghyup, which came to an annual average of 2.77%. Returns are shown before subtracting management fees, expenses, and taxes.

On the 22nd, the KOSPI index started the day at 7,161.61, up 153.89 points from the previous trading day. The status of the domestic stock market is displayed on the electronic board in the dealing room at the Hana Bank headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. 2026.9.22. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

The second-highest return came from West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil traded in New York. WTI rose from $57.41 to $96.08 per barrel over the same period, representing a 67.36% increase.

The average return for 272 domestic actively managed equity funds was also strong, at 58.07%—this figure applies to funds with at least 10 billion won in assets under management.

Meanwhile, overseas equity performance significantly lagged behind domestic equities. The SPY ETF, which tracks the S&P 500 index in the US, rose by 11.08% during the same period. In contrast, both gold and Bitcoin performed poorly. The domestic retail price of gold dropped 2.60% from 883,000 won per 3.75g (one don) to 860,000 won. Bitcoin fell by 10.18%, from approximately $89,953 to $80,793.

Bonds also posted negative returns. The Korea Ratings·KR Composite Bond Index fell from 279.70 to 269.15, marking a 3.77% decline.

The Korean won strengthened. The KRW-USD exchange rate fell by 4.59% from 1,466.70 won per dollar to 1,380.30 won per dollar. The KRW-JPY exchange rate also declined by 4.16%, from 922.70 won per 100 yen to 884.33 won.

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