"Earning 40.6 Times More Than 1-Year Term Deposits at Major Banks... This Was the Top Investment Performer of the Year"

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

Among major investment options this year, KOSPI200 exchange-traded funds (ETFs) posted the highest returns. Crude oil prices, which rose by 67%, followed as the next best-performing asset. In contrast, gold, Bitcoin, and bonds all declined compared to the start of the year.

According to asset-by-asset wealth management return data from Daishin Securities on the 27th, KODEX200 increased from KRW 60,460 on January 2 to KRW 109,285 on September 20, recording a return of 80.76%. Although the KOSPI200 index fell by more than 20% from its peak during a period of intense volatility in July, KODEX200 maintained its number one position in returns. KODEX200 is an ETF designed to track the performance of the KOSPI200 index, which is composed of 200 large-cap stocks representing the domestic stock market.

The product's return is 40.6 times higher than the one-year term deposit yield at the five major banks, which is 1.99%. The deposit yield was daily calculated based on an average annual base interest rate of 2.77% at KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori, and Nonghyup banks, applied from January 1 to September 20 this year, covering a period of 262 days. All returns are presented before deducting management fees 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 was recorded by West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures in New York. Over the same period, the price of WTI rose by 67.36%, from $57.41 to $96.08 per barrel.

The average return for 272 domestic active equity funds also came to 58.07%. This figure includes only funds managing over KRW 10 billion in assets.

Returns on overseas equities were significantly lower than those on domestic shares. The SPY ETF, which tracks the U.S. Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 index, gained 11.08% during the same period. In contrast, gold and Bitcoin underperformed. The domestic retail price of gold fell by 2.60%, sliding from KRW 883,000 to KRW 860,000 per 3.75 grams (one don). Bitcoin dropped by 10.18%, from about $89,953 to $80,793.

Bonds also posted negative returns. The Korea Ratings·KR Bond Composite Index declined from 279.70 to 269.15, a drop of 3.77%.

The Korean won strengthened against major currencies during this period. The USD/KRW exchange rate fell by 4.59%, from 1,466.70 won per dollar to 1,380.30 won per dollar. The JPY/KRW exchange rate also decreased by 4.16%, from 922.70 won per 100 yen to 884.33 won per 100 yen.

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