The number of wealthy individuals who have entrusted more than 1 billion won ($720,000) to Kiwoom Securities rose more than 80% over the past year. Their stock picks diverged sharply by generation: investors in their 20s and 30s made SK hynix (000660.KS) their top holding, while those aged 40 and over held the most Samsung Electronics (005930.KS).
Individual investors with at least 1 billion won in deposited assets as of the end of July rose 80.7% from a year earlier, Kiwoom Securities said on the 25th. Investors who had entrusted more than 3 billion won also increased by about 90%. That pace far outstripped the broader retail base, which grew 11.3% over the same period, from 8.13 million to 9.05 million.
Where these wealthy investors put their money also shifted over the year. Among those with more than 1 billion won in deposited assets, the top holdings last July were Samsung Electronics, Naver (035420.KS), SK hynix, Kakao (035720.KS) and Doosan Enerbility, in that order. By this July, the ranking had been reshuffled to Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Hyundai Motor (005380.KS), Doosan Enerbility and Naver. SK hynix climbed from third to second, and Hyundai Motor newly entered the upper tier.
The shift was also pronounced among investors with more than 3 billion won. Their top five holdings, ranked last year as Samsung Electronics, Naver, Kakao, SK hynix and Doosan Enerbility, changed this year to Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Hyundai Motor, Doosan Enerbility and Samsung Electro-Mechanics (009150.KS). Kakao dropped out, while Hyundai Motor and Samsung Electro-Mechanics made the list.
By age, investment preferences diverged even more clearly. Among wealthy investors aged 20 and under and in their 30s, SK hynix was the top holding. Neither group had it in the upper tier last July, but within a year it rose to their most-held stock. Expectations for growth in artificial intelligence (AI) chips appear to have shaped the choices of younger wealthy investors.
By contrast, Samsung Electronics held its place as the top holding among those in their 40s, 50s and 60s and older. Hyundai Motor, which last year ranked in the upper tier only among some investors in their 30s and 40s, this year placed third or fourth across every age group, from those 20 and under to those 60 and over. Samsung Electronics preferred shares also newly entered the top five among investors in their 30s and older.
Kakao, which ranked in the upper tier among those in their 40s and 50s last year, and Alteogen (196170.KQ), which made the list among those in their 30s, both fell out of the top five across all age groups this year. Doosan Enerbility held its upper-tier position for a second straight year among investors 20 and under and 60 and over.
"Looking at the recent investment behavior of wealthy individuals, investors in their 20s and 30s show a marked preference for stocks with high growth expectations, while those aged 40 and over continue to favor stocks that are representative of the market and offer stability," a Kiwoom Securities official said.
