Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Douglas Research Advisory

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>Now that Lee Jae-Myung has become new South Korean President, the uncertainty revolving who will lead South Korea in the next five years is now over.</li>
<li>In this insight, we discuss four investment themes (related to Lee Jae-Myung becoming the new South Korean President) that could outperform the market for the remainder of 2025.</li>
<li>The four investment themes include Korean Holdcos/Quasi Holdcos, Korean Cultural Contents, Securities, and SK Group Companies.</li>
</ul>


Now that Lee Jae-Myung has become new South Korean President, the uncertainty revolving who will lead South Korea in the next five years is now over.
In this insight, we discuss four investment themes (related to Lee Jae-Myung becoming the new South Korean President) that could outperform the market for the remainder of 2025.
The four investment themes include Korean Holdcos/Quasi Holdcos, Korean Cultural Contents, Securities, and SK Group Companies.


Lee Jae-Myung Becomes the New South Korean President - Four Investment Themes That Could Outperform

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>DearU is one of the new inclusions for the Korea Value Up-Index in June. Overall, I think DearU's shares are oversold. </li>
<li>DearU's shares are trading at P/E of 13.6x and P/B of 2.3x (2026 consensus earnings estimates). It had average P/E of 38.6x and P/B of 4.6x from 2022 to 2025. </li>
<li>The company's operating profit jumped by 77% YoY to reach 9.7 billion won in 1Q 2026. Consensus estimates operating margin of 44% in 2026.</li>
</ul>


DearU is one of the new inclusions for the Korea Value Up-Index in June. Overall, I think DearU's shares are oversold. 
DearU's shares are trading at P/E of 13.6x and P/B of 2.3x (2026 consensus earnings estimates). It had average P/E of 38.6x and P/B of 4.6x from 2022 to 2025. 
The company's operating profit jumped by 77% YoY to reach 9.7 billion won in 1Q 2026. Consensus estimates operating margin of 44% in 2026.


Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>The annual rebalance of the Korea Value-Up Index will take place at the close of trading on 11 June. There are 20 adds and 19 deletes for the index.</li>
<li>There will be big capping flows for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/samsung-electronics-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:191:1" rel="noopener">Samsung Electronics (005930 KS)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sk-hynix-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16955:1" rel="noopener">SK Hynix (000660 KS)</a>, leading to one-way turnover of 30% and a round-trip trade of US$1.4bn.</li>
<li>Industrials stocks gain 8 index spots while Information Technology and Consumer Discretionary stocks are net losers with 5 and 3 spots lost respectively.</li>
</ul>


The annual rebalance of the Korea Value-Up Index will take place at the close of trading on 11 June. There are 20 adds and 19 deletes for the index.
There will be big capping flows for Samsung Electronics (005930 KS) and SK Hynix (000660 KS), leading to one-way turnover of 30% and a round-trip trade of US$1.4bn.
Industrials stocks gain 8 index spots while Information Technology and Consumer Discretionary stocks are net losers with 5 and 3 spots lost respectively.


Korea Value-Up Index Rebalance: US$1.4bn Round-Trip Trade Tomorrow

<ul>
<li>Korea Value-Up Index will be rebalanced on 12 June. Korea Value Up index is up 234% in the past one year, outperforming KOSPI (up 184%) and KOSDAQ (up 27%). </li>
<li>However, Korea Value Up index has slightly underperformed KOSPI 200 index which is up 238% in the same period. </li>
<li>AUMs of the 13 major ETFs that track the Korea Value Up index rose to 4.0 trillion won as of 9 June 2026 (up 217% from beginning of year). </li>
</ul>


Korea Value-Up Index will be rebalanced on 12 June. Korea Value Up index is up 234% in the past one year, outperforming KOSPI (up 184%) and KOSDAQ (up 27%). 
However, Korea Value Up index has slightly underperformed KOSPI 200 index which is up 238% in the same period. 
AUMs of the 13 major ETFs that track the Korea Value Up index rose to 4.0 trillion won as of 9 June 2026 (up 217% from beginning of year). 


Highlights of the Korea Value-Up Index Rebalance on 12 June

<ul>
<li>One of the big thematic events on the Korean stock market has been the expectation that China could lift ban on Korean popular culture (Hallyu) as early as May 2025. </li>
<li>China's President Xi recently stated "Cultural exchanges are a valuable part of our bilateral relations [between China and Korea]. We should avoid any problems occurring in handling such matters.” 
</li>
<li>We provide a list of 40 stocks in Korea that could most benefit from the end of lifting ban of Korean popular culture. </li>
</ul>


One of the big thematic events on the Korean stock market has been the expectation that China could lift ban on Korean popular culture (Hallyu) as early as May 2025. 
China's President Xi recently stated "Cultural exchanges are a valuable part of our bilateral relations [between China and Korea]. We should avoid any problems occurring in handling such matters.” 

We provide a list of 40 stocks in Korea that could most benefit from the end of lifting ban of Korean popular culture. 


China Could Lift Ban on Korean Popular Culture (Hallyu) As Early As May 2025

South Korea

Dear U Co Ltd develops and produces application software. The Company provides mobile karaoke services, artist-only fan community platform and other services. Dear U offers services worldwide.

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DearU (376300 KS)

Lee Jae-Myung Becomes the New South Korean President - Four Investment Themes That Could Outperform

In this insight, we discuss four investment themes (related to Lee Jae-Myung becoming the new South Korean President) that could outperform the...

Douglas Kim

Korea Small Cap Gem #64: DearU

DearU is one of the new inclusions for the Korea Value Up-Index in June. Overall, I think DearU's shares are oversold. DearU is a leading fandom...

Douglas Kim

Korea Value-Up Index Rebalance: US$1.4bn Round-Trip Trade Tomorrow

There are 20 adds and 19 deletes for the index in June, plus large capping changes for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, leading to one-way...

Brian Freitas

Highlights of the Korea Value-Up Index Rebalance on 12 June

AUMs of the 13 major ETFs that track the Korea Value Up index rose to 4.0 trillion won as of 9 June 2026 (up 217% from beginning of year).

Douglas Kim

China Could Lift Ban on Korean Popular Culture (Hallyu) As Early As May 2025

One of the big thematic events that have impacted the Korean stock market this week has been the expectation that China could lift ban on Korean...

Douglas Kim

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