Semiconductor materials, components, and equipment sector rebounds amid foreign selling… Nuclear power and robotics stocks gain attention

Despite large-scale share repurchases, including Samsung Electronics buying 2 million shares and SK Hynix buying 650,000 shares, foreign investors have sold more than 3 trillion won for two consecutive days, and recently over 4 trillion won, putting a burden on the domestic stock market. This foreign selling pressure is offsetting the positive effects of share repurchases and contributing to stock price declines.

A warning has been issued that blind faith in large semiconductor stocks like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix is dangerous. Concerns have been raised about the possibility of these companies declining and the intensification of competition with Chinese memory companies negatively impacting their stock prices. In particular, an investment approach aimed at short-term capital gains can lead to greater risks in a volatile market, thus requiring a cautious approach.

The sector that has seen the biggest recovery in the recent stock market is semiconductor materials, components, and equipment (SooBujang) related stocks. Simmtech saw a significant rise, and SooBujang stocks related to front-end and back-end processes such as TLB, HPSP, and FST also rose together, leading the rotational trading in the semiconductor sector. This shows that small and medium-sized SooBujang companies have emerged as new investment alternatives amidst the decline of large semiconductor stocks.

Jusung Engineering has faced criticism that its market capitalization is excessive compared to its performance. It has been pointed out that the market capitalization is overly inflated when considering the company's current profitability. Despite institutional investors' buying spree, there is a significant discrepancy between the actual corporate value and the stock price, suggesting that caution is needed for investment. This bubble controversy demands a prudent approach from investors.

Doubts have been raised about the feasibility of the Westinghouse acquisition, which would require a massive cost of approximately 11 to 15 trillion won, and the existence of unpredictable risks such as force majeure. In particular, the uncertainty of whether large U.S. investment funds will participate has led to skepticism about whether the acquisition will actually be possible. Consequently, potential risks that could arise during the acquisition process are drawing attention.

Unlike in the past when small and medium-sized nuclear power stocks moved purely based on themes, attention is now focusing on mid-to-large cap nuclear power-related stocks that possess actual technological capabilities. Hyundai E&C, Daewoo E&C, and Doosan Enerbility are cited as representative examples, and these companies are evaluated as having favorable quarterly earnings on their financial statements. In contrast, advice was given that short-term responses are needed for past theme stocks like G2Power.

Expectations have been raised about the possibility of the war ending after the Russian general election scheduled from September 18th to 20th. While this is based on personal speculation, it shows that market interest in changes in the international political situation after political events is increasing. Predictions on the impact on related industries and the stock market if the war were to end are being discussed from various perspectives.

KNR System is gaining attention as a company that has commercialized robots for nuclear power plant decommissioning and spent fuel rod removal using robot technology. The company possesses unique domestic hydraulic actuator technology, having independently developed actuators that combine hydraulic and electric power. In particular, its robotic arm technology, capable of withstanding a load of 400kg and exerting a gripping force of 300kg, is essential for high-risk operations such as nuclear power plant decommissioning.

This technological capability is evaluated as a key factor enhancing KNR System's competitiveness in the nuclear power plant decommissioning market. KNR System's emergence is expected to bring significant changes to the relevant market, given the prior absence of nuclear power plant decommissioning robots. Robotic technology that can be deployed for sensitive tasks like spent fuel rod removal has the potential to change the paradigm of the nuclear power industry in the future.

KNR System's robot technology also has the potential for expansion beyond nuclear power plant decommissioning into various industrial fields. High-load and high-grip robotic arms can be utilized in heavy industry, construction, disaster relief, and other areas. Especially, the actuator technology combining hydraulic and electric power provides a foundation for gaining a competitive edge in the industrial robot market requiring precise control.

Therefore, KNR System simultaneously holds value as a robotics stock and as a new driving force for the nuclear power industry. Its future growth potential is highly evaluated based on its independent technology and commercialized products, and it is expected to play an important role in the nuclear power plant decommissioning and robotics markets in the future.

KNR System is known to be developing and deploying robots for nuclear power plant decommissioning and spent fuel rod removal at the actual Kori Nuclear Power Plant decommissioning site and is carrying out related work. Unlike in the past, when companies without robots were only known to be developing nuclear power plant decommissioning robots, KNR System is expected to garner attention in this field based on its practical technology and on-site application experience. This signifies that KNR System's technology has moved beyond the simple development stage to commercialization.

Justech has succeeded in localizing Japanese products in the field of precision control robots for semiconductor HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) processes. The stock is currently hovering around its IPO price of 12,500 won, with a market capitalization of around 170 billion won. This is positively evaluated for reducing reliance on Japanese products and securing domestic technological capabilities, and analysis suggests that the current stock price near the IPO price indicates a potential rebound.

Nearthlab provides AI-based drone solutions and demonstrates strengths in the defense industry. It is evaluated as the only company in Korea to possess hard-kill solutions by developing precision strike drones and swarm drone technology. In particular, by securing references in overseas markets such as the UAE, it is gaining expectations as a beneficiary of K-Defense.

This company's drone technology is expandable not only to the defense sector but also to various industrial fields. AI-based autonomous flight technology can be used for various purposes such as surveillance, reconnaissance, and rescue, and swarm drones enable efficient operational execution. These technological capabilities are expected to play an important role in Nearthlab securing future growth engines.

Securing overseas references is an important stepping stone for Nearthlab to strengthen its competitiveness in the global market. In particular, the Middle Eastern defense market has high growth potential, and Nearthlab's technology is expected to contribute significantly to increased sales. At a time when the status of K-Defense is rising, Nearthlab's technology is expected to attract even more attention.

Simmtech's 14% surge following its announcement of facility investment related to AI sockets revealed a characteristic of the current market. Analysis suggests that despite investors feeling overall market fatigue, a single small individual catalyst can cause a specific stock to surge. This indicates that the market remains active and investment opportunities exist.

Recently, there has been an increase in stocks showing strong upward momentum with long white candlesticks at their bottom. This means that despite ongoing market fear, opportunities for rebound are appearing at the individual stock level. Therefore, investors are strongly advised not to abandon the market and to seek out hidden investment opportunities.

A point has been raised that Samsung Electronics' share buyback does not unconditionally guarantee a stock price increase. An analysis of past cases shows instances where stock prices fell even after share repurchases, and a warning has been issued that wave-like volatility may recur. Investors should not expect an unconditional rise based solely on the factor of share repurchases, but rather should make a comprehensive judgment of market trends.

Share repurchases are part of efforts to enhance corporate value and return shareholder value, but the stock price direction can change due to overall market conditions or other external factors. Various elements such as the market sentiment at the time of repurchase, corporate earnings outlook, and macroeconomic indicators combine to influence the stock price. Therefore, making investment decisions based solely on news of share repurchases can be risky.

Investors should be aware from past examples that share repurchases have not always led to stock price increases. In a volatile market, unpredictable situations can occur, so it is important to carefully analyze the impact of share repurchases on stock prices and develop an investment strategy that considers various scenarios.

The KOSDAQ market is expected to stabilize gradually, supported by the 800 level. The concentration of investment in specific sectors seems to have eased somewhat, and rotational trading is anticipated to continue across various sectors, including semiconductor materials, components, and equipment, robotics, and biotechnology. This suggests that investors should view the market with a broad perspective rather than focusing solely on specific sectors.

With the Korean won strengthening and the dollar weakening, the falling exchange rate has raised the possibility of 'Seohak Gaemi' (Korean retail investors who invest in overseas stocks) experiencing valuation losses. In the past, even if stock profits weren't generated, investors could expect exchange rate gains from a rising exchange rate. However, analysis now suggests that a falling exchange rate could lead to valuation losses. This highlights the need for currency hedging in overseas investment portfolios.