Focus on Cosmo Advanced Materials & TFE

In addition, the U.S. government's moves to regulate corporate share buybacks, anxieties over persistent high interest rates, and soaring oil prices following former President Donald Trump's remarks are also cited as factors increasing market uncertainty.

Lee Hyo-geun, MBN Gold Manager, explained, "The market today is not rising very cleanly because it is preparing for various volatilities such as the options expiration and tomorrow's CPI."

Recently, some securities firms have acknowledged future growth potential but pointed out a lack of performance, yet target prices are being set high, especially by foreign securities firms.

Manager Lee Hyo-geun said, "Mass production of Optimus seems imminent, and although some securities firms recently noted Robotis' future growth potential but lack of current performance, target prices are coming out very high." He projected a target price of 350,000 won, with a possibility of reaching 400,000 won.

Positive outlooks in the semiconductor and secondary battery sectors are driving the stock price increase for Eo Technics.

Manager Lee Hyo-geun stated, "If Eo Technics continues to rise steadily like this, there probably won't be any sharp corrections in between. With this atmosphere, I would set the next target price at around 520,000 won." He set the next target price at 520,000 won.

Ford Motor Company attempted to produce LFP batteries using CATL's technology license and enter the EV and ESS markets, but the U.S. government blocked entry in the form of a joint venture with China.

Manager Lee Hyo-geun emphasized, "Ford tried to enter the ESS and EV battery markets using CATL's license for LFP batteries, but the U.S. government completely blocked Chinese materials. Ultimately, for the U.S. to make batteries, there is no alternative but Korea," analyzing that this will strengthen the position of Korean companies in the U.S. EV market.

The Energy Storage System (ESS) market is experiencing high growth driven by increasing demand for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. Currently, 95% of the ESS market relies on LFP batteries. Securing an LFP battery supply chain is essential to dominate the global ESS market.

In this trend, domestic companies LG Energy Solution (LNF) and POSCO Future M are expected to lead a turnaround in the overall secondary battery industry by commencing cathode material production. Their full-scale supply of cathode materials is anticipated to contribute to building their own supply chains and strengthening their global market competitiveness.

Manager Lee Hyo-geun commented, "Until now, almost 95% of our ESS has been LFP batteries. To dominate the global market, LFP batteries are essential, and an independent supply chain is needed. With LNF and POSCO Future M starting cathode material production, isn't significant growth beginning?" adding that secondary battery companies will strengthen their role as leading stocks.

Cosmo Advanced Materials operates businesses in secondary battery cathode materials and release films for Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCCs), and Manager Lee Hyo-geun presented it as the first investment stock. The strong performance of Cosmo Advanced Materials in the second quarter is attributed to the boom in the MLCC market.

The cathode materials sector is expected to turn profitable in the fourth quarter, raising expectations for future performance improvement. This, coupled with the recovery of the secondary battery market, is expected to act as a growth engine for Cosmo Advanced Materials.

Manager Lee Hyo-geun set the target price for Cosmo Advanced Materials at 47,000 won.

He advised managing investment risk by setting a stop-loss price at 34,000 won.

Despite the high-interest rate environment, semiconductor stocks are attracting attention by driving earnings growth based on growth potential that surpasses interest rate hikes. Manager Lee Hyo-geun explained, "If a company has growth potential higher than the interest rate, it will ultimately generate more profit than the interest paid on loans, and its stock will improve and grow." He noted that companies with higher growth potential than interest rates are advantageous during high-interest periods.

SK Hynix's American Depositary Receipts (ADR) reached a record high, demonstrating the strength of the semiconductor sector. Bank of America upgraded its buy rating for SK Hynix, issuing a positive outlook. This reflects positive investor sentiment across the semiconductor industry.

TFE is a specialized semiconductor test solution company, with its socket business being a key growth driver. Manager Lee Hyo-geun cited performance improvement as a key investment point for TFE.

With the new factory commencing full-scale operation in the third quarter, sales are expected to surge by over 60% compared to the first half. This is anticipated to significantly drive TFE's earnings growth.

TFE continues its upward trend, showing positive momentum with a recent long bullish candle. Manager Lee Hyo-geun set the target price for TFE at 64,000 won.

He recommended a stop-loss price of 41,000 won for investment reference.