All six Kosdaq active ETFs launched this year outperformed during the rebound through Aug. 5, as forced-selling pressure eased and institutional buying lifted South Korea’s junior bourse.
South Korea’s Kosdaq index rebounded sharply, rising 24% over four trading sessions from July 31 to Aug. 5 after a steep slide from its April peak, and Kosdaq active exchange-traded funds launched this year outperformed their benchmarks during the rally. Through Aug. 4, MIDAS Kosdaq Active led with a 31.91% gain, ahead of the Kosdaq by 10.83 percentage points, while TIME Kosdaq Active rose 29.61%, DS Kosdaq Active gained 29.21%, KoAct Kosdaq Active climbed 26.98%, TIGER Kosdaq Active added 25.57%, and PLUS Kosdaq150 Active advanced 26.43%, beating the Kosdaq 150 index’s 24.85% rise. Analysts said the broader rebound appeared driven more by easing margin-related forced selling, institutional net buying and policy support than by a clear earnings-led fundamental turn, although one asset-management industry official cited solid earnings from some Kosdaq-listed companies and said sentiment could improve further if trading concentration in Kospi stocks eases. Despite the rebound, all six active ETFs remain below their listing prices, and five of the six have still underperformed their benchmarks since launch.