Over the past three years, outperforming 96% of peer funds: South Korean memory chip stocks are still undervalued and may benefit if the situation in the Middle East eases
According to a report by Bloomberg, Arjun Jayaraman, a fund manager at Causeway Capital Management, stated in an interview that South Korean memory chip stocks are still very cheap, and if the situation in the Middle East further eases, they could rank among the biggest gainers. The company's $3.4 billion emerging markets fund has outperformed 96% of its peers over the past three years.
His views sharply contrast with those of other investors. Overseas investors net sold $17 billion worth of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix stocks in March. This led to a 23% drop in Samsung Electronics' stock price and a 24% drop in SK Hynix's stock price, marking the largest monthly declines since at least 2008.
Jayaraman noted that the technology sector, particularly in South Korea and Taiwan, has been severely impacted, but as global conditions recover and normalize, they are expected to benefit. He pointed out that even after U.S. President Trump indicated that the U.S. would withdraw from the war in Iran within two to three weeks, leading to a rebound in tech stocks, their valuations remain "remarkable." He cited leading chip stocks like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which are likely to benefit the most from the resolution of the Iran conflict.
Jayaraman stated that when the situation in the Middle East "returns to some degree of normalcy," foreign capital will "undoubtedly" return. He mentioned that the recent decline presents a very good buying opportunity for South Korean stocks, especially for SK Hynix. In the long term, the firm remains very optimistic about the artificial intelligence (AI) theme, so it has not sold any of these stocks
