HomeMarketsSouth Korea and chip ETFs lead weekly inflows

South Korea and chip ETFs lead weekly inflows

Posted: 20 July 2026, 21:02 CET 2 min read

Investors poured $3.03 billion into EWY and $2.40 billion into SOXX last week to gain cheaper Korean exposure and chip-sector shares.

Investors directed large inflows into exchange-traded funds last week, led by South Korea and semiconductor funds. The iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) attracted $3.03 billion and the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) took in $2.40 billion.

EWY’s inflows were tied to a wide price gap between newly listed SK Hynix American Depositary Receipts and the company’s shares on the Korea Exchange. SK Hynix ADRs traded at about a 27% premium on Thursday after touching a 51% premium the prior day. Creation and cancellation of the ADRs were closed until July 29. SK Hynix is EWY’s largest holding, making up roughly 24.18% of the fund, offering a lower-cost route to the stock than buying the premium-priced ADRs.

Semiconductor-focused products pulled in significant capital despite a July pullback in the sector. SOXL, the leveraged Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF, recorded $1.38 billion in inflows. The Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM), focused on memory chips and more than 30% below June highs, gathered $1.66 billion.

U.S. large-cap equity ETFs also saw net inflows. The State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPYM) added $1.82 billion and the Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (QQQM) received $1.08 billion. International value exposure moved into the iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (EFV), which gained $1.47 billion.

Financial-sector flows included $962.88 million into the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF). Two recent ETF launches drew notable sums: the SEI QiM U.S. Equity Factor Allocation Active ETF (SEUS), which debuted on July 14, collected $886.13 million; and the Fidelity MSCI North American Subset Index ETF (FINA), launched on July 9 and targeting U.S. and Canadian stocks meeting Science Based Targets initiative emissions criteria, added $853.50 million.

When ADR creation and cancellation are closed, traders cannot convert U.S. ADRs and local shares, which can allow ADRs to trade at large premiums or discounts to local listings. That mechanism contributed to the price difference between SK Hynix ADRs and shares on the Korea Exchange.