Mid-Year Review | Top 10 Soaring ETFs in the US Stock Market Revealed! Semiconductor and South Korea-themed ETFs Dominate the List, with SOXL Surging Nearly 463% Year-to-Date and KORU Jumping Almost 307%

In the first half of 2026, global financial markets were marked by volatility and uncertainty, presenting both opportunities and risks—the emergence of major events such as the U.S.-Iran conflict, Waller assuming the role of Federal Reserve Chair, and SpaceX completing the largest IPO in history kept unfolding... Fellow investors are not only participants in the market but also witnesses to this transformative era. Looking back, we reflect on our experiences, hoping all our efforts in the first half will pave the way for pleasant surprises in the second.

With the first half of 2026 drawing to a close, AI-driven trading remains the market's most significant theme. As AI rapidly shifts from 'training' to 'inference,' compounded by the explosive emergence of agents like OpenClaw, the entire AI industry chain is undergoing a systemic transformation—from foundational computing power to upper-layer applications. Amid this profound industrial shift,semiconductors have undoubtedly become one of the biggest winners.

As of June 29, $PHLX Semiconductor Index (.SOX.US)$ has surged more than 93% year-to-date, with constituent stock $Micron Technology (MU.US)$ soaring as much as 301%, $Intel (INTC.US)$ up over 256%, $Marvell Technology (MRVL.US)$ rising more than 227%, $Arm Holdings (ARM.US)$ and climbing over 214%.

South Korea’s equity market has also shone brightly, vaulting to become the world’s sixth-largest by market capitalization, $Korea Composite Index (.KOSPI.KR)$ with its benchmark index nearly doubling year-to-date, driven by two heavyweight leaders $Samsung Electronics (005930.KR)$ 、 $SK Hynix (000660.KR)$ have surged by over 169% and 304% respectively, with their market capitalizations successively surpassing the $1 trillion mark.

Meanwhile, leveraged and sector-specific ETFs tied to semiconductors and South Korean equities have emerged as the brightest stars in the market.

Semiconductor- and South Korea-related ETFs dominate the rankings, with the strongest surging 4.6-fold in just six months

According to Futubull data, using the screening criteria of 'assets under management exceeding $100 million and excluding single-stock ETFs,' semiconductor- and South Korea-themed ETFs have overwhelmingly dominated the top 10 list of best-performing U.S.-listed ETFs year-to-date.

On this list, semiconductor-related ETFs alone occupy seven spots and lead by a wide margin, forming the most powerful investment theme of the first half of the year.Among them,$Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares ETF (SOXL.US)$ soared an astonishing 462% to claim the top spot. As a 3x leveraged product, it magnified the already sharp rally in the semiconductor sector, creating a 'nearly fivefold gain in just six months' phenomenon.

The memory-focused ETF, which debuted on April 2 this year— $Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM.US)$ —has also posted cumulative gains exceeding 166%. As the world’s first 'pure-play memory ETF,' it precisely targeted memory giants such as SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron, becoming the most vivid embodiment of this memory 'super cycle.' Driven by AI demand, both volume and prices for memory chips are soaring, and the tight supply situation could persist beyond 2027.

Close behind are $Invesco Dynamic Semiconductors Etf (PSI.US)$ 、 $VistaShares Artificial Intelligence Supercycle ETF (AIS.US)$ 、 $First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VI First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF (FTXL.US)$ 、 $XTRACKERS SEMICONDUCTOR SELECT EQUITY ETF (CHPS.US)$ signed a 1.2 GW fuel cell power contract with $iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX.US)$ five products, with gains of 125%, 117%, 111%, 110%, and 104%, respectively. The collective surge in semiconductor ETFs reflects the exponential increase in computing power demand driven by the AI industrial revolution: from training trillion-parameter large models to mass deployment of AI agents, chips remain the most certain and essential 'shovel sellers' in this wave.

Another major highlight was the collective surge of South Korea-related ETFs, reflecting strong global investor recognition of Korea's technology and manufacturing supply chains. $Direxion Daily MSCI South Korea Bull 3X ETF (KORU.US)$ With a cumulative gain of 306%, it firmly ranks second overall—also leveraging 3x leverage to fully capture the strength of the South Korean market. $iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY.US)$ 、 $Franklin Templeton Etf Tr Ftse South Korea Etf (FLKR.US)$ Both also doubled in value.

Notably, the strength of South Korean equities is also rooted in semiconductors—Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are the global 'duopoly' in memory chips. This means that two seemingly distinct investment themes converge at a fundamental level, reinforcing each other and jointly benefiting from AI-driven tailwinds in memory and computing power.

Outlook for the second half: The rally may be 'to be continued.'

Following significant gains earlier, both semiconductors and South Korean equities have recently pulled back, raising questions: Is this merely a 'dip-buying opportunity' during a bull market, or a sign that the rally has peaked?

Looking ahead, Taiwan Semiconductor projected in its latest closed-door meeting that the global semiconductor market will surpass $1 trillion this year and reach $1.5 trillion by 2030, with demand primarily driven by high-performance computing and AI, which together will account for 55% of the total market. This implies thatthe semiconductor industry is entering an era driven by AI-related computing demand, and as long as AI continues to thrive, semiconductors will keep benefiting.

Regarding South Korean equities, JPMorgan, in its latest report, raised its 12-month $Korea Composite Index (.KOSPI.KR)$ target for the Kospi index to 12,500 points, forecasting a bull-case target of 15,000 points and a bear-case scenario of 8,000 points.

JPMorgan noted that drivers behind the rally in the Korean market include earnings growth from AI-related hardware companies, additional profit momentum in the industrial sector, improved profitability of financial stocks, and valuation re-rating spurred by corporate governance reforms. The bank also believes thatas memory demand continues to rise amid expanding AI investments, earnings improvements at Korean semiconductor firms are likely to persist over the long term.

Taken together, whether for semiconductors or the broader Korean equity market, this bull run may still be 'unfinished business.' However, investors should remain cautious: as gains accumulate, market volatility is also increasing in tandem, and the risk of sharp swings at elevated levels cannot be overlooked. For investors, navigating the second half of the year may require better timing and tactical trading to strike a balance between trend-following and risk management.

Looking to pick stocks or get a diagnosis on your holdings? Want to understand the opportunities and risks in your portfolio? For all your investment questions,just ask Futubull AI!

Editor/KOKO

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