"I hope today is the bottom" "Water? I don't have any cash anymore"... Ants sigh at the sharp drop (comprehensive)

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Ko Eun-ji and Kim Yu-hyang = Individual investors have purchased a large number of KOSPI and KOSDAQ leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) over the past month, but they are sighing deeper as the index plummets again.

According to financial information company Yonhap Infomax and the Korea Exchange on the 5th, between October 6th and November 5th, individuals made a net purchase of KRW 1.2199 trillion in 'KODEX Leverage', which doubles the daily rate of return of the KOSPI 200 index. Based on individual net purchases, this is the largest amount among domestic listed ETFs.

Next, they made the second largest net purchase of 'KODEX KOSDAQ 150 Leverage', which follows the daily change rate of the KOSDAQ 150 index by a positive multiple of 2, amounting to KRW 941.3 billion.

Semiconductor industry leverage products such as 'KODEX Semiconductor Leverage' (9th place, KRW 257.3 billion) and 'TIGER Semiconductor TOP 10 Leverage' (11th place, KRW 211.3 billion) were also ranked among the top net purchases.

'KODEX 200' and 'KODEX 200 Target Weekly Covered Call', which are not leveraged but follow the KOSPI 200 index, also purchased 826.2 billion won (3rd place) and 596.4 billion won (4th place), respectively.

Park Woo-yeol, senior researcher at Shinhan Investment & Securities, said, "As the domestic stock market continued to fall, there was a large net inflow of funds into index-type ETFs as the inflow of low-price purchases continued. By theme, the net inflow was large in semiconductor subdivisions (materials, components, equipment), secondary batteries, U.S. Big Tech (giant technology companies), and nuclear energy."

However, the returns of the leveraged ETF were sluggish.

During the same period, KODEX leverage [122630] fell by 45.36% and KODEX KOSDAQ 150 leverage fell by 48.79%.

On the other hand, the 'Gobbus' ETF, which can generate double returns when the KOSPI 200 index falls, has risen to the top in terms of return.

'KIWOOM 200 Futures Inverse 2X' (62.32%), 'KODEX 200 Futures Inverse 2X' (60.87%), 'PLUS 200 Futures Inverse 2X' (60.28%), and 'TIGER 200 Futures Inverse 2X' (60.00%) soared by over 60%.

Single-stock multiverse products 'SOL SK Hynix Futures Single-stock Inverse 2X' and 'PLUS Samsung Electronics Futures Single-stock Inverse 2X' soared 71.34% and 63.96%, respectively, ranking first and second in terms of increase.

On this day, KOSPI closed trading at 5,383.80, down 300.00 points (5.28%) from the previous trading day. Based on the closing price, it fell to the lowest level in 7 months since April 3 (5,337.30).

KOSDAQ also closed at 678.41, down 36.54 points (5.11%), sinking to the 600 level for the first time in about three months since the closing price on July 30 (644.78).

For both KOSPI and KOSDAQ, a temporary suspension of intraday program selling bids (selling sidecar) has been activated.

Individuals who invested with leverage in hopes of a rebound are feeling heartbroken.

Mr. A, an office worker in his 30s living in Seoul, lamented, “Before, I bought it while I was on my way down to get water, but now I don’t have any real cash. I feel like I was cheated.”

An office worker in his 30s who said he had made a 'debt investment' complained, "I invested with the amount I borrowed, so if I go out (sell) now, I won't be able to afford it," and "I have no choice but to hold on."

In the online securities community, many posts were posted expressing frustration with the current situation where the bottom is unknown.

One investor who invested in the KOSPI leveraged ETF said, “I never thought it would fall this far. “I hope today is the bottom,” he complained.

Other investors expressed, "I want to go in because the bottom is getting lower, but I can't go in (I don't know where the bottom will be)," "Long-term investing has begun," and "I never thought it would fall this low again."

At an online stock-related cafe, an investor said, "I returned the clothes I bought at the department store after seeing the stock price drop today. I can't spend money because I'm scared of how much it will drop."

On the other hand, there were investors who said they would hold out, saying, “It may fall in the short term, but it will trend upward in the long term.”

Mr. B, a college student in his 20s, said, “I will continue to own semiconductor stocks and have no plans to exit,” adding, “This is because I believe related companies will continue to grow in the long term.”