US Commerce Department Pressures with Semiconductor Tariffs — Will Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix Also Be Hit? / Where Is the Next Rotation's Top Priority? | The Premier CEO Kang Gwan-woo

US Commerce Department Pressures with Semiconductor Tariffs… Will Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix Also Be Hit? / Where is the Next Rotation's Top Priority? | The Premier CEO Kang Gwan-woo
Watch on YouTube ↗  |  September 03, 2026 at 08:00  |  21:55  |  815 Money Talk (815머니톡)
Speakers
Kang Gwan-woo — CEO

Summary

Kang Gwan-woo, CEO of The Premier, discusses why Korean semiconductor stocks remain weak despite strong Nvidia results, arguing that Samsung Electronics and SK hynix should be accumulated as high-dividend/shareholder-return names while near-term trust and tariff issues persist. He also covers Chinese memory competition, the OpenAI IPO liquidity setup, and rotation ideas into cosmetics and construction/EPC, while treating secondary batteries as a sell-into-strength area. He expects US 10-year yields to remain capped and urges conservative, responsive positioning.

  • Korean semiconductor names are weak due to rates, rotation and trust loss rather than broken fundamentals.
  • Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are viewed as accumulating opportunities with shareholder-return re-rating potential.
  • US DRAM tariff fears are considered overblown and mostly priced in.
  • YMTC is seen as a bigger medium-term threat than CXMT, especially in NAND.
  • OpenAI IPO may drain liquidity pre-listing but benefit Samsung and SK hynix after capex.
  • Cosmetics names are favored for event-driven trading, while secondary batteries are viewed as overvalued.
  • US-linked construction/EPC names such as Samsung C&T, Hyundai E&C and Doosan Enerbility are preferred over nuclear.
  • US 10-year Treasury yields are expected to calm, supporting a potential year-end rally.
Ideas
Accumulate Samsung, SK hynix as shareholder-return stocks
US semiconductor tariff concerns on Korean DRAM are overblown: DRAM supply is an oligopoly of Samsung, SK hynix, Micron plus CXMT, making punitive tariffs unrealistic and likely a US pressure tactic; hyperscalers would bear added costs and opposition or lobbying would be strong, so the tariff risk is largely already in prices.
US 10-year yields likely capped near election
US 10-year Treasury yields are unlikely to run to 5.0% because the Trump administration will not tolerate runaway rates before the midterm elections; if yields calm or turn down, the market can refocus on earnings and shareholder returns and may stage a year-end rally.
YMTC bigger medium-term threat than CXMT
In Chinese memory competition, CXMT is less worrying because the DRAM tech gap is about three years and EUV restrictions may widen Korea's HBM lead; YMTC is the more serious medium-term threat in NAND with 14% global share, X-stacking capability and an accelerated IPO, but the short-term threat is limited, so NAND/YMTC should be watched rather than feared now.
Korean cosmetics reasonable valuation; trade export catalysts
Korean cosmetics stocks are an attractive short-term trading area because valuations are reasonable at about 15-20x forward P/E, APR has near 100% ROE, and monthly export statistics provide repeated catalysts; the suggested strategy is to buy on dips and take profits when strong export data or stock pops arrive.
Sell secondary batteries into strength
Secondary battery stocks have rallied on AS-related expectations, but valuations are stretched against earnings: L&F trades near 7x PBR and Samsung SDI around 1.9x forward PBR, yet the sector still makes little profit; the speaker suggests selling into strength rather than chasing.
Favor construction/EPC over nuclear for US projects
Korean construction/EPC names are better-positioned beneficiaries than popular nuclear names for the upcoming US-Korea strategic investment: the project may shift to a Texas gas combined-cycle power project, with Samsung C&T and Hyundai E&C as EPC participants and Doosan Enerbility as gas turbine supplier; construction valuations are more acceptable and they also benefit from domestic data center construction and government land supply.
Up Next

This 815 Money Talk (815머니톡) video, published September 03, 2026, features Kang Gwan-woo discussing 005930.KS, 000660.KS, US 10Y Treasury, NAND flash memory, YMTC, APR, Cosmax, Korean Kolmar, Korean cosmetics, L&F, 006400.KS, Korean secondary battery stocks, 028260.KS, 000720.KS, 034020.KS. 6 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Kang Gwan-woo  · Tickers: 005930.KS, 000660.KS, US 10Y Treasury, NAND flash memory, YMTC, APR, Cosmax, Korean Kolmar, Korean cosmetics, L&F, 006400.KS, Korean secondary battery stocks, 028260.KS, 000720.KS, 034020.KS