Why Only My Account Is Melting in a Sideways Index Market! Director Cha Young-ju's Contrarian Strategy to Turn Fear into Opportunity | Cha Young-ju, Director of Wise Economic Research Institute

Why Only My Account Is Melting in a Sideways Index Market! Director Cha Young-ju's Contrarian Strategy to Turn Fear into Opportunity | Cha Young-ju, Director of Wise Economic Research Institute [Focus Today's Stocks]

Watch on YouTube ↗ | September 16, 2026 at 11:30 | 37:36 | 3PRO TV (삼프로TV)

Speakers

Cha Young-joo — Director, Wise Economic Research Institute

Summary

Cha Young-ju, Director of Wise Economic Research Institute, said the market is trendless and KOSPI large caps need time while foreign investors remain sellers. She prefers KOSDAQ for relative strength and sector-rotation swing trades, and highlights transformer/power equipment, secondary batteries, semiconductor equipment/materials, pharma/biotech, shipbuilding, and defense. She is cautious on nuclear and robotics after expectation-driven rallies, and argues that the AI investment slowdown narrative is unrealistic.

KOSPI is trendless; 6,500 has held but foreign selling and weak moving averages favor patience.
KOSDAQ is holding 800 support and looks likely to outperform KOSPI first, supporting swing trades.
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are viewed as core holdings rather than funding for KOSDAQ rotation.
KOSDAQ rotation candidates include semiconductor equipment/materials, secondary batteries, pharma/biotech, robotics, and defense.
Transformer/power equipment names Hyosung Heavy, Hyundai Electric, and LS Electric are mid-term accumulation ideas on US data-center power demand.
Secondary battery interest is shifting from cells to materials, with LG Energy Solution helped by analyst reports.
Nuclear and robotics are seen as expectation-driven and risky; semiconductor equipment/materials is more realistic than humanoids.
The speaker dismisses the AI capex slowdown narrative as unrealistic and sees the selloff as overdone.

Ideas

Cha Young-joo Director, Wise Economic Research Institute 7:26

KOSPI trendless, wait for foreign inflows

KOSPI has no clear trend; it has held above 6,500 but short-term moving averages are turning down and foreign investors have been net sellers for five sessions. Until foreign buying returns, a trend reversal is difficult; FOMC and Chuseok could shape flows, so large caps and the index need patience rather than chasing.

Cha Young-joo Director, Wise Economic Research Institute 10:03

KOSDAQ stronger, first to rally

KOSDAQ looks better than KOSPI: it is holding 800 support, forming a triangle, and volume is picking up, while relative outperformance has already begun. It is likely to rally before KOSPI, so use KOSDAQ for mid-term swing strategies while large caps wait for foreign flows.

Cha Young-joo Director, Wise Economic Research Institute 12:06

Hold Samsung and SK hynix core

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are core constants in the KOSPI; do not sell them just to rotate into KOSDAQ. They are still bound by foreign flows and need time, but they should be retained as core holdings while using spare funds or rebalancing proceeds for KOSDAQ trades.

Cha Young-joo Director, Wise Economic Research Institute 12:48

Swing KOSDAQ rotation sectors

In a trendless KOSPI, use KOSDAQ's sector rotation. The market is rotating among semiconductor equipment/materials, secondary batteries, pharma/biotech, robotics, and defense. Buy a basket across these sectors with equal portions, then sell into strength as each rotates, using swing trades of 2-3 days to a week or longer. This is preferable to trying to trade Samsung Electronics in and out.

Cha Young-joo Director, Wise Economic Research Institute 16:37

AI capex slowdown talk unrealistic

The AI investment slowdown narrative is not realistic. AI development is led by private companies, so a coordinated slowdown is unlikely; OPEC quotas are already poorly enforced, and companies will not disclose their technology progress to competitors. The market selloff on this narrative was overdone, with US markets recovering in a day; investors who sold on AI bubble fears may be disappointed. This supports continued AI capex and AI semiconductor/infrastructure demand.

Cha Young-joo Director, Wise Economic Research Institute 24:18

Accumulate transformer sector on data centers

Korean transformer and power equipment is a good mid-term accumulation area. It had a valuation controversy and a five-month consolidation, but order backlogs keep building as US data centers need grid connections; Hyosung Heavy won direct hyperscaler orders, Hyundai Electric is winning package infrastructure orders, and LS Electric is seeing growing DC/distribution-related orders. US tariff risk is mitigated by Hyosung's Memphis plant expansion.

Cha Young-joo Director, Wise Economic Research Institute 28:40

Hyosung direct hyperscaler orders

Hyosung Heavy Industries is winning direct orders from hyperscalers rather than only from utilities, which could open more direct US data-center contracts. Its Memphis plant expansion also helps mitigate Trump-era tariff risk, supporting mid-term accumulation.

Cha Young-joo Director, Wise Economic Research Institute 29:59

Hyundai Electric package order validation

Hyundai Electric is benefiting from package infrastructure orders that validate its technology as Korea's second-largest and a global top-20 player. This supports spillover orders and mid-term accumulation.

Cha Young-joo Director, Wise Economic Research Institute 31:14

LS Electric DC orders rising

LS Electric is seeing growing orders tied to direct current and power distribution equipment, part of the same data-center power infrastructure buildout.

Cha Young-joo Director, Wise Economic Research Institute 31:56

Nuclear driven by expectations, avoid

Nuclear power stocks rallied on expectations but have started showing high volatility. There is no concrete revenue or order flow yet, and the theme is expectation-driven, so it is risky after the run-up.

Cha Young-joo Director, Wise Economic Research Institute 34:25

Shipbuilding, defense orders earnings rising

Shipbuilding and defense closed weak today, but orders and earnings are increasing, so they are areas to watch and accumulate from now.

Cha Young-joo Director, Wise Economic Research Institute 34:41

Battery rotation from cells to materials

Secondary battery leadership is shifting from cells to materials. Cell names such as Samsung SDI and SK Innovation have started moving, and the sector deserves attention as report-driven interest begins to work.

Cha Young-joo Director, Wise Economic Research Institute 34:41

Battery rotation from cells to materials

Secondary battery leadership is shifting from cells to materials. Cell names such as Samsung SDI and SK Innovation have started moving, and the sector deserves attention as report-driven interest begins to work.

Cha Young-joo Director, Wise Economic Research Institute 34:59

LG Energy Solution reports drive interest

LG Energy Solution saw a flood of analyst reports on Monday, and report-driven interest is starting to work in the stock, making it a key secondary battery name to watch as the sector rotates.

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This 3PRO TV (삼프로TV) video, published September 16, 2026, features Cha Young-joo discussing EWY, KOSDAQ Index, 005930.KS, 000660.KS, Korean Robotics, Korean semiconductor equipment/materials, LIT, Korean Defense, XBI, AI Semiconductors, AIQ, Korean transformer/power equipment, 298040.KS, 267260.KS, 010120.KS, Korean nuclear power, Korean Shipbuilding, Korean secondary battery materials, 006400.KS, 096770.KS, 373220.KS. 14 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Cha Young-joo · Tickers: EWY, KOSDAQ Index, 005930.KS, 000660.KS, Korean Robotics, Korean semiconductor equipment/materials, LIT, Korean Defense, XBI, AI Semiconductors, AIQ, Korean transformer/power equipment, 298040.KS, 267260.KS, 010120.KS, Korean nuclear power, Korean Shipbuilding, Korean secondary battery materials, 006400.KS, 096770.KS, 373220.KS