Interest Rate Hike Cycle: There Is a Separate Time to Make Money and Get Out - Myung Min-jun, Park Ga-young, Yoo Chang-hee

Summary

Yoo Chang-hee, CEO, joins hosts Myung Min-jun and Park Ga-young to discuss the FOMC and the rate-hike cycle. He argues that early in the cycle investors should buy dips, later prepare to exit around the third or fourth hike, and buy aggressively once rate-cut talk appears. He also analyzes the SK hynix-Intel US memory JV, Korean semiconductors, optical communications, and key index support levels. The market remains boxed, but he sees limited downside and favors buying declines near KOSPI 6,200, S&P 500 7,400, and Nasdaq 25,000.

• Yoo Chang-hee expects FOMC and BOJ uncertainty to drive near-term market timing.
• He sees the early rate-hike phase as a buy-the-dip environment into early next year.
• He warns that the third or fourth hike may bring a spring-summer correction and advises preparing to reduce equities.
• He expects rate-cut talk by next summer and would buy equities aggressively then.
• He views the SK hynix-Intel US memory JV as likely but not a near-term earnings driver, with Intel the clearer beneficiary.
• He favors Korean semiconductors and sees support levels for KOSPI, KOSDAQ, S&P 500, and Nasdaq.
• He prefers selected optical names like RF Materials and Daehan Optical Telecom, and Coherent in the US, while avoiding telecom equipment names KMW and HFR.
• A host flags BOJ risk to the Korea-Taiwan-Japan hardware basket.