Ideas
AI power shortage lifts nuclear stocks.
AI's biggest bottleneck is electricity. Meta's 6GW supply contracts with Oklo and Vistra show that large-scale AI energy infrastructure deals are being signed, and nuclear/power stocks are already seeing strong flows; more large contracts should keep the market reacting positively.
Korean shipbuilders gain from US-China rivalry.
Korean shipbuilders are beneficiaries of the US-China conflict because the US is containing China, and Korea's shipbuilding gains in 2025 came from that dynamic. The 2026 'war' theme, including tech and geopolitical conflict, is unlikely to stop, so Korean shipbuilding can remain a winner.
Korean memory leads AI war theme.
The 2026 theme of AI war favors Korean memory. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are direct AI beneficiaries; combined 2026 operating-profit forecasts keep rising toward 180-240 trillion won, DRAM customers are requesting long-term contracts with prepayment options due tight supply, and HBM demand is strong.
Korean equities benefit from broadening AI cycle.
Korean equities are supported by the broadening AI cycle, with flows rotating from semiconductors into nuclear, shipbuilding, and defense. Because Korea has key AI value-chain companies, the KOSPI's move toward 5,000 should come faster.
US nuclear stocks attract AI power flows.
In the US, capital is rotating into nuclear/power stocks that announce new contracts or capacity expansion because AI remains power-constrained; this flow should support US nuclear power names.
Korean memory strength continues through H1.
Domestic memory semiconductor companies should stay strong at least through H1. They hold a key position in the AI value chain, memory supply is tight, DRAM long-term contracts include prepayments, HBM demand is strong, and analyst earnings estimates remain conservative but are still being raised.
Global rearmament supports defense stocks.
Global rearmament is a multi-year theme even after Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talk. Geopolitical tensions remain, defense budgets are rising, Korean defense exports to Poland, Peru, Estonia, and the Philippines are strong, and Trump's proposed 2027 US defense budget increase supports earnings and guidance upgrades for Korean and European defense firms. Hanwha Aerospace is a representative Korean defense name that has broken to prior highs.
CPU shortage spotlights Intel turnaround.
A data-center CPU shortage is emerging as the next AI bottleneck. Intel, the representative CPU maker, is at new highs on CPU scarcity, CES 18A product hopes, and US government support, though its ability to catch TSMC in foundry process is the key risk and news flow will keep the stock volatile.
Buy AI supply-chain bottlenecks.
AI demand is causing severe supply-chain shortages. This year's strategy is to find what is scarce in AI, because items in shortage see rising prices and strong earnings; memory, optical components, and now data-center CPUs are examples of bottlenecks.
Avoid rare earth stocks for now.
Rare earth shortages are structural and not yet urgent, so current earnings may not reflect the scarcity. Theme/news-driven rallies can be highly volatile, and he is not approaching rare earth companies now.
Korean biotech licensing momentum supports KOSDAQ.
JP Morgan Healthcare and the expanding obesity/metabolic pipeline keep attention on Korean biotech. Korean biotech technology exports have topped 20 trillion won and licensing-out deals are increasing in number and size, with Alteogen, LigaChem Bio, and ABL Bio as examples; bio must help lead KOSDAQ higher alongside KOSPI.
Eli Lilly wins obesity volume growth.
The obesity treatment market is entering a volume-expansion phase as pricing improves over this year and next, and Eli Lilly is among the best-positioned beneficiaries. He favors large-cap US biotech rather than trying to pick small US biotech names.
CRO order recovery signals biotech funding rebound.
IQVIA, the top global clinical-trial CRO, shows an order turnaround since mid-2025. Its big pharma/biotech clients are spending again and buying overseas IP, making IQVIA a useful signal that biotech R&D funding is recovering.
Pharma R&D recovery lifts Korean biotech.
The global pharma R&D recovery visible through IQVIA's order rebound should also lift Korean biotech companies with good pipelines, because big pharma is again spending on licensing and overseas IP.
This 3PRO TV (삼프로TV) video, published January 12, 2026,
features Bae Jae-won, Jeong Hee-seok
discussing URA, OKLO, VST, Korean Shipbuilding Stocks, 005930.KS, 000660.KS, EWY, Korean defense stocks, ITA, 012450.KS, INTC, SMH, REMX, XBI, 196170.KQ, 141080.KQ, ABL Bio, LLY, IQV.
14 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.
Speakers:
Bae Jae-won,
Jeong Hee-seok
· Tickers:
URA,
OKLO,
VST,
Korean Shipbuilding Stocks,
005930.KS,
000660.KS,
EWY,
Korean defense stocks,
ITA,
012450.KS,
INTC,
SMH,
REMX,
XBI,
196170.KQ,
141080.KQ,
ABL Bio,
LLY,
IQV
