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| gettyimagesbank |
By Anna J. Park
Retail investors' enthusiasm is moving towards superconductors, resulting in stock price rallies in companies perceived as related to the technology. The trend follows the local stock markets' recent feverish advance toward secondary battery-themed stocks.
Superconductors, materials with zero electrical resistance or magnetic flux fields, have now become the central topic among Koreans, as a team of Korean physicists affiliated with several institutions in the country claimed to have found LK-99, a potential room-temperature superconducting material, for the first time in the world.
With the news raising the public's anticipation over industrial innovation and commercialization of the technology, some thematic stocks related to the industry soared, drawing in more investors.
According to the Korea Exchange (KRX), the bourse market operator, SuNam, a local firm manufacturing energy-efficient second-generation superconducting wires and high-field superconducting magnets, posted a six-day consecutive winning streak until Thursday. During the last three sessions, in particular, the stock price hit daily upper limits each day, finishing at 10,980 won ($8.45) at the closing of Thursday session. It has nearly tripled the stock's usual price in less than two weeks.
Stock prices of Duksung, Seowon and Mobiis ― local manufacturers of tech and materials ― all posted surges during the past few sessions. The price of Duksung rose by 155 percent, Seowon by 73 percent and Mobiis by 127 percent during this week alone.
LS Cable & System Asia, Shinsung Delta Tech and Wonik PNE have also enjoyed sudden rallies in stock prices.
Market analysts, however, caution that LK-99 is still a new material that has not been yet verified, and even if it becomes verified, it could take longer to be commercialized. Besides, some of the firms do not have sound financial status or are not even related to superconducting material businesses.
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