Samsung and Kiwoom Launch CPU-Focused ETFs Reducing NVIDIA Weight

Samsung Asset Management and Kiwoom Investment Asset Management recently launched CPU-focused semiconductor ETFs in the domestic Korean market, reducing NVIDIA allocations while concentrating investments in Arm, AMD, and Intel. The shift responds to the emerging AI agent era, where central processing units play expanded roles beyond GPU-dominated generative AI workloads. Korean AI semiconductor ETF products had previously maintained similar portfolios centered on NVIDIA and high-bandwidth memory, but the new CPU-specialized funds mark a strategic pivot toward processors managing sequential task execution in AI agent systems.

Samsung and Kiwoom Launch CPU-Specialized ETF Products

Samsung Asset Management's 'KODEX US CPU Semiconductor TOP10' allocates over 75% to three CPU companies—Arm, AMD, and Intel—while excluding NVIDIA and Micron from the portfolio. Kiwoom Investment Asset Management launched 'KIWOOM US CPU Semiconductor TOP4+' ahead of Samsung's product, establishing the CPU investment theme in the domestic market.

AI Agent Workloads Expand CPU Role in Datacenters

AI agents perform sequential tasks including search, booking, payment, and document creation, requiring CPUs to connect individual operations and control system functions. TrendForce forecasts datacenter CPU-to-GPU ratios will shift from the current 1:4 to 1:8 range to 1:1 to 1:2 ratios in the AI agent era. Generative AI applications previously relied on GPUs for answer generation, while AI agent architectures distribute workload across both processor types.

Intel, Arm, and AMD Report Datacenter Revenue Growth

Intel's datacenter and AI segment revenue reached $6.3 billion, representing 59% year-over-year growth. Arm achieved quarterly record results as datacenter royalty revenue more than doubled. AMD's datacenter revenue surged 107%, driven by EPYC server CPUs and AI accelerators.

CPU Stocks Outperform NVIDIA in Late-Month Rally

During the semiconductor sector rebound late last month, Arm gained 24.8%, Intel rose 23.2%, and AMD increased 20.7%, all exceeding the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index performance. NVIDIA's gain reached 11.5% in the same period.

FAQ

Why are Korean asset managers launching CPU-focused ETFs now?
Samsung Asset Management and Kiwoom Investment Asset Management launched CPU-specialized products because AI agent applications require central processing units to manage sequential task execution, expanding demand beyond GPU-centric generative AI infrastructure.

What CPU-to-GPU ratio does TrendForce forecast for AI agent datacenters?
TrendForce forecasts datacenter CPU-to-GPU ratios will shift from the current 1:4 to 1:8 range to 1:1 to 1:2 ratios as AI agent workloads become prevalent.

How did Intel, Arm, and AMD datacenter revenues perform recently?
Intel's datacenter and AI revenue reached $6.3 billion with 59% year-over-year growth, Arm's datacenter royalties more than doubled to quarterly records, and AMD's datacenter revenue surged 107%.