iShares MSCI South Korea ETF vs United Microelectronics Corp — how do they compare? iShares MSCI South Korea ETF trades at $177.22 (market cap $26.25B), while United Microelectronics Corp trades at $22.96 (market cap $58.02B). The key difference: United Microelectronics Corp is far larger — about 2.2× iShares MSCI South Korea ETF's market cap, and United Microelectronics Corp pays a 1.76% dividend while iShares MSCI South Korea ETF pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold iShares MSCI South Korea ETF for 47 Days and United Microelectronics Corp for 42 Days on average.
| EWY | UMC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $26.25B | $58.02B |
Volume | 19,056,075 | 11,897,809 |
Sector | Broad Market / Factor | Technology |
52-Week High | $219.20 | $28.02 |
52-Week Low | $80.72 | $7.02 |
Typical Hold Time | 47 Days | 42 Days |
Enterprise Value | — | $55.10B |
Dividend Yield | — | 1.76% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
EWY (iShares MSCI South Korea ETF) trades at $176.33, down 4.02% amid broad Asian market weakness driven by rising oil prices and global bond yields. The ETF shows bearish technical signals with moving averages indicating selling pressure, though oversold RSI levels suggest potential near-term support. EWY remains heavily concentrated in Samsung and SK hynix, benefiting from AI-driven memory demand but vulnerable to semiconductor cycle volatility.
Outlook remains cautious given high concentration risk and macroeconomic headwinds, though strong AI infrastructure spending provides fundamental support. Key risks include semiconductor cycle sensitivity, Korean market volatility, and global interest rate pressures. The ETF's 148% YoY gain highlights both opportunity and vulnerability to corrections.
UMC trades at $22.82, down 2.1% today but maintains strong fundamental momentum with three consecutive quarterly earnings beats. The stock shows bullish technical signals despite mixed moving averages, while fundamentals reveal robust profitability with 32.75% net income margin and improving cash flow trends. Recent news highlights analyst upgrades and strong AI-driven growth prospects.
Outlook remains positive with projected revenue growth to $250.7B in 2026 and intrinsic value estimates around $29 suggesting upside potential. Key risks include semiconductor cycle volatility and competitive pressures from larger foundries. Analyst consensus leans Hold but recent Strong Buy upgrades indicate growing optimism.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
EWY tracks the MSCI Korea 25/50 Index, offering targeted exposure to large and mid-cap companies in South Korea. It is structurally centered on the global technology supply chain, industrials, and financial services, serving as a liquid tool for investors seeking a single-country view of this advanced, innovation-led economy.
Read more on EWY →Founded in 1980, United Microelectronics is the world's third-largest dedicated chip foundry, with 7% market share in 2021, according to Gartner, after TSMC and GlobalFoundries. UMC's headquarters are in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and it operates 12 fabs in Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan and Singapore, with additional sales offices in Europe, the U.S. and South Korea. UMC features a diverse customer base including Texas Instruments, MediaTek, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Xilinx and Realtek, supplying a wide range of products applied in communications, display, memory, automotive and more. UMC employs about 20,000 people.
Read more on UMC →