How to invest in KOSPI Composite Index funds in 2024

By:

Prash Raval

Prash is a financial writer for Invezz covering FX, the stock market and investing. For over a decade he has traded spot FX full time while... read more.

Updated: May 12, 2023

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It only takes a few minutes to invest in the KOSPI Composite index. One of the simplest and most popular ways to invest is to buy shares in a Vanguard KOSPI Composite Index ETF through an online trading platform.

Where can I invest in the KOSPI Composite Index?

According to our expert research, eToro is the best ETF broker to invest in KOSPI Composite index funds. 

Both KOSPI Composite Index ETFs and KOSPI Composite Index CFDs are available to invest in through eToro .

Here are three more places to buy the KOSPI Composite Index, ranked according to their cost, security, and features.

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How do I invest in the KS11 index?

The easiest way is to sign up to a stock broker, open an investment account, and buy shares in an KOSPI Composite Index ETF or CFD. This guide explains how to do it:

Step 1. Sign up to eToro

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We recommend using eToro to invest in KOSPI Composite Index. Sign up for a brokerage account and deposit some money. You may need to supply a form of photo ID to verify the account.

Most Popular

1

Min. Deposit

$ 10

Best offer

User Score

10

Up to $240 bonus!

Deposit with ACA, Wire, Pay with my bank

Invest for dividends and get payout on stocks on Ex-Dividend day

Start Trading more info

Payment Methods:

Bank Transfer, Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, Wire Transfer

Full Regulations:

CySEC, FCA

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Step 2. Decide how to buy KOSPI Composite Index

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This boils down to choosing between an KOSPI Composite Index ETF or CFD. ETFs are generally better suited to investors who want to passively track the KOSPI Composite Index’s performance. CFDs offer a greater range of trading options: you can use leverage, short the index, or buy and sell it outside of trading hours.

Step 3. Invest in the KOSPI Composite Index

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Sign into your trading account and search for the KOSPI Composite Index. Hit the ‘buy’ button and enter the details of your purchase, such as how much you want to spend. Hit ‘buy’ again to execute the trade.

Step 4. Monitor your investment

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When you buy a CFD, the trade goes through more or less instantly, and you’ll be able to see your new open position in your trading account. ETF purchases can take longer, and if you buy outside of traditional trading hours it won’t go through until the next morning.

Your trading account will show the price change in the KOSPI Composite Index since you bought it, so you can see your profit/loss at a glance. Use that information, along with your own research, to decide when to sell the KOSPI Composite Index and close your position, ideally at a profit!

The different ways to invest in the KS11

As we mentioned above, there are numerous ways to put your money into the KOSPI Composite Index. ETFs and CFDs are the simplest options for beginners, but there are alternatives. Here’s a brief overview of each option and who it’s best suited for.

KOSPI Composite ETFs

An ETF (exchange-traded fund) is an investment fund traded on a stock exchange, much like a stock. Exchange traded funds can hold different assets, such as individual stocks, bonds, or commodities, or serve as a proxy for a stock market index.

An KOSPI Composite Index ETF is one way of investing in the KOSPI Composite Index. It’s simply an investment fund that mirrors the performance of the KOSPI Composite Index. When you buy shares in the fund, the value of your investment will rise or fall with the KOSPI Composite Index itself. 

ETFs are ideal for new investors because they have a very low minimum investment. You can start with a few pounds and get exposure to some of the world’s largest companies. They’re also practical if you plan on trading the KOSPI Composite index, because you can buy or sell shares in the fund throughout the day.

Examples of popular KS11 ETFs

• Samsung KODEX 200 ETF (069500.KS)
• Mirae Asset Tiger KOSPI 200 ETF (123320.KS)
• Samsung KODEX Inverse ETF (114800.KS)

KOSPI Composite funds

An index or mutual fund is an investment fund that aims to track the performance of a stock market index, such as the KOSPI Composite Index. It’s very similar to an ETF, in that there are low management fees and you can buy shares through your online broker.

However, there are a couple of differences. KOSPI Composite index funds are only priced at the end of each trading day, so you can buy or sell shares in the fund once per day. There may also be a higher barrier to entry, through a much larger minimum investment when you invest in KOSPI Composite index funds.

That means an KOSPI Composite Index mutual fund is better suited for long term investors with a higher initial budget, where the infrequent trading and barriers to entry are far less of an issue.

KOSPI Composite CFDs

CFDs (contracts for difference) are a way to speculate on KOSPI Composite Index price changes with more flexibility than if you use an ETF or index fund. A CFD is a ‘derivative’, which means it gets its value from the underlying asset – in this case the KOSPI Composite Index – but it’s separate from it.

As a result, CFDs can be leveraged, where you borrow money to multiply the size of the trade, or they can be used to go ‘short’, where you place a trade on the index to fall in value. You can also buy and sell them outside of regular trading hours.

All of this means KOSPI Composite Index CFDs offer the potential to outperform a fund that passively tracks the KOSPI Composite Index’s performance. Of course, you can also underperform it as well. Tools like leverage and shorting introduce a lot more risk, and are best left to experienced traders.

KOSPI Composite futures

Futures contracts are agreements to buy or sell the KS11 at an agreed price on a set date in the future. KOSPI Composite Index futures are a means to predict how you think the index is going to perform over a set time frame, such as the next three or six months.

Most futures contracts involve leverage, so you only put up a small part of the total trade value (the margin) when you buy one. That makes futures more risky, and they require a bit more financial expertise to understand as well.

Some traders use futures as a hedge against the performance of stocks they own. For instance, if you own stocks that are part of the KOSPI Composite Index then you might want to short the KOSPI Composite Index so that you still make some money if the price falls.

KOSPI Composite stocks

Another way to invest in the KOSPI Composite Index is to buy shares in the individual stocks that the index tracks. It isn’t practical to buy every share in the index, but you can invest directly into a few of the most heavily weighted stocks in the KOSPI Composite Index in order to get broad exposure to its performance.

The most heavily weighted stocks in the KOSPI Composite Index tend to be the largest companies by market capitalisation. If you invest directly in those largest stocks, you gain exposure to the index without taking on the risk of all the underlying companies.

One reason to do this is that these larger companies with the highest market cap dominate the index anyway, so that it can give you the impression of a diversified portfolio while actually being reliant on the performance of those particular stocks.

For the KOSPI Composite index, the largest stocks you might choose to invest in are:

The flip side of investing directly like this is that you lose the diversification and stability that comes with buying into an entire index. It requires much more hands-on management to do your own stock picking, so it’s best suited to more experienced investors.

How much does it cost to invest in the KOSPI Composite index?

From $0 to $5, depending on how you invest. For each option, you must consider the cost of buying the actual asset, whether that’s an ETF, index fund, CFD, or share, plus the fees associated with it.

*A fee comparison of 3 leading brokers for example purposes

ETFs and CFDs are generally the cheapest option overall, as they have low fees and a low minimum investment. Index funds and mutual funds have low fees but may have a high minimum investment. Buying individual stocks is the most expensive option in absolute terms, because the share price of a single large company is often more than $100.

All options are likely to include a trading fee, which you pay each time you make a transaction. Some trading platforms offer zero-fee trading, with others it may be a few dollars. 

Then ETFs and index funds each have their own expense ratio. Expense ratios refer to an annual management fee, charged as a percentage of your total investment. Expense ratios are usually no more than 0.05%, so if you invest $1,000, you would pay $5 per year in management fees.

Should I invest in the KOSPI Composite index? 

Yes, KOSPI Composite Index investing is a great choice if you’re looking for a safer investment with more price stability compared to picking individual stocks. It gives you an instantly diverse portfolio with exposure to a broad area of the stock market.

The flip side is that you have less control over which companies you invest in. An index committee decides how the index works, and you can’t pick and choose the underlying companies you like the most. The KOSPI Composite Index is better suited to hands-off investors, compared to those who have the skills, experience, and desire to pick their own stocks.

What are the advantages of investing in the KOSPI Composite index?

An index provides instant stock market diversification, where you spread your risk across a large number of underlying companies, rather than one or two. Here are some more reasons why you might want to invest in the KOSPI Composite index:

• Gain exposure to the South Korean economy. The KOSPI Composite Index gives investors exposure to South Korea’s economy. It’s the fourth largest in Asia and has been growing steadily for a long time. The KOSPI allows you to participate in the country’s development and its companies’ future growth. 
• It comprises 200 large-cap stocks. The KOSPI is made up of 200 large-cap stocks from varios sectors spreading across the country. This makes it a diverse index that is focused on well-established companies. 
• The KOSPI Composite Index is liquid. The KOSPI is highly liquid, which means there is a lot of trading activity, with investors buying and selling often. This makes buying and selling shares easy without worrying about prices changing or liquidity not being available. 
• You can invest in the KOSPI cost-effectively. As the index is watched by many around the world, there are a large number of ETFs and mutual funds available to invest in. With such a large number of funds, competition between providers is high, resulting in many cutting fees, which is good for investors. 

What are the disadvantages of investing in the KOSPI Composite index?

The main risk of investing in the KOSPI Composite Index is that all the underlying companies are related in some way, so a broader economic downturn that affected the entire country would likely affect many stocks in the index at the same time. Here are some more risks of KOSPI Composite Index investing.

• The index is concentrated in a few industries. The KOSPI index is heavily weighted towards a few industries, such as technology and consumer goods. This can be a risk, especially if these sectors suffer any downturns – the overall index could be impacted. 
• Political issues may impact its performance. South Korea is located in a politically volatile region. Tensions with neighbouring countries such as North Korea can sometimes impact the stock market. 

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