[비즈한국] Whenever December 31st arrives, relatives and acquaintances are always busy sharing New Year's well-wishes. Lately, it feels like the tradition of exchanging such greetings has declined compared to the past due to the unsettling times, but even if one cannot pray while watching the rising sun, people still make new resolutions like, "I'll at least try to do this this year," or "I just hope to stay healthy."
One thing that follows the New Year like a relay, just as much as exchanging greetings, is the "New Year's address" released by each corporation. "Through efficiency and innovation, we will solidify KB's strength and return greater value to our shareholders, the market, customers, and society." This is the New Year's address from Yang Jong-hee, Chairman of KB Financial Group 105560. In this way, not only in every industry but also in the political sphere, top leaders deliver New Year's addresses. The repertoire is similar. Along with reflection on what they failed to achieve the previous year, they present goals such as committing to political reform or economic revival in the new year.
While these addresses may seem grandiose on the surface, they contain clues as to what will be prioritized this year. According to corporate data research firm CEO Score, the keywords most frequently mentioned in the New Year's addresses of the top 10 domestic groups were "competitiveness" and "customer." This appears to reflect a determination to overcome crises amidst political uncertainty and the launch of the second Trump administration.
So, what should investors resolve to do in the midst of a crisis? To respond to crises, it is advisable to maintain a conservative and stable investment stance for the time being—at least until uncertainties are resolved. Although the "Santa Rally," where the stock market shows strength at the turn of the year, has already passed, experts advise preparing for domestic and international financial market volatility caused by factors like the Trump inauguration and the impeachment political situation.
Furthermore, it would be useful to seek out new opportunities in "Artificial Intelligence (AI)," one of the keywords repeatedly mentioned in this year's New Year's addresses. We might get hints about this at CES, which is scheduled to open on the 7th (local time). The core theme of this year's CES is "Dive in," which means to connect, solve, discover, and immerse ourselves in problems through AI. While last year's CES allowed us to catch a glimpse of the technological prowess of companies ahead of the AI era, observers suggest that this year's CES will showcase AI being utilized across all aspects of daily life.
Kim Un-ho, a researcher at IBK Securities, predicted, "While AI was the main theme in 2024, the scalability of AI will be further highlighted in 2025 as AI, digital health, vehicle technology, and advanced mobility are selected as the main themes."
In particular, there is high anticipation that Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, will provide a roadmap for future industries during the keynote session, a major event where one can catch a glimpse of the direction of future industrial development. Kim Rok-ho, a researcher at Hana Securities, said, "AI still remains the main theme within the tech sector, and there is a possibility that related beneficiary industries and stocks will be re-examined following Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's keynote presentation." He also advised, "As 'quantum computing' is emerging as a new theme, it is worth paying attention to the short-term stock price movements of related domestic and international companies."
Starting with the announcement of the preliminary fourth-quarter earnings of Samsung Electronics 005930 and LG Electronics 066570 on the 8th, the full-scale fourth-quarter earnings season will begin. While concerns are mounting in the market that companies will show lackluster results, advice is also being offered that it is a time to consider undervalued stocks or companies with potential AI benefits after earnings adjustments. Lee Kyung-min, a researcher at Daishin Securities, analyzed, "Technology does not necessarily guarantee earnings, but there is a possibility that investor sentiment toward growth in industries, sectors, and stocks will recover, along with a return of risk-on sentiment."
The Year of the Blue Snake (Eulsa Year) is said to embody the meaning of "starting anew and changing rapidly." It is expected that political reform and technological advancement will proceed at a fast pace this year. Once the Lunar New Year holiday passes and the Eulsa Year begins in earnest, the resolutions made at the start of the year might gradually fade, but let's remind ourselves once more of what we need to do today and strive to make it a year filled with the "wisdom" of a snake.