SEOUL, May 14 (Korea Bizwire) – Taihan Electric Wire emerged as the most actively traded stock on South Korea’s equity market on May 13, buoyed by expectations that the artificial intelligence boom will spur investment in power infrastructure to support expanding data centers.
Shares of Taihan Electric Wire closed at 18,110 won on the main Kospi board, surging 24.04% or 3,510 won from the previous session. The stock hit a new 52-week high of 18,900 won during the trading day.
A total of 8.48 million Taihan shares changed hands, with the trading value reaching an enormous 1.48 trillion won. This eclipsed even the 1.46 trillion won traded for market bellwether Samsung Electronics. While retail investors were net sellers of 10 billion won worth of Taihan stock, foreign and institutional investors snapped up 5 billion won and 4 billion won, respectively.
Beyond Taihan, several other electrical equipment and cable makers ranked among the most heavily traded issues of the day, reflecting investors’ enthusiasm for the sector’s prospects amid booming data center demand from AI firms. Daewon Cable was fifth at 581 billion won, Iljin Electric sixth at 330 billion won, Gaon Cable eighth at 246 billion won, LS ninth at 242 billion won, and Cheryong Electric 10th at 236 billion won.
As the AI industry rapidly expands, so does the need for data centers with immense power requirements, fueling expectations for increased investment in related electrical infrastructure. Copper prices have also been soaring to near $10,000 per ton on the London Metal Exchange as of May 10, with most cable companies passing along such input costs to customers.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)