STOCKS | BlackRock Highlights South Korea's Role in Emerging Market Ratings Upgrade

BlackRock has identified South Korean stocks as a key factor in its recent upgrade of emerging market equities, citing significant earnings growth and reliance on global semiconductor demand. According to Jin10, BlackRock increased its holdings in U.S. and emerging market stocks this week, noting potential for earnings growth in both categories. Despite challenges such as the ongoing conflict in Iran, corporate earnings expectations for 2026 are rising, partly driven by AI-related themes. The company's Global Chief Investment Strategist emphasized South Korea's role in the upgrade, stating, "South Korea is a major driver of our emerging market ratings upgrade." She highlighted South Korea's impressive development within the tech supply chain ecosystem and noted strong consumer demand for AI-related hardware products, expressing optimism about this trend.