Traders Push Korea Leveraged Bets to Record as Chip Stocks Rally

Leveraged bets on South Korean equities jumped to a record as the return of the artificial intelligence trade prompts retail investors to chase a rally in tech heavyweights.

Outstanding margin debt, or loans taken out for stock purchases, climbed to an unprecedented 34.3 trillion won ($23.2 billion) as of April 20, according to data from the Korea Financial Investment Association. That’s versus a one-year average of 25.1 trillion won.