Investors took their money to securities funds that follow Samsung Group stocks this month as the group's flagship unit, Samsung Electronics Co., clawed back and listing of a key IT affiliate refueled expectations of the top conglomerate's restructuring, data showed Friday. 

A net 244.8 billion won (US$219.6 million) was injected into 28 funds whose underlying assets are Samsung Group stocks between Nov. 1-19, accounting for 56 percent of the total investment in securities funds, according to data compiled by fund researcher Zeroin. 

The average yield rate of the 28 funds was 7.42 percent during the period, outperforming domestic securities funds and other securities funds that posted 2.76 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.

However, the three-month return rate on Samsung Group funds remains negative as the recent recovery was not enough to make up for the deep losses early this year due to tepid earnings.

Their quarterly profitability was minus 6.02 percent, and this year's yield rate was minus 8.98 percent, data showed.

Samsung Electronics, the nation's largest company by market valuation, erased some losses in early November as foreign investors picked up its stocks that plunged after poor third quarter earnings, mostly stemming from its sluggish handset business. 

Market watchers said the company's move to list affiliates with large ownership by Samsung's first family raised expectations of group restructuring in the near future to transfer management to children of Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who has been hospitalized since May following a heart attack. 

Samsung SDS, the key IT unit of Samsung Group, began trading on the Seoul bourse Nov. 13, immediately becoming the nation's sixth-largest company by market capitalization. Samsung Group also plans to list Cheil Industries Inc., a theme park operator and the de facto holding company, next month. 

Although the company has largely kept secret its restructuring plan, market watchers expect the listings will provide the owner family the needed cash to pay taxes and other costs of inheritance.

Following listing of Samsung SDS, the combined market capitalization of Samsung Group stocks surpassed 300 trillion won to account for 26 percent of the KOSPI market, according to the bourse operator Korea Exchange. (Yonhap)