South Korea ’s financial authorities are weighing tighter curbs on high-risk leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as part of broader efforts to stabilise the country’s notoriously volatile stock market, which has left many investors with heavy losses and mounting debt. Single-stock leveraged ETFs allow investors to amplify their exposure to a company’s share price without owning the underlying stock, typically aiming to deliver twice the stock’s daily return. The products quickly gained popularity during South Korea’s stock market rally but have since come under scrutiny for amplifying market volatility. Signage of Samsung Electronics is displayed outside the company’s Seocho building in Seoul, South Korea, on July 30. Photo: AFPMany retail investors who bought leveraged ETFs linked to semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix near their peak have suffered steep losses after the shares tumbled sharply following record highs in June.