Stock fact sheet · data as of
The Korea Fund, Inc. (KF): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol KF · Financial Services · Asset Management · United States · Fund / Note
Is KF undervalued?
KF has a margin of safety of 96%: the stock closed at 54.54 on 5 Nov 2026 against a GLS average fair value of 1,344.67. 5 of the 7 valuation models that produced a number sit above the price. Our scans treat a discount this large as a strong starting point for a cash-secured put, not as a verdict - the fair value is a model output, and a wide gap can mean the models are missing something the market knows.
There is a wide gap between DDM (20.33) and GLS Growth (3,575.09). When the models are this far apart the "fair value" is really a range, and the margin of safety above should be read with that range in mind.
KF looks like a fund, note or preferred share rather than an operating company, so the nightly engine files it under Fund / Note: the valuation models are not built for it, and its Wheel Score is capped at 45.
Nine valuation models for KF
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 28.32 | -48% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 339.81 | +523% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 3,340.33 | +6025% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 1,459.93 | +2577% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 3,575.09 | +6455% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | - | - | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10%; no value tonight |
| Payback Time | - | - | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself; no value tonight |
| DDM | 20.33 | -63% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 648.86 | +1090% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | 0.2179 | -100% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 0.0000 | -100% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
The Korea Fund, Inc. scores only 3 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score, which fails the "Piotroski 6 or more" Wheel Trade Filter. A reading this low means several of the basic tests - positive earnings, positive operating cash flow, falling debt, no new share issuance - are not met. There is no GLS Moat score for KF: funds, notes and second share lines get none, and so does a company with fewer than two years of accounts on file. The Moat part of the Wheel Score is zero.
Returns on capital are high - ROIC 66.4%, ROE 66.4%, ROA 66.2% - with debt at 0.00 times equity and negative free cash flow.
The dividend yield is 2.53% at a payout ratio of 0%; for a wheel trader holding assigned shares the dividend adds to the covered-call premium, and the ex-dividend date is worth knowing before a call is sold.
Institutional ownership scores 9/10, insider activity 5/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 3 / 9 | ROIC | 66.4% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | - / 10 | ROE | 66.4% |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | ROA | 66.2% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 0.0% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 9 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 5 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 22: No options
No options are listed on The Korea Fund, Inc. in our nightly snapshot, so it fails the first Wheel Trade Filter (options that actually trade) (it reads 22, under 70) and is left out of every options scan; the fair value and health figures above are still useful for a plain stock position.
Volume runs at 9k shares a day on a market cap of $227M, with a beta of 1.72 - a high beta, so the stock tends to move more than the market and a strike can be gapped through; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that weak.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Fails | no listed options |
| 2 | A real business, not a gamble | Fails | a fund or note, not a company |
| 3 | Below fair value | Passes | Trading below the nine-model average fair value (margin of safety above 0) |
| 4 | Financially healthy | Fails | Piotroski 3/9 (under 6) |
| 5 | Can repay its debt | Passes | Long-term debt repaid from 3 years of operating cash flow or less (6 for real estate and utilities; banks and insurers are not judged on it) |
| 6 | No serious red flags | Passes | Red Flags score 60 or more out of 100 (earnings, margins, debt, analysts, filings and price checked the same way for every stock) |
| 7 | A premium worth selling | Fails | no implied volatility |
| 8 | Big enough | Fails | market cap $227M (under $1.0B) |
| 9 | Not a penny stock | Passes | Share price $5 or more |
| How it ranks | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Strong | 96% below fair value | |
| Premium | Weak | no option data | |
| Moat | Weak | no moat score | |
| Health | Weak | Piotroski 3/9 | |
| Red Flags | Fair | not scored yet - half marks | |
| Option trading | Weak | no option volume data | |
| Stability | Weak | beta 1.72, $227M company |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls: a stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to score 70, and the score then ranks the ones that pass; the Sunday Scan is the top 10. It is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. How the Wheel Score works · the walkthrough lesson shows how it fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for KF in the nightly calendar.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Asset Management
The 12 companies below are the closest to The Korea Fund, Inc. by market cap within the Asset Management industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| GLO Clough Global Opportunities Fund | 5.47 | 31.33 | +83% | 26No options | $234M |
| MMT Aberdeen Multi-Market Income Fund | 4.29 | 7.35 | +42% | 25No options | $235M |
| TRTFX T. Rowe Price Target Retirement 2060 Fund | 20.47 | - | - | 11No options | $218M |
| PVCMX Palm Valley Capital Fund Investor Class | 12.78 | 28.81 | +56% | 25No options | $217M |
| TDF Templeton Dragon Fund, Inc. | 9.45 | 38.61 | +76% | 26No options | $237M |
| RCS PIMCO Strategic Income Fund | 5.03 | 13.62 | +63% | 25No options | $238M |
| SAR Saratoga Investment Corp. | 13.90 | 32.50 | +57% | 41Weak | $216M |
| ACV Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund | 23.16 | 142.88 | +84% | 26No options | $241M |
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A free GLS Equity account gets you nightly fair value and the Wheel Score on ~7,400 US stocks, a watchlist, the scanner preview and the Sunday Scan - the top 10 stocks that pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters, emailed every week. Pro adds the full put and call scanners, unlimited watchlists with alerts and the trade journal.
Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about KF
Is KF undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 54.54 the stock is 96% below the average fair value of 1,344.67 (data as of 5 Nov 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of KF and what does it mean?
KF has no listed options in our nightly snapshot, so it cannot be wheeled; it fails the first Wheel Trade Filter (options that actually trade), stays under 70 and is shown as "No options".
What is the GLS fair value for KF?
1,344.67 per share as of 5 Nov 2026 - the simple average of the 7 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does The Korea Fund, Inc. report earnings next?
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for KF in our calendar as of 5 Nov 2026; the Calendars page is refreshed every morning.
Does KF have listed options, and how liquid are they?
No. The nightly options snapshot found no listed contracts on KF, so the wheel strategy cannot be run on it and the Wheel Score stays under 70.