Seoul: Retail investors have shown a strong interest in Samsung Electronics, purchasing stocks worth 2.33 trillion won (US$1.67 billion) since the U.S. presidential election, as reported by the country's main bourse on Sunday. Despite significant selloffs by foreign investors, individuals have engaged in bargain hunting for the chipmaker over eight trading sessions through November 15. According to Yonhap News Agency, foreign investors sold 2.48 trillion won worth of Samsung Electronics stocks during the same period. Samsung Electronics has faced a downward trend recently, reaching an over four-year low of 49,900 won last Thursday. Concerns about the potential elimination of chip incentives by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump have contributed to this decline. Additionally, disappointing earnings and a negative outlook for the global semiconductor industry under the new U.S. administration have also impacted Samsung's stock performance. The company has lagged behind its local competitor, SK hynix Inc., in t he high bandwidth memory (HBM) segment, where these chips play a crucial role in AI computing. Samsung Electronics' plans to supply its latest fifth-generation HBM3E products to AI chip leader Nvidia Corp. have been delayed due to quality issues. In response to these challenges, Samsung announced a 10 trillion-won share buyback plan on Friday, aiming to support its share price. Following the announcement, Samsung's stock rose by 7.21 percent, closing at 53,500 won. The company intends to cancel 3 trillion won of these shares within the next three months.