Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Korean retail investors are shifting capital from domestic Korean stocks to US equities, with net purchases of US stocks surging to $2.53 billion during 1-23일 (query date basis) — four times the prior month's $632.96 million, according to data from the Korea Financial Investment Association and Kore

According to the Korea Exchange, Mirae Asset's TIGER S&P 500 ETF attracted the most net inflows among U.S. stock ETFs during July 16-23, 2026, pulling in 139.5 billion won (approximately $107 million USD) from retail investors. U.S. benchmark index ETFs and covered call products dominated capital in

According to the Financial Investment Association of Korea and Korea Securities Depository, South Korean retail investors' net purchases of U.S. stocks surged four-fold this month compared to June. As of July 23, investor deposits totaled 104.2975 trillion Korean won, reflecting renewed appetite

According to Yonhapnews, the Dow Jones 30 Industrial Average rose 235.60 points (0.46%) to 51,947.25 on July 24 (local time), as weakness in semiconductor stocks offset gains from a six-day oil price decline. The market showed mixed performance across indices amid diverging sector

According to Korea Securities Computing, individual investors' funds have been flowing into covered call ETFs in recent weeks as domestic stock market volatility increases. These products, which limit upside gains in bull markets but provide steady income and downside protection, have regained inves

According to CNBC, President Trump announced on Friday (July 24) that his administration would launch a trade investigation against the European Union, targeting the removal of major fines issued to American tech companies and threatening to impose "high" tariffs on the bloc. Trump's statement

According to Zhitong Finance, Hang Seng Index ADR closed at 24987.23 points on Friday (July 25), up 0.10%. Among large-cap blue chips, HSBC closed at 162.182 Hong Kong dollars, up 0.48%, while Tencent closed at 435.884 Hong Kong dollars, up 0.30%.

According to ChoiceFinance APP, Hang Seng Index futures (July contract) closed at 25,020 points on July 25, up 54 points or 0.216%, trading at a 57-point premium. Open interest totaled 120,460 contracts, down 14,276 contracts.

Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Daewoo Engineering & Construction, two South Korean stocks recognized as nuclear power plays this year, saw target price downgrades from multiple securities firms in the recent month. The downgrades reflect delayed timelines for anticipated nuclear plant

According to consensus data from Yonhap Infomax, target prices for South Korean construction firms Hyundai E&C and Daewoo E&C have been downward revised over the past month, reflecting delayed expectations for nuclear power plant contracts. Hyundai E&C's target price range fell from 180,000–231,000

According to Moody's, on July 24, unprecedented artificial intelligence infrastructure investments by major technology companies threaten their credit ratings by worsening free cash flows and straining financial health. The rating agency cited Oracle and CoreWeave as facing heightened pressure,

Korean individual investors are channeling funds into covered call exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as domestic stock market volatility intensifies, according to data from KOSCOM ETF CHECK. During the recent one-month period when the KOSPI index fell more than 21%, covered call ETFs delivered returns ex

Alphabet raised its capital expenditure guidance to $195 billion–$205 billion, citing sustained cloud and AI demand that outpaces current computing capacity. Google Cloud's Q2 revenue surged 82% year-over-year to $24.8 billion, with operating margin reaching 35.6% and order backlog expanding to $514

According to Koscom ETF CHECK data, covered call exchange-traded funds have attracted significant retail investor inflows over the past month as South Korea's KOSPI index fell over 21% amid heightened market volatility. RISE 200 High Dividend Covered Call ATM led gains with a 23.17% return,

According to Edaily, Alphabet raised its 2026 capital expenditure guidance to $195-205 billion on July 24, increasing by up to $15 billion from its prior guidance of $180-190 billion. The company cited strong demand for cloud and AI services that outpaces current computing supply capacity. Google

The US dollar rose slightly on July 24, showing a V-shaped movement as it tracked international oil price fluctuations amid evolving US-Iran tensions. The euro ultimately turned lower as crude oil pared losses and President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on the European Union. According to Yonhap I

Mirae Asset Securities raised its target price for LS Electric stocks by over 20% to 280,000 won from 230,000 won on May 26, maintaining a 'buy' rating and citing continued hyperscaler investment in AI and data center infrastructure. The revision, based on an upward adjustment of the company's 2028

According to Mirae Asset Securities, on July 26, the brokerage upgraded LS Electric's price target to 2.8 million won from 2.3 million won, maintaining a buy rating. The target implies over 25% upside from July 23's closing price of 2.235 million won. The move reflects stronger-than-expected

According to financial industry sources, South Korea's stock market triggered circuit breaker mechanisms (side car) on all five trading days of the week of July 20-24, marking an unusual volatility pattern where both sell-side and buy-side circuit breakers activated intermittently. On Friday, July 2

According to CCTV, on July 24, two small U.S. enterprises filed lawsuits against the International Trade Court, challenging tariff hikes of 10%-12.5% imposed on dozens of countries under the pretense of combating forced labor. The plaintiffs argued that the government