Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Retail investors in South Korea suffered significant losses as extreme stock market volatility decimated portfolios, including funds earmarked for apartment down payments. In May, a 30-year-old investor identified as 'A' invested 50 million won from his apartment down payment into domestic stocks, t

According to Daishin Securities and Shinhan Investment & Securities, South Korean investment firms cut their KOSPI year-end targets on August 3 and 4 amid rising inflation concerns and interest rate hikes. Daishin lowered its target from 11,500 to 9,300, citing downward valuation adjustments

Nasdaq futures declined over 0.2% while Dow futures gained over 0.2% during early Asian trading Wednesday (August 5).

Silver declined 0.5% during early Asia-Pacific trading on Wednesday, trading at $59.77 per ounce.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on August 4 that falling energy prices have eased concerns over excessive yen depreciation, which will help inflation decline and put the yen on a positive trajectory.

International oil prices plunged for a second consecutive day on the 4th (US Eastern time) as expectations grew that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen as early as this week. The decline came amid signs that military tensions between the United States and Iran were entering a lull. West Texas

According to CNBC, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on August 4 that the U.S. and Iran could reach an agreement as soon as today or tomorrow to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and normalize relations following the pause in U.S.-Iran military tensions. WTI crude for September delivery

According to the Financial Supervisory Service's electronic disclosure system, South Korea's National Pension Service adjusted its portfolio on August 4, adding positions in Celltrion, SK Telecom, and Samyang Foods. The move reflects a shift toward less volatile equities as the KOSPI index (South Ko

According to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on Tuesday, August 4, the yen rebounded against the dollar to 157.76, but remained significantly above the 40-year low of 164 touched before the U.S. and Japan jointly intervened in the currency market last week. The dollar index, tracking the

Samsung Electronics posted Q2 revenue of 171.4995 trillion won and operating profit of 89.4924 trillion won, beating consensus by over 6%. The stock fell three days from May 28-30, then surged 20%-plus on June 1 after China equipment news and SK Hynix results. Samsung Electronics has 4.61 million

Over three consecutive trading sessions, South Korea's KOSDAQ index surged 5.9% as leverage trading volume on individual stocks plummeted more than 90% following regulatory restrictions. Capital previously concentrated in mega-cap stocks such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix has shifted toward

BlackRock plans to implement a one-for-three reverse share split for its Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA) on Oct. 6, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The split will consolidate every three ETHA shares into one, increasing the fund's per-share net asset value without c

According to Korea Exchange, the KOSDAQ listing maintenance threshold increased to 20 billion won as of July 1, marking a significant tightening of listing standards. Following the threshold adjustment, management stocks—shares of companies at risk of delisting—surged approximately 17-fold within a

Over the past month, Korean semiconductor stocks have declined more sharply than their U.S. counterparts, according to market data. Korean shares failed to match U.S. semiconductor gains during upswings and suffered larger losses during downturns, with some trading days showing opposite

According to Jin10, the Trump administration has paid approximately $100 billion in tariff refunds as of Tuesday (August 3), which represents 60% of the $165 billion total collected under the "Liberation Day" tariffs. U.S. customs officials reported the figure to a judge at the U.S. International Tr

According to Kitco, spot gold traded at $4,058.90, up 0.11%, while spot silver surged to $59.150, up 1.86% in early U.S. trading Tuesday (Aug 4). Traders balanced a firmer dollar and rising Treasury yields against uncertainty around the Federal Reserve's new operating approach and continued

According to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iranian officials, negotiations on reopening the Strait of Hormuz are advancing. As of August 4, the U.S. military has rerouted 45 commercial vessels and disabled 2 others to enforce maritime compliance, according to U.S. Central Command. Iranian

South Korean retail investors saw trading volumes of overseas single-stock leveraged ETFs plummet after July 31, when financial regulators implemented new minimum deposit requirements. The Financial Services Commission raised the cash deposit threshold from 10 million won (including available

According to News1, on July 31, South Korea's Financial Services Commission raised minimum deposit requirements for single-stock leveraged ETFs to 30 million won in cash, applying the rule uniformly to both domestic and overseas products. The move triggered a sharp drop in foreign-listed leveraged e

According to the Financial Investment Association, on Aug 4, South Korean retail investors' margin trading balance fell to 27.44 trillion won, marking a sharp retreat as the KOSPI index crashed roughly 40% from its one-month peak. The data reflects widening caution among individual traders who had l