Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to Yonhap Infomax, on August 31, the USD/KRW exchange rate fell to 1,368.60 won, marking its lowest level in 13 months. The decline was driven by month-end supply dynamics, with exporters actively selling dollars and foreign funds from the World Government Bond Index (WGBI) flowing into th

According to Yonhap Infomax, FX swap points across all tenors declined on August 31, with the 1-year tenor falling 0.70 won to -8.50 won from opening. The 6-month tenor closed at -4.10 won and the 3-month at -1.80 won, while the 1-month ended at -0.55 won. The broader decline followed Fed Chair

Private equity funds increased their presence in Korean stocks as individual and foreign investors reduced trading activity. Through August 28, private investment funds' daily average trading volume ratio in KOSPI reached 1.89% in August, according to Korea Exchange data. Individual investors' daily

Japanese stock indices showed mixed performance on August 31, with the Nikkei 225 declining 0.14% while the Topix rose 0.23%, as semiconductor and AI-related stocks rallied after initial weakness triggered by U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's hawkish speech at the Jackson Hole conference on t

According to Korea Exchange data through August 28, private equity funds' share of KOSPI average daily trading volume surged to 1.9% in August, up from 1.1% in February. The increase reflects reduced participation from individual investors, whose average daily trading volume halved from 35.5

According to Barron's, the S&P 500 rose just 0.5% this week, with the index nearly flat over the past three weeks. However, the benchmark is maintaining a strong 22% gain over the past five months. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's Friday speech at Jackson Hole signaled potential rate increases a

According to Yonhap Infomax, Japan's Nikkei 225 index closed down 93.63 points (-0.14%) at 66,311.93 on August 31, amid mixed trading driven by semiconductor-related strength. The TOPIX index rose 9.58 points (+0.23%) to 4,156.29. Both benchmarks opened lower following U.S. Federal Reserve Chair

According to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, as of July 31, 2026, the Exchange Fund's total assets stood at HK$44,037 billion, down HK$599 billion from June 30. Hong Kong dollar assets decreased by HK$772 billion, while foreign currency assets increased by HK$173 billion.

According to Jin10, China Pacific Insurance's vice president Cai Zhiwei stated at the company's mid-2026 earnings conference that the insurer's 2021 investment in Longsemicon has delivered returns exceeding 20 times based on the stock's closing price on its July 27 IPO debut on the Shanghai STAR

Elon Musk confirmed over the weekend that long-promised projects across SpaceX and Tesla are taking physical form. ARK Invest analysis suggested Terafab's eventual cost could surpass the entire U.S. Interstate Highway System, with ARK estimating eventual capacity could require $1 trillion versus the

According to BlockBeats, on August 31, the U.S. August nonfarm employment report, scheduled for release on September 4, will be a key driver for crypto markets in early September. The report is expected to show payroll additions

South Korean asset management firms are launching ETF products with near-identical portfolio compositions and investment strategies, according to Korea Exchange data. The number of domestic listed ETFs reached 1,163, nearly doubling from 533 in 2021, with approximately 120 new products introduced th

According to ARK Invest analysis, Tesla and SpaceX's Terafab semiconductor project could eventually require up to $1 trillion in investment, exceeding the inflation-adjusted $704 billion cost of America's Interstate Highway System. The two companies plan an initial $16.8 billion investment with

According to Korea Exchange data released on August 31, South Korea's listed ETF count has more than doubled to 1,163 from 533 since 2021, with asset managers launching 120 new products this year alone amid intensifying competition. Industry observers note that copycat strategies have become

According to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, deposits held by licensed institutions in Hong Kong rose 0.9% in July 2026, with both Hong Kong dollar and foreign currency deposits each increasing 0.9%. Year-to-date through July, total deposits grew 5.8%, while Hong Kong dollar deposits rose 6.2%. H

According to ICE data, Dutch wholesale natural gas prices rose 5.1% recently to €70.10 per megawatt-hour, marking the highest level since March 19.

WTI crude oil and Brent crude oil both rose more than 3% intraday on August 31, trading at $85.25 per barrel and $90.62 per barrel, respectively.

According to Yonhap Infomax, SK Ecoplant signed a stock purchase agreement with the Deoshan Consortium on August 31 to divest its entire 35.62% stake in SK Ocean Plant for approximately 410 billion won. The company will use proceeds to strengthen its semiconductor and AI infrastructure solution

Gate News reports that, according to an official Gate announcement, Gate will launch futures trading for JD (Jingdong), BTGO (BitGo), RDDT (Reddit), SLV (iShares Silver Trust), ORCL (Oracle Corporation), and AMZN (Amazon) at 18:00 (UTC+8) on August 31, 2026, supporting 1x–20x leverage for both long and short positions. Copy Trading and Bots services for the aforementioned perpetual contracts will be available within one hour of launch. JD is a leading supply-chain-based retail company founded in

Nexttrade (NXT), South Korea's pre-market trading platform, will implement enhanced volatility interruption (VI) mechanisms starting September 14 to prevent abnormal price fluctuations caused by small-volume orders, following incidents where SK Hynix stocks opened at lower circuit limits. The new st