Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Samsung SDI announced on the 21st that it will sell 13,088,235 shares of Samsung Display to Samsung Display itself for 4.4499 trillion won, reducing its stake from 15.22% to 10.22%. The transaction is designed to secure investment funds for future growth initiatives. The move comes as Samsung SDI

Korean stocks closed mixed on the 21st as the KOSPI rose 0.88% to 6,912.95 while the KOSDAQ fell 4.63% to 801.94. The divergence occurred as expectations for large-scale shareholder returns from Samsung Electronics offset pressure from rebounding US Treasury yields. Securities firms observed that Sa

From 07:15 to 07:30 (UTC) on August 21, 2026, BTC rose 0.58% over 15 minutes, trading within a range of 75,936.3–76,917.0 USDT, with an amplitude of 1.29%. Over the past 24 hours, BTC rebounded from a low of $69,231 to a high of $75,783, a gain of 7.91%, before falling 0.92% to around $74,435 in the most recent 1-hour candle. Volatility intensified significantly, and market attention increased rapidly. The primary drivers of this move were the dual shocks of a sharp escalation in the US-Iran con

According to Jin10 Futures, as of August 21, Dalian Commodity Exchange chemical futures warehouse receipts showed the following movements: polyethylene (PE) 4,343 contracts, unchanged day-over-day; polyvinyl chloride (PVC) 121,011 contracts, down 34 contracts; polypropylene (PP) 27,696 contracts,

According to the Shanghai Futures Exchange, warehouse inventories for key commodities shifted this week: copper rose 19,817 tons, aluminum fell 18,300 tons, zinc increased 1,181 tons, lead dropped 209 tons, nickel declined 771 tons, tin gained 56 tons, and natural rubber decreased 5,716 tons.

Korea Investment & Securities forecasts the Bank of Korea will raise its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points at the monetary policy committee meeting on the 27th, marking a second consecutive hike following July's increase. Analyst Ahn Jae-kyun released the projection on the 21st, citing the

According to Bloomberg, on August 21, the Korean won surged to 1,380.35 per U.S. dollar, marking a 1% intraday gain, driven by expectations that Samsung Electronics would soon announce a record 100 trillion won shareholder return package. SK Hynix previously disclosed a 40 trillion won share

According to MP Doctor, the KRW/USD exchange rate closed at 1,386.5 won on August 21, declining 6.1 won from the previous trading day and marking a new yearly low.

According to Korea Investment Securities, the Bank of Korea's Financial Policy Committee is expected to raise the base rate by 25 basis points on August 27, marking a second consecutive hike following July's decision. The research firm predicts the revised economic forecast will raise this year's

According to Samsung SDI disclosure on August 21, the company disposes 13.09 million Samsung Display shares for approximately 4.45 trillion won, or 340,000 won per share. The transaction will be completed through Samsung Display's share buyback program, with settlement scheduled for August 27. Samsu

Korean stock market analysts project sector rotation as KOSPI companies' earnings momentum shifts beyond semiconductors following Q2 results. Choi Jae-won, Kiwoom Securities researcher, stated on the 21st that profit outlook for transportation, IT hardware, construction, and machinery sectors

South Korean stocks closed mixed on August 21, with the KOSPI index rising 0.88% to 6912.95 despite widespread declines across the broader market, powered by gains in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The semiconductor-driven rally masked underlying weakness, as 683 stocks fell versus 193 gainers on

According to Shanghai Gold Exchange, gold T+D (futures) closed up 1.81% to 984.0 yuan per gram on August 21 (Friday). Silver T+D closed up 3.49% to 16,730 yuan per kilogram on the same day.

According to Thailand's central bank, the country's international reserves reached $280.9 billion on August 14, up from $280.6 billion on August 7.

According to Kiwoom Securities, on August 21, South Korean securities analysts noted that sector rotation is underway as transportation, IT hardware, construction, and machinery earnings outlooks improve significantly in Q3. Transportation earnings projections rose 25.5 percentage points in recent w

According to Morgan Stanley's Aug. 20 report, gold has reached its Q4 target price of $4,450 per ounce. Gold-backed ETFs saw net inflows of 70 tons from July through August, reversing a 93-ton outflow in the prior two months, as declining Federal Reserve rate hike expectations supported prices.

Germany's manufacturing sector showed stronger-than-expected expansion in August, with the PMI initial reading reaching 54.1, surpassing consensus forecasts of 52.1 and rising from July's 52.2, signaling renewed momentum in industrial

Germany's Composite PMI preliminary reading for August came in at 51, falling short of the expected 51.3 and down from July's 51.3.

Germany's manufacturing PMI came in at 54.1 in August, exceeding the expected 52 and rising from July's 52.2, according to initial readings. The uptick signals stronger manufacturing activity in Europe's largest

Germany's service sector PMI came in at 48.5 in August, falling short of expectations of 50.1 and declining from the prior reading of 49.8.