Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to Barron's, Nvidia stock closed near its May historic high on October 2, with the company defending the longevity of its AI processors against skeptics including investor Michael Burry. The stock closed at $233.95, just $1.79 below the May record of $235.74. Critics argue that major

South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS) reduced its stakes in Samsung Securities, Mirae Asset Securities, and Kiwoom Securities by over 1 percentage point each, according to mass shareholding reports submitted on the 3rd. The pension fund decreased Samsung Securities holdings from 13.41% to 12.

According to filings submitted on September 29, South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS) reduced its stakes in Samsung Securities, Mirae Asset Securities, and Kiwoom Securities by 1.05, 1.04, and 1.10 percentage points, respectively. Concurrently, NPS increased its holding in Daishin Securities

Elice Group will conduct a public IPO subscription on October 7 and 8. The AI full-stack company completed institutional demand forecasting from the 23rd of last month to the 1st of this month, with an offering price band set at 70,400-90,500 won. Mirae Asset Securities serves as the lead

Over 20 companies are preparing initial public offerings (IPOs) in South Korea's fourth quarter as securities firms compete for underwriting mandates. Daishin Securities is underwriting semiconductor equipment maker Melcon while Mirae Asset Securities handles Elice Group's offering targeting a 1

Korean brokerage stocks experienced a sharp decline in the second half after leading the KOSPI rally in the first half. The KRX Securities Index closed at 1790.06 on the 2nd, marking an 18.02% cumulative decline (393.60 points) in the second half. The downturn was driven by a 42% drop in

Korean stocks investors are increasingly adopting dollar-cost averaging strategies as the KOSPI crossed 7000 on October 2, closing at 7003.74 after volatile swings. The index reached 9114.55 on June 22 before dropping to 6838.04 on the 30th of last month—a 25% decline from its peak—then

Global private equity firms TPG, Carlyle, and Affinity Equity Partners have acquired major stakes in Korean rental companies, with TPG expected to complete its 1.3105 trillion won purchase of Lotte Rental's 61.2% controlling stake this month, following Carlyle's 1 trillion won acquisition of

According to South Korea's financial investment industry, more than 20 companies are set to debut on the exchange in Q4 2026, with 17 scheduled through October to year-end on Kosdaq. This represents the year's most intense IPO competition period as companies that delayed listings in the first half m

According to multiple brokerages, South Korea's KOSPI index is expected to trade between 6,500–7,500 this week (Oct 5–8), with gains capped by rising U.S. Treasury yields. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield has climbed above 5.3%, marking its highest level in 24 years, pressuring regional equities

According to KRX data, the KRX Securities Index closed at 1790.06 on October 2, with a cumulative decline of 18.02% (393.60 points) in the second half of 2026. Average daily trading value in Q3 dropped 42% to 52.4 trillion Korean won from the previous quarter, significantly pressuring brokerage

According to investment banking sources, global private equity firm TPG will complete its acquisition of a 61.2% stake in South Korea's Lotte Rental this month for approximately 1.3 trillion won. The transaction follows Carlyle's June acquisition of Chungho Nais for 1 trillion won, marking a wave of

According to Benzinga's report citing Andreessen Horowitz's September 2026 market report, tech stocks have risen 22.1% year-to-date while earnings per share grew 55.7%, but valuations contracted 21.6%. The data challenges the narrative of an AI bubble, as earnings growth is outpacing stock price

Ellis Group confirmed its offering price on the 6th and began subscription on the 7th-8th, marking the busiest IPO week in Korea's October calendar despite holidays on the 5th (substitute holiday) and 9th (Hangeul Day). The AI education and cloud service provider offered 2.222 million shares at a pr

South Korea's financial system will implement a token securities system in February, enabling stocks, bonds, and funds to be issued and managed using blockchain technology. The new framework expands the scope of tokenized financial products beyond fractional investments in assets like art and real e

South Korea will officially implement its securities tokenization system in February 2027, according to regulatory announcements, enabling stocks, bonds, and funds to be issued and managed using blockchain technology. The tokenized securities will retain their original nature and remain subject to c

According to Digital Daily, SK Hynix shares traded on October 2 at a significant premium on Nasdaq compared to the domestic Korean market. The semiconductor company's American Depositary Shares (ADS) converted to approximately 2.63 million Korean

According to Guru Club, Iran's central bank injected $2 billion on Saturday, Oct 4, to support the rial amid U.S. sanctions and maritime blockade pressures. The Iranian national television reported that state-owned banks have begun selling up to $2 billion to defend the currency. According to bon-ba

The dollar index (DXY) dropped 0.1% to 101.88 on Friday (Oct 2), yet extended gains for a third consecutive week as support from elevated U.S. Treasury yields and hawkish Federal Reserve expectations offset some dollar weakness. The 10-year Treasury yield recovered to 5.285% following September

KB Securities analyst Im Jae-gyun forecasted that South Korean interest rates will stabilize downward by year-end as the three factors that drove first-half rate increases have largely been exhausted. In a report released on October 4, Im identified growth expectations, inflation concerns, and