Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on the 20th (US Eastern Time) that the United States will implement what he described as the largest coordinated economic isolation in world history targeting Iran, triggering a surge in international oil prices. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for S

According to Yonhapinfomax, crude oil prices surged over 2% on August 20 (U.S. Eastern time) after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced plans to impose sweeping economic sanctions on Iran. September WTI crude rose 2.33% to $87.83 per barrel, while October Brent crude climbed 2.36% to $93.

Stanley Druckenmiller's Duquesne Family Office completely exited its Broadcom position and opened a $120 million stake in Alphabet during Q2 2026, according to 13F filings. The billionaire macro investor established approximately 336,300 Class A Alphabet shares in the same quarter that Warren

According to Korea Economic Daily, JYP Entertainment's stock declined 24.62% since early July, falling to 40,100 Korean won on August 19 from 53,200 won on July 1. The broader entertainment sector recovered during the period, with competitor SM Entertainment gaining 1.77% and YG Entertainment

According to Deutsche Bank strategists, Japan's currency intervention in April and May consumed more than half of its Treasury bill holdings. The decline in Treasury bill holdings in June was attributed to Japan rebuilding dollar deposits in the Federal Reserve's foreign reverse repurchase

According to U.S. Federal Reserve data, as of August 19, foreign central banks and monetary authorities held $373 billion in the Fed's reverse repurchase agreement (RRP) facility, up from $357 billion one week prior. Since August 5, the balance has increased by approximately $56 billion, marking the

Brazil's Central Bank announced on August 21 it will not hold a foreign exchange swap rollover auction, according to its official statement.

According to Walmart's official statement on August 20, the U.S. retail giant's U.S. sales growth for the second quarter (May–July) reached 5.9% year-over-year, marking its lowest level in six years. The company's stock declined over 9% following the results. Global e-commerce sales surged 23%,

According to News1, after South Korea's financial regulator implemented restrictions on single-stock leveraged ETFs on July 31, investor trading patterns shifted significantly. Over 13 trading days following the regulation (July 31–August 19), 2x leveraged ETF trading share fell to 4.3% from 7.4%

According to Axios, on August 20, the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury Department adopted contrasting approaches amid surging long-term Treasury yields. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh emphasized the market's price discovery function and sought to reduce intervention, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent e

According to Chosun Biz, on August 20, a four-year management rights dispute at Kosdaq-listed Benewoo involving super-investor Jin-han Bae of Noblesse Investment and founder Man-jin Kim has concluded. Bae, who began acquiring Benewoo shares in 2022, has repeatedly sought management participation

Korean company owners and executives increased personal purchases of their own company stocks as the market experienced sharp fluctuations in recent months. According to the Financial Supervisory Service's electronic disclosure system on the 21st, cases where chairmen, CEOs, and presidents

US semiconductor firms Micron and SanDisk announced expanded shareholder return policies in June and on August 13 respectively, triggering significant stock price increases, while Korean chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix faced criticism for lacking concrete return plans. Micron's Chief

According to Financial Supervisory Service data released on August 21, personal stock purchases by company chairs, CEOs, and presidents in South Korea increased sharply in June and July, with 11 cases in June and 13 in July, compared to single-digit figures in prior months. SK Chairman Chey

SpaceX (SPCX) saw 319 million shares held by employees and early investors released from trading restrictions on August 20, marking the second tranche of the company's staggered post-IPO lockup expiry schedule. This unlock follows the first tranche on August 6, when more than 911 million shares

According to Economist, U.S. semiconductor company Micron announced in June an expanded shareholder return plan committing to distribute all free cash flow to shareholders, with Micron CFO Mark Murphy citing the full commitment. Between August 1 and 14, Micron's stock price surged 18.05%.

According to Bloomberg, Anthropic is preparing for a public debut as early as late August, aiming to raise $75 billion to $86.2 billion, matching or surpassing SpaceX's record offering which expanded to $86.2 billion through overallotments. The AI company reported second-quarter revenue of $11.5 bil

According to Korea Credit Rating, SK Hynix announced on August 20 plans to repurchase and cancel 40 trillion won worth of shares, while increasing shareholder returns to 50% or more of cumulative free cash flow (FCF) between 2025 and 2027, up from the previous 50% threshold. The company may pursue a

SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics stocks rebounded sharply on the 20th following SK Hynix's announcement of a large-scale treasury stock buyback and cancellation program. The rally came after domestic semiconductor large-cap stocks had been shaken by a surge in US long-term Treasury yields. The buyba

According to SpotGamma founder Brent Kochuba, SpaceX (SPCX) stock experienced new volatility on August 20, when 319 million shares held by employees and early investors became eligible for trading as the second tranche of the post-IPO lockup expiry schedule. At the time of reporting, SPCX shares