Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries received a 33.3% target price upgrade to 1 million won from Shinhan Securities on the 20th. The upgrade followed recent data center power engine orders worth approximately 1.6 trillion won, reflecting expansion beyond core shipbuilding into high-value-added business. The

Korean stocks experienced sector rotation on August 19 as construction, defense, renewable energy, and biotech shares gained while semiconductor giants tumbled. The KOSPI index fell 5.80% to 6471.17 after the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index dropped 5% overnight, with Samsung Electronics

Korean high-dividend ETFs recovered to 8.0841 trillion won in net assets as of the previous day, rebounding this month after a mid-year decline. The recovery follows rising global long-term government bond yields and increased stock market volatility, which shifted investor preference toward

Korean stock market retail investors reduced trading activity sharply during August 3-19, with KOSPI's average daily trading volume falling to 26.1942 trillion won — the lowest level recorded this year. The decline follows KOSPI's 5.80% drop on the 19th to 6471.17 and KOSDAQ's 1.17% fall to 824.46.

According to Shinyang Securities, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries received a target price increase to 1 million won on August 20, representing a 33.3% upward revision, with an maintained 'buy' rating. The upgrade reflects recent orders for onshore data center power generation engines, bringing total

According to Korea Exchange data as of August 19, South Korea's high-dividend exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recovered their combined net assets to 8.08 trillion won this month, rebounding from 7.78 trillion won at the end of July. The asset class had peaked at 9.30 trillion won in late April before d

Gold recently broke through the resistance level at 4400.00, a former support zone from May that had been reversing prices from June. The breakout occurred at the intersection with the 50% Fibonacci correction of the downward

According to BlockBeats, on Wednesday (August 20), cryptocurrency-related stocks surged as Bitcoin approached $70,000, with Microstrategy (MSTR) rising 11.95% to $103.58, Coinbase (COIN) up 9.05% to $159.47, Circle (CRCL) gaining 9.44% to $78.50, and BitMine (BMNR) climbing 9.68% to $20.05. The

According to BlockBeats, on August 20, President Trump criticized the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy on Wednesday, stating that even as economic data improves, the central bank should not block rate cuts. Trump called for significantly lower interest rates, noting the U.S. currently pays

WTI and Brent crude oil futures rose on August 19 (US Eastern Time), with September WTI gaining $0.89 (1.05%) to close at $85.83 per barrel and October Brent advancing $0.60 (0.66%) to $91.62 per barrel. The increases followed escalating Middle East tensions as the United Arab Emirates suspended

Webull (BULL) reported Q2 revenue of $198.8 million on Wednesday, surpassing analyst estimates of $165.71 million, and posted earnings of $0.04 per share compared to a loss of $1.20 per share in the same quarter last year. The stockbroking firm's results were driven by a 66% year-on-year increase in

According to CME FedWatch, the Federal Reserve has a 67.3% probability of keeping interest rates unchanged in September, with a 32.7% probability of a 25 basis point increase. For October, the Fed has a 58.3% probability of maintaining current rates, versus a 37.3% chance of a 25 basis point hike an

According to Yonhap Infomax, on August 19 (U.S. Eastern time), WTI crude oil for September delivery rose $0.89, or 1.05%, to close at $85.83 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for October delivery gained $0.60, or 0.66%, to $91.62 per barrel. Middle East geopolitical

Webull (BULL) share price surged 11% after-hours on Wednesday after the stockbroking firm reported strong Q2 earnings, according to Stocktwits. Q2 revenue reached $198.8 million, exceeding estimates of $165.71 million, while the company reported earnings of $0.04 per share compared to a loss of $1.2

According to Barron's, Micron Technology's NAND flash memory market share rose to 15.1% in the second quarter, advancing the company to third globally behind Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, surpassing Japan's Kioxia. The memory chipmaker's stock fell 0.4% to $937.11 on Wednesday, Aug 19,

According to Michael Peterson, CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, U.S. national debt has become a focal point ahead of the 2026 mid-term elections. On August 20, Peterson stated that interest payments on the nation's debt now exceed defense spending, with each additional trillion dollars in de

According to Yonhapinfomax, President Donald Trump warned Iran on August 19 of "draconian" sanctions measures, stating at the White House: "We have very harsh sanctions tools available, and we'll see what happens." Trump claimed the U.S. naval blockade of Iran has been "100% successful" with no

According to iShares Silver Trust data, the world's largest silver ETF reduced its holdings by 67.46 tons yesterday, bringing total holdings to 15,275.59 tons.

According to MarketWatch, Google expanded its artificial intelligence chip collaboration with Marvell on Wednesday (Aug 19), acquiring warrants to purchase up to 58.97 million Marvell shares. The agreement covers customized chips for Google's tensor processing units (TPUs) including AI

US federal government debt exceeded $40 trillion for the first time, according to Treasury Department data released on local time May 19. The milestone came just hours after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced measures to address elevated long-term interest rates, a major factor driving debt