Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to a Deutsche Bank report on August 19, recent U.S. currency intervention to support the Japanese yen proved ineffective, with the dollar-yen exchange rate quickly reversing earlier gains. The rate fell from 160 yen per dollar to 155 before rebounding to around 159, as large market flows o

According to market data, China's A-share humanoid robot sector declined in afternoon trading on August 19, with over 10 stocks including Juyuan Intelligent, Wuzhou Chunyuan, Qinchuan Machine Tool, and Meihu Co. hitting daily lows.

According to Odaily, Yuanshangtech's A-share price gains narrowed to 486% in afternoon trading on August 19, reaching 883.85 yuan. The company's contract price on trade.xyz was quoted at $123.63.

According to PPP prediction market tool, a profitable on-chain account (0xfbe66593e49c4e7a7180a2582f041158bfb800f8) purchased $278,000 worth of "no change" positions on Polymarket's Federal Reserve September rate decision market ahead of the upcoming FOMC meeting. The account established positions a

According to HSBC, the bank's analysts upgraded South Korean equities to overweight from neutral on Aug 19. HSBC's Asia-Pacific equity strategy head Herald van der Linde said the recent market pullback cleared excess leverage in the region. The bank noted volatility remains elevated but has

According to the Japan Petroleum Association (PAJ), Japan's commercial crude oil inventory as of Aug 15 reached 11.7053 million kiloliters, up 276,523 kiloliters from 11.4288 million kiloliters the prior week. Refinery operating capacity utilization (BPSD) stood at 80.10%, down from 81.60% the

According to Smart Finance, China Resources Beer (00291) will distribute an interim dividend of HK$0.516 per share on October 21, 2026, for the six-month period ended June 30, 2026.

According to Hengan International (01044), the company will distribute an interim dividend of HKD 0.8087 per share on October 9, 2026, for the six-month period ended June 30, 2026.

According to E-Daily on August 19, South Korean individual investors poured a record 1.1152 trillion won (approximately $850 million USD equivalent) into U.S. index ETFs over the past month, with TIGER S&P 500, KODEX Nasdaq-100, and KODEX S&P 500 claiming the top three positions in retail net

According to the National Assembly Research Service report on August 19, single-stock leveraged ETF trading volumes fell 89% after minimum deposit requirements were raised from 10 million to 30 million won in late July. Average daily trading value for 16 single-stock leveraged and inverse ETF

According to Edaily, on August 19, individual investors in South Korea are increasingly turning to U.S. equity ETFs as an alternative to volatile domestic stocks. U.S. index-tracking ETFs are attracting substantial inflows due to their relatively lower volatility and suitability for long-term invest

According to Jin10, analysts at Danske Bank expect the Federal Reserve to raise rates twice, in December 2026 and March 2027, with the key policy rate rising to 4.00%-4.25%. Market pricing currently reflects expectations of a 23 basis point hike in December and a cumulative 33 basis point increase b

On August 18, 2026, the U.S.-Iran standoff escalated dramatically. U.S. President Trump posted a map on social media labeling the Strait of Hormuz as “America’s new territory.” Four days earlier, Trump had previewed the move, saying, “Soon I will announce the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. territory,” and adding, “This is real.” Iran’s Fars News Agency immediately dismissed the claim as “delusional,” responding that “Trump continues to claim in his delusion that ‘the Strait of Hormuz is U.S. territory

According to Iraq government statement, Iraq approved a new crude oil export mechanism allowing exports through multiple ports via professional international and local companies on August 18. The contracts under the new mechanism will take effect from September 1 and last for three

According to its interim earnings report, Hengan International (01044) posted revenue of RMB110.91 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2026, down 6.1% year-over-year, with net profit attributable to shareholders declining 8.7% to RMB12.54 billion. Gross margin improved to 35.3%, up 3

Abstract: This piece analyzes how persistently higher Treasury yields—driven by inflation, mounting deficits, and heavy debt issuance—raise refinancing costs while demand for Treasuries remains resilient, with implications for stock valuations and future debt financing. Summary: Treasury yields hit multi-year highs (10-year 4.683%, 30-year 5.216%) as deficits widen and debt grows; yet demand for Treasuries endures, raising refinancing costs and shaping equity valuations and future debt issuance.

Individual investors poured 532.5 billion won into Samsung Asset Management's KODEX 머니마켓액티브 ETF since early this year, making it the top parking-type ETF by individual net purchases amid ongoing stock market volatility. The fund's net assets grew by approximately 1.248 trillion won to reach 7.977 trillion won, the largest among parking-type ETFs, according to Samsung Asset Management on the 19th. Investors are seeking stable short-term investment vehicles while Korean stock market direction rema

According to Samsung Asset Management on August 19, KODEX Money Market Active ETF recorded 532.5 billion won in cumulative net individual purchases, leading parking-type ETFs. Its net assets increased 124.8 billion won to reach 797.74 billion won, marking the largest scale in the category.

According to Jin10 and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, on the week ending August 11, hedge funds increased net short positions in Swiss francs to near two-month highs while cutting yen shorts for a second straight week. Market participants are shifting from yen-funded carry trades to

According to Bank of America's August global fund manager survey, 24% net of respondents increased their commodities positioning above neutral levels, marking higher allocation than the prior month. On gold specifically, 16% of respondents perceive it as undervalued, up from 6% in July and the