Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to Jin10, on August 18, two-week CNH HIBOR fell to 1.43030%, marking a fresh three-week low. Overnight HIBOR rose 6 basis points to 1.43303%, hitting a three-week high, while one-week HIBOR retreated to 1.42879% and one-year HIBOR edged down to 1.70000%.

According to CNBC host Jim Cramer on August 17, memory chip stocks have surged significantly this year. SanDisk (SNDK) has jumped 653%, Seagate Technology (STX) rose 261%, Micron Technology (MU) climbed 254%, and Western Digital (WDC) gained 211% year-to-date. Cramer noted that major chipmakers

The Bank of Korea's monetary policy decisions may face a new critical variable as the Korean won has appreciated sharply since July, according to Barclays analysis. The won's strength could lower import prices and financial stability risks while weakening the central bank's gross domestic income

According to Odaily, Zhipu (02513.HK) dropped nearly 17% on August 18, touching a low of 1000 Hong Kong dollars. Trading volume exceeded 6.6 billion Hong Kong dollars.

The U.S. 30-year Treasury yield rose to 5.28% on Aug. 17 and broke above 5.3% on Aug. 18. Nohshad Shah, head of EMEA fixed-income sales at Citadel Securities, stated in the latest client report that, against a backdrop of inflation remaining above target for an extended period, the Fed remains reluctant to tighten monetary policy further. This has kept long-term U.S. Treasury yields near their highest level in nearly 20 years and put pressure on broader markets. Four Core Warnings in the Citadel

Gate News reports that, based on publicly disclosed information as of August 19, 2026, UNITREE (Unitree Robotics, 688836.SH) will complete its initial public offering and listing on that date. Once the stock price stabilizes, Gate will migrate the UNITREEUSDT pre-market perpetual contract to the official UNITREEUSDT perpetual contract. Futures trading and existing positions will not be affected during the migration. The official UNITREEUSDT perpetual contract will support 1x–50x leverage for bot

According to DBS Group's research team on August 18, the Bank of Japan may accelerate its rate hike frequency from the current pace of once every six months to once every three to four months. The analysts expect the next rate hike in September, with additional increases anticipated in the first

According to Bloomberg, Alibaba has agreed to sell its gaming subsidiary Lingyao Interactive Entertainment to Asia-focused private equity firm Trustar Capital for at least $1.5 billion this month. The move is part of Alibaba's strategic shift to accelerate AI and cloud computing initiatives, with th

According to SEC filings, Brevan Howard Capital Management reduced its iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) position from 24.3 million shares to 7.21 million shares in Q2, a reduction of approximately 70.4%, with an ending value of about $240 million. Over the same period, Graham Capital Management cut its

In July 2026, China's gasoline exports fell to 420,000 tons, down 55.3% year-over-year. For the January-July period, cumulative gasoline exports reached 1.72 million tons, declining 64.4% compared to the same period last year.

China's corn and cornmeal imports reached 350,000 tons in July, surging 527.3% year-over-year, according to trade data. For the first seven months of 2026, cumulative corn imports totaled 1.36 million tons, up 61.3% compared to the same period last year. Other agricultural imports in July showed mi

According to Jin10, Shanghai gold traded at 953.79 yuan per gram in the morning session on Tuesday, August 18, slightly below the international gold price of 953.9 yuan per gram, a difference of 0.11 yuan per gram.

China's rare earth and rare earth products exports totaled 10,314 tonnes in July, down 16.9% year-over-year. For the first seven months of 2026, cumulative exports reached 76,861 tonnes, up 7% compared to the same period last year.

China's alumina exports surged 33% year-on-year in July, reaching 300,000 tons, with cumulative exports for January through July totaling 1.91 million tons, up 21.7% year-on-year. Meanwhile, imports of unwrought aluminum and aluminum materials fell 22% to 280,000 tons in July, and steel imports

According to Morgan Stanley, Nvidia will likely deliver better-than-expected Q2 results on August 26 with revenue of $91.1 billion and earnings per share of $2.07, along with raised guidance for Q3. However, the bank cautions that such earnings beats—once a powerful stock catalyst—may no longer be s

Korea Exchange and securities brokerages earned approximately 117.26 billion won in fees from single-stock leveraged and inverse ETFs tracking Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix during the period from May 27 to the end of last month. The fee income resulted from high trading volumes in 16 leveraged pr

On August 18, US and Brent crude oil prices rose on the day following reports that a vessel was struck by unidentified projectiles while transiting the Hormuz Strait. The strike damaged the ship's engine room and resulted in crew injuries, according to reports. The specific oil price movements and c

According to data from South Korea's Democratic Party lawmaker Park Seong-hoon's office, single-stock leverage and inverse ETFs for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix generated approximately 117.26 billion KRW in exchange and brokerage fees between May 27 and the end of July. The Korea Exchange

According to BTIG strategist Jonathan Krinsky, the period from August 18 to October 11 historically marks the most treacherous trading window for U.S. stocks in midterm election years. BTIG data shows that in seven of the last eight midterm cycles (1990, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022), the

KB Securities director Lee Eun-taek stated at a Korea Exchange conference on the 18th that the AI industry bubble has not yet reached collapse stage, as interest rates remain insufficient to halt hyperscaler capital investment. Lee identified irreversible interest rate increases as the primary