Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Samsung Electronics' stock trajectory could follow the path of Apple, which long dominated as the number one company by market capitalization in the US stock market, according to an analysis by Hana Securities. On the 18th, Hana Securities researcher Lee Jae-man released a report titled 'What Will

On August 18, the Nikkei 225 Index opened down 375.98 points (0.54%), closing at 68,844.27 points.

According to Hana Securities analyst Lee Jae-man on August 18, Samsung Electronics could follow Apple's trajectory by transitioning from a high-growth stock to a high-dividend stock through increased shareholder returns. Lee's report notes Samsung's expected dividend yield at 16% in 2026 and 9% in 2

South Korea's four major financial holding companies reported double-digit increases in credit-impaired loans during the first half, even as total loan portfolios grew modestly, according to semi-annual reports analyzed on August 18. Hana Financial saw credit-impaired loans surge 29.6% while total l

Realty Fine, the largest shareholder of KOSDAQ-listed Refine, announced on August 18 a 30-day tender offer to acquire up to 5.199 million ordinary shares, representing up to 30% of the company's equity, at 17,600 KRW per share. This price represents a 29.6% premium to the closing price on August 14

NH Investment & Securities maintained a 'buy' rating and 600,000 won target price for LS on the 18th, citing the holding company's valuation rerating potential and subsidiary LS Cable's performance growth prospects. LS closed at 323,500 won as of the 14th, representing an upside potential of

Micron Technology (NAS:MU), the sole US memory chip manufacturer, saw its stock close at $1,011.75 on the 17th (local time), up 4.13%, surpassing the psychological resistance level of $1,000 for the first time in over a month. According to Yahoo Finance, AI-related stock trading regained momentum, p

Shinhan Investment & Securities reported operating profit of 7,483억원 in H1, a 134% increase from 3,185억원 in the same period last year, according to disclosures filed with Korea's Financial Supervisory Service. The surge was driven by balanced growth across all business divisions, including the

Wells Fargo upgraded cloud identity and access management (IAM) leader Okta (NAS:OKTA) to Overweight and raised its price target from $150 to $180, according to a CNBC report on the 17th (US local time). Analyst Richard Pollard stated that Okta is currently undervalued in the market but will

Piper Sandler initiated coverage on SoFi Technologies (NAS:SOFI) with an Overweight rating and $22 price target on the 17th (US local time), according to CNBC. The investment bank views the fintech company's recent pullback as an attractive entry opportunity for long-term investors. SoFi stock has r

Multiple South Korean exchange-traded funds face delisting after failing to maintain required correlation coefficients with their benchmark indices. Korea Investment Trust Management saw four ETFs delisted last month (July), while Timefolio Asset Management will delist one ETF on the 19th, all

According to Yonhap Infomax, four active exchange-traded funds managed by Korean Investment Trust Management were delisted in July due to failing correlation coefficient requirements. Another ETF managed by Time Portfolio Asset Management is set to be delisted on August 19. The products failed to ma

According to CNBC, on August 17, Wells Fargo raised its investment rating on cloud identity and access management (IAM) leader Okta (NAS:OKTA) to Overweight and increased its price target from $150 to $180, analyst Richard Paleland said. Wells Fargo's proprietary survey found that major

According to Korean Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) filings, Shinhan Investment Securities posted 74.83 billion Korean won in operating profit in the first half of 2026, up 134% from 31.85 billion Korean won in the same period last year. All business divisions showed balanced growth, with the

Piper Sandler analyst Patrick Moley initiated Overweight coverage of fintech firm SoFi Technologies (NAS:SOFI) with a $22 price target on August 17, according to CNBC. The target implies approximately 20% upside from the prior close. The rating marks the bank's entry into coverage, citing SoFi's

Japan's 10-year government bond yield rose 2.5 basis points to 2.945% today, reaching its highest level since September 1996.

According to China Financial News, international gold prices surged past $4,400 per ounce on August 17 evening after months of volatility. ICBC Standard Bank strategist Julia Du forecast that gold prices will reach $7,150 per ounce this year, with a full-year average target of $6,050. UBS Chief

South Korean retail investors net bought $4.5 billion in U.S. stocks in July while net selling domestic stocks for most of last week, according to Korea Securities Depository data. The shift occurred as Korea's benchmark index entered bull market territory and overseas investors became net buyers of

Jefferies initiated coverage on Freenome (NAS:FRNM), a biotech company specializing in blood-based early cancer detection technology, with a Buy rating and $17 price target on the 17th US local time. Analyst Tycho Peterson highlighted that Freenome will begin full-scale commercialization of its