Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to Korea Securities Depository data, Korean retail investors net purchased $4.5 billion in U.S. stocks in July while simultaneously selling domestic equities, marking a sharp reversal from June and reflecting capital flight ahead of a potential correction at home. Of the inflows,

According to Securities Daily, citing chief macroeconomic analyst Wang Qing of Orient Credit Rating, the People's Bank of China launched overnight reverse repo operations in mid-August as seven-day reverse repo operations reached zero over recent trading days. Wang indicated this reflects more

According to ANZ, Australian consumer confidence rose 1.5 points to 76.5, reaching its highest level since early March. Meanwhile, Australian consumers' inflation expectations increased by 0.1 percentage point to 5.8%.

JPMorgan Chase raised its price target on Riot Platforms (Nasdaq: RIOT) to $22 from $20 on Aug. 17. The bank maintained its Overweight rating while citing a recently signed lease with AI company Anthropic at 'attractive economics.' JPMorgan added that Riot's separate lease with chipmaker Advanced

According to BlockBeats and HTX market data, on August 18, the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding expired Monday with bilateral tensions persisting over disputes including the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials indicated no urgency to resolve the conflict, which has lasted nearly six

According to JPMorgan's Aug. 17 research note, the bank raised its price target on Riot Platforms (RIOT) to $22 from $20, maintaining an Overweight rating. JPMorgan cited Riot's momentum, pointing to a recently signed $9 billion, 20-year compute lease with AI company Anthropic. The deal

The USD-KRW exchange rate recorded 1,415.60 won at 6 AM on August 18, up 2.60 won from the previous Seoul session close of 1,413.00 won. The pair moved around the mid-1,410 won level during thin trading on the substitute holiday for Liberation Day. Movements were driven by yen

Meritz Securities is preparing to establish its first overseas office in Hong Kong in the second half of this year, according to reports on the 18th from the Korean financial investment industry. The firm is advancing related procedures with a goal of launching the Hong Kong entity this year,

According to Yonhapinfomax, on August 17, U.S. stock indices fell for a second consecutive day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 272.63 points (0.51%) to 53,459.78, the S&P 500 fell 40.70 points (0.52%) to 7,745.06, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 84.25 points (0.32%) to 26,644.91. The 30-

According to the financial investment industry, Meritz Securities plans to establish its first overseas subsidiary in Hong Kong in the second half of 2026, with the possibility of being delayed to 2027 depending on local regulatory approval. The Hong Kong office will focus on brokerage services, in

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rose in pre-market trading as of 8:01 AM, with Samsung up 2.37% to 281,000 won and SK Hynix up 3.95% to 1.71 million won according to alternative exchange Nextrade. The gains occurred despite overnight declines in US stocks due to US-Iran tensions and rising long-ter

According to Hana Securities analyst Kim Rok-ho, South Korean memory chipmakers showed recovery on August 18, driven by expectations for Q3 memory price strength and accelerating high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) shipments. The analyst forecast stable stock momentum ahead of Nvidia's earnings report on A

Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DUOT) reported second quarter 2026 financial results on August 17, 2026, showing revenue increased nearly 30% to $6.18 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, compared to $4.77 million in Q2 2025. The Jacksonville, Florida-based provider of Edge Data

LS Securities downgraded its target price for Lino Industrial, a semiconductor test component manufacturer, from 130,000 won to 110,000 won on the 18th, citing production disruptions caused by an ongoing labor strike over performance bonus payments. The strike, which began on the 23rd of last

Daol Investment & Securities resumed coverage on Hanwha Systems on the 18th with a 'buy' rating and a target price of 118,000 won, citing the company's US shipbuilding business as a new growth driver alongside its stable defense operations. The target represents 46.9% upside from the closing price o

According to its announcement today, Duos Technologies Group (Nasdaq: DUOT) and Axe Compute Inc. (Nasdaq: AGPU) executed five-year hosting service agreements valued at over $500 million. The deals cover 55 megawatts of total AI facility capacity across multiple U.S. data center sites, with billing c

According to LS Securities, Rino Industrial reported record-high second-quarter earnings on August 18, with revenue rising 27.3% year-over-year to 143.2 billion KRW and operating profit surging 37.6% to 73.5 billion KRW. Analyst Jeong Hong-sik attributed the growth to sustained high demand and

On August 18, Daol Investment Securities resumed coverage of Hanwha Systems with a buy rating and a target price of 118,000 won, implying 46.9% upside from the August 14 closing price of 80,300 won. The brokerage expects the company's U.S. shipbuilding business, including Hanwha

According to NextTrade pre-market data as of 8:05 AM on August 18, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix led gains amid strength in U.S. semiconductor stocks. South Korea's KOSPI benchmark has rebounded over 20% from its late-July low, supported by improved foreign investor inflows and broad sector stren

Duquesne Family Office significantly increased AI-related big tech and semiconductor holdings in Q2, per an SEC 13F filing dated June 30. Led by Stanley Druckenmiller, the fund concentrated bets on Amazon, Alphabet, and core foundry firms. The portfolio expansion occurred just before U.S. tech and s