Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to Shanghai Securities News, in July, global artificial intelligence-related equities entered a deleveraging cycle that is now approaching its end, with a sharp selloff across major markets including U.S. and South Korean exchanges. The cycle was marked by the collapse of a high-leverage A

According to Shanghai Securities News, gold has released major selling pressure this week and entered a bottoming-and-recovery stage, market experts said. Investors who had maintained positions through the half-year downturn began profit-taking, with one investor reporting gains of over 10,000

Korean financial authorities implemented deposit requirement increases for single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds on the 31st of last month, targeting products linked to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix stocks. Dailyan conducted an assessment on the 17th with research center heads and

According to Daily An, on August 17, South Korea's Financial Services Commission evaluated the first wave of regulatory measures introduced on July 31, which raised the minimum deposit requirement for single-stock leveraged products tracking Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Multiple securities

BGF Retail and GS Retail reported second-quarter earnings that exceeded market expectations, with BGF Retail posting operating profit of 84.9 billion won and GS Retail achieving 109.4 billion won in operating profit. The results were driven by

APR surpassed AmorePacific and LG Household & Health Care in H1 operating profit. APR recorded 342.8 billion won in operating profit, compared to AmorePacific's 244.0 billion won and LG H&H's 210.6 billion won, according to disclosures filed with Korea's Financial Supervisory Service. The shift

According to Yonhap Infomax, on August 17, South Korea's top two listed convenience store operators delivered better-than-expected Q2 results. BGF Retail reported revenue of 2.4268 trillion won and operating profit of 84.9 billion won, up 6.0% and 22.3% year-over-year, respectively, beating market e

According to Korea's Financial Supervisory Service, APR reported operating profit of 342.8 billion won in the first half of 2026, surpassing Amorepacific (244 billion won) and LG Household & Health Care (210.6 billion won) for the first time. The company's operating margin reached 25.2%, more than d

Solidigm, SK Hynix's US subsidiary, may pursue a Nasdaq listing at 50 trillion won valuation with up to 10 trillion won in pre-IPO fundraising. This speculation has sparked debate among securities firms over the impact on SK Hynix shareholder value. SK Hynix clarified on the 5th that no decisions ha

According to the Financial Investment Association, South Korea's investor deposits (excluding derivatives margin) reached 100.07 trillion won as of August 13, rebounding following five consecutive trading days of gains through August 14. The deposits had hit a year-low of 97.93 trillion won on Augus

WTI crude oil futures gained 0.4% during early Asian trading on Monday, posting a modest advance in the morning session.

According to Gate market data, spot gold opened higher on Monday at $4,380.58 per ounce, while WTI crude oil rose to $81.66 per barrel.

According to Jin10, major currency pairs are set to be in focus on Monday, August 17, 2026.

According to CME Federal Reserve Watch data cited by Jin10, as of August 17, the probability that the Federal Reserve will maintain interest rates unchanged in September stands at 66.9%, with a 33.1% probability of a 25

According to half-year reports from 9 major South Korean brokerage firms filed on August 17, overseas stock trading commission revenue reached 1 trillion Korean won in Q2 2026 (April-June), marking a record high. Despite retail investors significantly reducing their positions in overseas markets, in

Nine major South Korean brokerages reported combined overseas stock commission revenue of 943.2 billion won in Q2 (April-June), a 60.7% increase from Q1's 586.8 billion won. The surge occurred despite South Korean retail investors net selling overseas stocks, driven by increased trading volumes as i

According to Bank of America, AI infrastructure expansion is now pushing inflation higher rather than suppressing it—contrary to long-held economic expectations. Data from the August 12 U.S. July Consumer Price Index (CPI) report revealed computer prices surged 3.5% in a single month, while

Korean corporations are increasingly turning to mezzanine financing as corporate bond borrowing costs rise, with cumulative issuance reaching 8.9 trillion won this year through the 14th of this month according to financial investment and investment banking industry data. The shift comes as 3-year tr

Bitcoin trades near $63,000, approximately half its record of $126,080, while XRP holds the $1 level after falling roughly 73% from its $3.65 peak. Four scheduled events this week could influence whether either token escapes its current range. Washington hosts a presidential crypto meeting on

According to Yonhapnews, as of August 14, Korean companies have issued 8.9 trillion won in mezzanine financing this year, including convertible bonds (CB), as rising corporate bond issuance costs push firms to seek alternative funding channels. Mezzanine financing, which combines characteristics of