Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to investment banking industry sources on August 20, South Korea is accelerating preparations to secure European covered bond equivalence status, which would reduce funding costs for Korean financial institutions issuing euro-denominated covered bonds. Korea Housing Finance Corporation, wh

According to Bitget trading data, on August 20, South Korea's KOSPI index surged 6.28% intraday, with chip manufacturer SK Hynix gaining 10.80% and Samsung Electronics rising over 7%.

Spot gold declined below $4,490 per ounce on August 20, falling 0.73% during the trading day.

According to KB Securities research head Kim Dong-won, Samsung Electronics' recent stock decline should not overshadow the near-term profitability potential of AI investments. Over the past two days, Samsung's shares fell nearly 10% to 247,500 won amid concerns over rising U.S. Treasury yields. KB S

SK Hynix announced a 40 trillion won share buyback and cancellation plan following a board meeting on the 19th, according to analyst commentary released on the 20th. Economic commentator Yoon Ji-ho stated the move significantly reduces downside risk for SK Hynix stock, calling it a positive

Seoul forex dealers predicted on May 20 that the USD-KRW exchange rate would fluctuate around 1,390 won following a sharp decline the previous day. The US Treasury's surprise announcement overnight of expanded long-term bond buyback drove dollar weakness, assessed as a won-strengthening factor in Se

SK Hynix announced a 40 trillion won share buyback program on August 19, committing to cancel all repurchased shares and return over 50% of free cash flow to shareholders over the next three years. The announcement drove SK Hynix stock up 10.80% to 1.662 million won as of 10:13 AM on August 20,

According to Samsung Securities analyst Yi Jong-wook and Yonhap News, on August 20, SK Hynix announced a 40 trillion won stock buyback and cancellation program, representing 3.3% of circulating shares. The decision comes as the company aims to address market concerns about memory semiconductor

According to Strategy's disclosure reported by PANews on August 20, twelve of the company's top 15 institutional shareholders increased holdings in the second quarter, adding $1.2 billion combined to their positions. Capital International Investors led with $3.49 billion in holdings, adding $346

Japan's 40-year government bond yield declined 9.5 basis points, settling at 4.055% as of August 20.

According to Jin10 Futures citing CITIC Futures on August 20, fuel oil futures contracts opened higher but retreated sharply, trading at 4,229 yuan/ton with gains of less than 1%. CITIC Futures noted that geopolitical tensions remain the core driver of current oil prices, with fuel oil tracking

Nasdaq-listed Chinese embedded digital insurance technology company Zh保科技 (ZBAO) announced on August 19 that it had completed a $154.7 million PIPE (private investment in public equity) financing. The financing used a rare structure in which cryptocurrency was provided directly as consideration: a group of non-U.S. investors paid with 2,380 Bitcoin, all of which was deposited into Zh保科技’s official wallet, rather than first raising fiat currency and then purchasing Bitcoin on the market. PIPE Fin

According to BlockBeats, Unitree stock on China's Shanghai exchange opened down 15.01% on August 20, with market valuation at 2,980.9 billion yuan. The decline comes after the stock surged 460% the previous trading

According to Bloomberg, Alibaba shares in Hong Kong rose 34% this quarter through August 20, outperforming the Hang Seng Tech Index as investors bet on the company's AI spending. Revenue is expected to grow 8.4% year-over-year, marking the fastest pace in nearly three years, though profit may

According to E-Daily, the Korean won fell to the 1380 level on August 20, declining 3.45 won from the previous trading day as of 10:09 a.m. local time. The weakness was driven by semiconductor exporters' continued dollar sales and weakening global dollar sentiment following the U.S. Treasury's

Fuel oil 2609 contract retreated sharply intraday to 4,239 yuan/ton on August 20, narrowing gains to 0.62%, down from the session high of 4,386 yuan/ton. Trading volume exceeded 11.3 billion yuan, with open positions declining by 12,900 contracts during the day.

The Malaysian ringgit appreciated to 4.04 against the U.S. dollar, reaching its strongest level since mid-June.

Spot gold surged past the $4,500 mark on August 20, marking the first breakthrough since June 4. The rally rippled through precious metals ETFs, with China Investment Promotion Group Silver LOF climbing over 4%, while Gold-themed LOF and Harvest Gold LOF each rose more than 3%, and Gold LOF gained n

According to Jin10 Futures, as of 09:30 Beijing time on August 20, WTI crude oil futures rose 0.24%, while U.S. natural gas futures declined 1.10%.

Australia's employment declined by 15,800 in July, according to official employment data released in August, missing consensus expectations of a 15,000 increase. This marked a sharp reversal from June's gain of 76,300