Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Samsung Electronics approved a maximum shareholder return of 90-110 trillion won on August 21, according to a board resolution, making it the largest such payout in South Korean listed company history. The plan includes 30 trillion won in cash dividends for the third quarter. The amount is

According to Bernstein analysts, Bitcoin rebounded to $79,500 on Aug 21, with spot ETF inflows turning positive at $1.6 billion this week, marking a shift from net outflows in May and June. The rebound is driven by improved liquidity conditions and rising ETF demand. Bitcoin's management assets unde

According to Liberty Times, TSMC completed development and verification of its A16 (1.6nm) process and will enter mass production in Q4 2026. Compared to its current 2nm process, A16 is expected to deliver 8-10% higher computing speed, 15-20% lower power consumption, and 8-10% increased chip

The Eurozone manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) preliminary reading for August reached 52.8, marking the highest level in 51 months since May 2022, according to Standard & Poor's (S&P) Global on the 21st. The manufacturing expansion was primarily driven by Germany, with the index

Former U.S. President Trump recently announced that the United States will allow imports of up to 300,000 metric tons of beef, with a commitment that the beef will be sold at 25% below market price.

According to S&P Global, the Eurozone's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) reached 52.8 in August on August 21, marking a 51-month high. The advance was led by Germany, where manufacturing PMI hit 54.1, also a 51-month high. The composite PMI rose to 52.1 from 52.0 in July, the highest l

According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung Electronics is forecast to regain the leading position in the global smartphone market this year, demonstrating stronger resilience to memory chip price increases. The research firm predicts global smartphone shipments will decline 14.3% in 2026 due to

According to Bank of America strategist Michael Hartnett on August 21, if the U.S. Treasury's plan to keep 30-year bond yields below 5% fails, the dollar will face pressure and shorting activity on risk assets—including AI mega-cap stocks and private credit—will likely intensify ahead of November el

According to Alec Young, chief investment strategist at quantitative research firm MoneyFlows, semiconductor memory stocks have retreated 20-30% from their summer highs as smart money shifts to other assets. SanDisk and Western Digital have fallen over 30%, while Seagate and Micron have dropped

According to NVIDIA's 8-K filing, the company's Q1 FY2027 net income reached $58.3 billion, exceeding its operating income of $53.5 billion—a historic reversal. The gap, stemming primarily from mark-to-market gains on Nvidia's AI company investment portfolio, resulted in GAAP earnings of $2.39 per s

According to BlockBeats, on August 21, AI infrastructure financing is competing with U.S. Treasury bonds for long-term capital from institutional investors, pushing borrowing costs higher across debt markets. The 30-year Treasury yield rose to 5.34%, the highest level since 2007, while the 10-year y

The Shanghai International Energy Exchange issued a notice on market risk control work in response to recent geopolitical complexities and volatile energy and chemical futures prices. The exchange called on market participants to strengthen compliance management of trading behavior, enhance

On August 21, the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) released a notice urging market participants to strengthen compliance management and enhance investor risk awareness as energy and chemical commodities experience significant volatility amid complex international conditions. The exchange called

According to Semafor, Nigeria plans to provide exploration cost subsidies to mining companies. The measure aims to support the nation's mining sector development, though specific implementation details and subsidy amounts were not

Meta Platforms stocks closed at $545.83 on 20 August 2026, down 31% from the 52-week high of $790.80, as Q2 2026 free cash flow collapsed to $784m despite $31.86bn of operating cash flow. The drop followed capital expenditure of $31.08bn in a single quarter — an 82% year-on-year increase — which

Walmart shares plunged more than 9% on Thursday despite the retail giant beating Wall Street's quarterly revenue estimates and raising its full-year outlook. The selloff was triggered by weaker-than-expected comparable sales in Walmart's core US business, which rose just 2.6% — the slowest quarterly

According to Walmart's earnings report released Thursday (August 20), the company's stock fell more than 9% on concerns over weak comparable sales growth, despite fiscal second-quarter revenue of $187.9 billion exceeding the $186.77 billion consensus estimate. Adjusted earnings came in at 81 cents p

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 21st that the 9th petroleum maximum price will remain frozen at current levels for a 4-week period starting midnight of the 22nd. The freeze maintains gasoline at 1,784 won per liter, diesel at 1,773 won per liter, and kerosene at

Brent crude oil expanded its intraday gain to 1.00% today, trading at $92.63 per barrel.

WTI crude futures rose over 1% intraday on August 21, trading at $87.08 per barrel.