Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to Yonhapinfomax, China has secured dominant control over critical raw materials essential to Korea's semiconductor and battery industries, intensifying supply chain competition. China accounts for approximately 97% of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, 70-80% of refined lithium and precursor ca

According to CNBC on August 20, Wells Fargo analyst Stan Berensztein issued an Overweight rating for fertility and family-building benefits company Progyny Inc (NASDAQ: PGNY) with a $37 target price. Berensztein highlighted that Progyny is positioned at the center of demographic shifts

According to investment banking sources, KB Securities successfully issued a $300 million Reg S euro bond overnight on August 19, marking its first public dollar debt offering since 2021. The three-year fixed-rate tranche was priced at 85 basis points over comparable U.S. Treasury rates, down from i

Retail investors in single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) net sold 93.6 billion won worth of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix leveraged products on the 20th, as both Korean stocks surged nearly 10% and over 12% respectively. The profit-taking move came as trading volume for 16 single-s

KB Securities projected on the 21st that Samsung Electronics' operating profit will reach 381 trillion won this year and 575 trillion won next year. The securities firm estimates the company's special dividend could exceed 100 trillion won under its 2024-2026 shareholder return policy, which

According to Financial News citing data from Yonhap Infomax, single-stock leveraged ETF trading volume reached 1.0574 trillion Korean won on August 20, up 35.2% from 781.6 billion won the previous day, marking a return above the 1 trillion won threshold. Samsung Electronics surged 9.49% while SK

According to Jin10, Iranian officials announced plans on August 21 to target key petroleum export routes in the Persian Gulf, including Saudi Arabia's Yanbu pipeline and the UAE's Fujairah port, ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November. The two facilities collectively process

JP Morgan initiated coverage on UMB Financial (NAS:UMBF) on the 20th (US local time), assigning an Overweight rating and setting a December 2027 target price of $180. Analyst Anthony Elian highlighted the Kansas City-based regional bank's diversified non-interest revenue structure as a key

According to CNBC, JPMorgan initiated coverage of UMB Financial (NASDAQ:UMBF) on August 20 (U.S. time) with an Overweight rating and a $180 price target for December 2027. Analyst Anthony Elian highlighted the Kansas City-based regional bank's strong diversification of non-interest revenue, with

Japan's unadjusted consumer price index (CPI) increased 0.4% month-on-month in July, up from 0% in June.

Marvell Technologies (MRVL) stock rose nearly 6% on Thursday following multiple analyst upgrades and a strategic chip supply agreement with Alphabet's Google. BMO Capital initiated coverage with an Outperform rating, UBS raised its price target to $310, and Jefferies cited improving investment

According to Wall Street firms, Marvell Technologies (MRVL) stock jumped 6% on Thursday (August 20) ahead of the chipmaker's earnings report on August 27, driven by a $12.2 billion custom silicon partnership with Google. BMO Capital initiated coverage with an Outperform rating and $250 price

According to overseas brokers, the dollar-won 1-month NDF closed at 1,394.20 KRW overnight on August 21, up 1.95 KRW from Seoul's previous close at 1,392.60 KRW. The offshore currency strengthened after U.S. long-term Treasury yields reversed earlier declines, with the 10-year yield bouncing back to

Kiwoom Securities reported earnings momentum in Korean stocks spreading beyond semiconductors to other sectors after Q2 results. Transportation, IT hardware, construction, and machinery showed rapidly improving Q3 forecasts while semiconductors only met elevated expectations. The diversification

London Metal Exchange (LME) copper prices hit a record high of $14,850 per ton on the 17th, then declined for two consecutive days to around $14,180 as large-scale physical deliveries eased immediate supply tightness. Global commodity trader Trafigura and other firms delivered significant copper

Japan's national consumer price index (CPI) for July increased 2% year-over-year, exceeding economist expectations of 1.90% and marking a rise from 1.60% in the prior month.

Japan's core consumer price index (CPI) excluding fresh food and energy rose 1.9% year-over-year in July, matching market expectations. The reading, up from 1.7% in June, held steady at the forecast level.

Japan's consumer price index rose 1.9% year-over-year in July, matching market expectations and climbing from 1.6% in June.

Japan's July core CPI rose 1.8% year-over-year, matching expectations and up 0.2 percentage points from June's 1.6%.