Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to Jin10, six forex options contracts with notional values exceeding $1 billion each will expire on August 5 at 22:00 Beijing time. The expiring contracts span major currency pairs including EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, and AUD/USD.

Brent crude oil broke through $80 per barrel today, with a daily gain of 0.81%.

Spain's composite PMI reached 56.5 in July, up from 53.3 in June, indicating strengthened economic activity.

UK 10-year gilt yields fell to 4.889%, marking their lowest level in over three weeks.

Spain's services sector PMI rose to 58.3 in July, exceeding expectations of 54.9 and climbing from the previous month's 54.2, according to official economic data.

South Korean investors shifted capital to US leveraged ETFs after financial authorities implemented stricter regulations on domestic single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds. Trading volume in 16 domestic single-stock leveraged and inverse ETFs plunged 89.8% from 13.0361 trillion won on last

According to Korean media reports, SK Hynix subsidiary Solidigm is seeking pre-IPO funding with a target valuation of KRW 50 trillion, reportedly preparing for a Nasdaq listing. Solidigm, established by SK Hynix in 2021, operates as the company's U.S. subsidiary and manages Intel's former NAND flash and SSD business.

According to Korea Exchange data, domestic single-stock leverage exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw trading volumes plummet 89.8% on August 5 following government regulations that increased minimum deposit requirements to 30 million won in cash and restricted investment limits. Combined trading

According to Citi, the investment bank downgraded HSBC from buy to neutral on August 5, citing a 40% year-to-date stock price gain and elevated valuations. The bank cut its target price to HK$165.5 from HK$171.8, while trimming 2026 earnings per share forecasts by 0-3%. Citi noted the stock may

Dongshan Precision said recently it has noted market reports about the Trump administration drafting a ban on imports of Chinese advanced optical modules, but the company is treating the reports as market rumors only. According to a company response to investor inquiries, Dongshan Precision will

According to Morgan Stanley's latest research report, the investment bank has mapped out three potential outcomes for the open source versus closed source AI models competition, identifying beneficiary stocks across semiconductors, cloud computing, security software, and energy infrastructure. The r

According to Caijing Securities, Chinese stock markets rebounded strongly on August 5 at close, with the Shanghai Composite Index rising 1.47%, the Shenzhen Component Index gaining 1.86%, and the ChiNext Index up 1.32%. The Sci-Tech Innovation 50 Index surged 4.78%, driven by gains in AI

South Korean government bond yields declined on the afternoon of August 5th, with the 3-year benchmark falling 8.1 basis points to 3.659% as foreign investors increased net buying in bond futures. The decline was driven by foreign purchases of 15,089

South Korea's Ministry of Finance announced a tax reform plan in its '2026 Tax Reform Plan' to prevent major shareholders from artificially suppressing stock prices before inheritance or gift transfers. The reform replaces the current 4-month average stock price valuation method with a system

According to Seoul Bond Market data on August 5, South Korean government bond yields fell as foreign investors increased net purchases across the curve. The 3-year benchmark yield declined 8.1 basis points to 3.659%, while the 10-year yield fell 12 basis points to 4.135%. Foreign investors posted ne

According to Jin10, on August 5, Yemen's Houthi forces claimed they struck the Saudi-flagged tanker Wafa with a ballistic missile in the Red Sea north of Yanbu, stating the missile directly hit its target. This marks the eighth Saudi tanker the group claims to have attacked since launching their

According to Korea Exchange simulation and the Ministry of Economy and Finance on August 5, South Korea's 2026 tax reform plan reduces the scope of companies subject to inheritance and gift tax reassessment from 1,291 firms with PBR below 0.8 to approximately 200 firms. The government expanded the a

According to Gate trading data, the China-South Korea Semiconductor ETF (513310) achieved a trading volume of 23.7 billion yuan by market close on August 5, marking the third-highest volume on record. The ETF's all-time peak volume reached 25.9 billion yuan on July 29, followed by 24.0 billion yuan

According to Korean Exchange (KRX) data, the South Korean gold market has seen trading volume and turnover fall to their lowest levels since the start of 2026, down 80% compared to early January. Gold spot exchange-traded funds have also experienced continued outflows of investor capital. The

Lotte Rental announced Q2 consolidated revenue of 765.8 billion won and operating profit of 84.6 billion won on August 5, marking year-over-year increases of 2.3% and 9.6% respectively. The company attributed the results to sustained growth in core rental operations including auto long-term and