Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Michael Burry, the investor known as the real-life model for the film 'The Big Short,' warned that the S&P 500's rally to record highs may end in a sharp selloff similar to the 1987 stock market crash. In a Substack post on the 4th (local time), Burry stated he still believes the market may be

Kakao Bank reported Q2 net profit of 140.8 billion KRW, an 11.5% increase compared to the same period last year (126.3 billion KRW), marking the bank's strongest first-half performance on record. The growth was driven by loan expansion and increased fund management profits, with both interest

Nongshim's operating profit for Q2 is analyzed to have increased by over 30%. According to Yonhap Infomax consensus (screen number 8031) on August 5, a compilation of earnings forecasts from six major domestic securities firms that issued reports within the past month shows Nongshim is expected to r

According to CNBC, on August 4, investor Michael Burry warned that the S&P 500's record highs could trigger a sharp selloff similar to the 1987 stock market crash. In a Substack post, Burry stated he believes the market may be approaching a major peak, noting that record highs and low volatility cou

According to Yonhapinfomax, South Korean fintech bank Kakao Bank reported on August 5 that second-quarter net profit reached 140.8 billion Korean won, up 11.5% year-over-year. First-half net profit totaled 328 billion won, representing a 24.4% increase and marking the bank's highest H1 earnings on r

According to Yonhapinfomax, on August 4 US local time, Elon Musk announced in SpaceX's earnings call that the company will exclusively use Nvidia chips for all future AI and computing infrastructure, ending its relationship with AMD. Musk stated that SpaceX will optimize and deploy Nvidia's

Caterpillar lowered its second-quarter tariff cost to $400 million from an expected $700 million, citing favorable adjustments to prior tariff accruals. The company also confirmed $392 million in IEEPA tariff recoveries for the quarter. Excluding Q2 recoveries, Caterpillar guided full-year 2026

Samsung Electronics maintained first place in the Q2 global DRAM market with a 39% share, according to Counterpoint Research, while SK Hynix held 26% and Micron reached 25%. US Treasury Secretary Bessent stated an agreement between the US and Iran regarding the Hormuz Strait may occur today or

Wall Street investment banks issued buy recommendations on undervalued stocks as market volatility pushed the S&P 500's 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio to 19.7x, approximately 2.5% below the five-year average. Deutsche Bank, Piper Sandler, and Bank of America identified buying

SK Hynix American Depositary Receipt (ADR) surged over 8% on the New York Stock Exchange on the 4th (local time) after Wall Street financial firms issued 'buy' or 'overweight' investment ratings, Reuters reported. At least six financial firms including Bank of America initiated coverage with

According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung maintained its lead in the global DRAM market in Q2 2026 with 39% market share, the highest since 2024, while SK Hynix held 26% and Micron captured 25%. Samsung's dominance reflects strong demand amid agentic AI and CPU applications. Counterpoint

According to Yonhapnews, on August 4, South Korea's KOSPI rose 1.62% to 6,358.95 and KOSDAQ surged 5.88% to 780.72, tracking overnight gains in U.S. equity markets. The U.S. rally was driven by progress in U.S.-Iran negotiations over Strait of Hormuz opening, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S

According to recent Wall Street research reports, major investment banks are identifying bargain opportunities in U.S. equities as valuations compress. The S&P 500's 12-month forward P/E ratio fell to 19.7x during the current earnings season, representing a 2.5% discount to the five-year average. E

According to NextTrade premarket data on August 5 at 8:06 AM KST, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rallied in premarket trading as U.S. semiconductor stocks hit record highs. Samsung Electro-Mechanics rose 12%, while KOSPI 200 overnight futures climbed nearly 5%, signaling broader market strength

US stocks rallied on local time with the S&P 500 closing at an all-time high of 7736.52, up 1.79%. The gains were driven by easing Middle East tensions and strong earnings from AI-related companies including AMD and SpaceX. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index surged nearly 7%, marking its

According to Marketwatch reporting on Bank of America strategists, the six major tech companies that have reported earnings saw stock price swings that all exceeded the options market's implied volatility expectations, marking the first such occurrence since ChatGPT's launch in late 2022. Tesla

Hana Securities analyst Lee Kyung-soo stated in a report on the 5th that volatility in Korean stocks is expected to gradually ease as the deleveraging phase that shook domestic markets in July nears completion. The analyst attributed July's extreme volatility to a combination of profit-taking on

According to Bloomberg and South Korea's Financial Services Commission, today the FSC officially denied a recent Bloomberg column claiming the country is becoming unsuitable for investment due to high stock market volatility. The FSC emphasized South Korea's strong economic fundamentals and

Deepnoid, Peptron, and L&C BIO experienced significant stock price movements on August 3rd in South Korea's biotech sector. Deepnoid closed at 1,599 won, up 30.00%, following announcement of its first supply contract for generative AI-based chest X-ray solution M4CXR with Pusan National University

According to Seeking Alpha, Wedbush said on Tuesday (Aug 4) that TSMC's 3-nanometer process capacity expansion could reach its targets 2-3 months earlier than initially expected. The world's largest foundry plans to increase 3nm monthly wafer starts to 180,000 wafers by early Q4 2026, up from