Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to Jin10, Shandong independent refineries' primary distillation units averaged 50.70% operating rate in July, down 0.72 percentage points month-on-month. Looking ahead to August, several refineries including Wantong, Lianhe, Changyi, and Hongrun Technology plan to resume operations in

SpaceX is releasing its first quarterly earnings report since going public, with market focus on the company's financial performance as its stock trades at $108, down from a peak above $225 and below the $135 IPO price. The earnings announcement comes ahead of a major lock-up expiration on the 6th,

According to BlockBeats citing Bitget data, South Korea's KOSPI index closed up 1.62% at 6,358.95 points on August 4, though it fell over 2% intraday. The KOSDAQ index rallied 5.88% for its third consecutive day of gains and triggered a buy-side trading halt mechanism during the session. Chip

According to The Guardian, on August 4, extreme heat waves, droughts, and wildfires across Europe are reducing agricultural output and pushing up prices for olive oil and other key food products. In the UK, extra virgin olive oil prices have already exceeded 7 pounds per liter. The agricultural

According to Jin10 Futures, the CNEX liquidity sentiment index reported 46 as of 14:30 on August 4, down 1 point from 10:15. Among major banks, mid-sized banks, and non-bank institutions, sentiment indices stood at 45, 47, and 45 respectively, each down 1 point. (Scale: 0–100, with 50 as neutral;

According to Korean Economic TV, SpaceX shares have plunged to $108 following the company's initial public offering, down from a peak of $225 and now trading below the $135 IPO price. The company is preparing to announce its first earnings report since going public, with a large-scale lockup

Bank of Korea analysis shows offshore Non-Deliverable Forward (NDF) trading accounted for approximately one-third of the won/dollar exchange rate surge in March. According to a BOK blog post published on the 4th titled 'How Much Does NDF Affect the Won/Dollar Exchange Rate?', NDF net purchases

According to an analysis published by the Bank of Korea on August 4, non-deliverable forward (NDF) contracts accounted for approximately one-third of the Korean won's sharp appreciation against the U.S. dollar in March 2026. The central bank found that NDF net purchases contributed around 26 won to

Samsung Electronics maintained its lead in the global DRAM market with a 39% share in Q2 2026, rising 1 percentage point from Q1, according to Counterpoint Research's August 2026 Memory Tracker released on August 4. The gain was driven by strong conventional DRAM demand and price increases, while

According to media reports, Vast, a Chinese 3D modeling startup backed by Alibaba and others, is considering an initial public offering in Hong Kong as of July 2026. The company is in discussions with Bank of America and China International Capital Corporation regarding a potential stock issuance, t

According to Goldman Sachs Asia-Pacific Chief Equity Strategist Timothy Moe, the firm remains bullish on South Korea's stock market and maintains its Kospi 200 index (South Korea's benchmark equity index) target of 12,000. Speaking in a recent interview, Moe highlighted that the current market

According to Counterpoint Research's August 2026 Memory Tracker report, Samsung Electronics reclaimed the top position in global DRAM market share with 39% in the second quarter of 2026, up 1 percentage point from Q1. The company benefited from strong generic DRAM demand and price increases, while a

According to FactSet, S&P 500 companies are projected to post their strongest quarterly earnings growth in five years as of July 31, driven by artificial intelligence investments and gains in the energy sector. The earnings improvement is broadening across financial and defense sectors,

Microsoft raised Xbox Series X prices by $150 to $749 this week, citing soaring memory chip costs driven by artificial intelligence demand. The Xbox Series S rose $100 to $499, following Sony's $100 PlayStation 5 price increase to $649.99 in March. Analysts attribute the hikes to surging demand

South Korean listed companies paid 13.52 trillion won in first-half dividends, with 127 firms announcing payouts—up 47.7% from 86 prior-year. Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, received 72.8 billion won, ranking first among individual dividend recipients, according to Leaders Index

Microsoft raised Xbox Series X prices to $749 this week, up $150 from $599, citing surging memory chip costs. The Series S rose 25% to $499 from $399. The increases outpace Sony's $100 PlayStation 5 price hike announced in March, as

According to JPMorgan Chase's latest report on August 4, the bank maintains its preference for a "technology plus cyclicals" stock strategy and recommends adding healthcare as a third investment pillar to reduce portfolio correlation with macroeconomic factors. The report highlights a potential

President Lee Jae-myung on August 4 ordered a review of the Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corporation's supply chain role. The directive instructs relevant ministries to examine the organization's functions and investment systems to enable more active participation in securing

Tokenized stock holders approached 967,000 by Aug. 3, according to RWA.xyz's dashboard tracking blockchain-based equities and exchange-traded funds, with distributed value reaching $2.16 billion. The holder count rose 92% over 30 days and 522% since the start of 2026, driven by demand for