Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Today, the Seoul Composite Index declined 1.1% in early trading on August 11. Japan's stock market is closed for the trading day.

Ramon Ang acquired a 25.68% stake in Lopez Inc. through his wholly owned investment vehicle, Illumina Investment Holdings Inc., purchasing the block from Crème Investment Corp., which represents the Lopez family branch led by Eugenio 'Gabby' Lopez III. The acquisition was made to resolve issues

According to Mirae Asset Securities on August 11, Samsung Electronics stock fell 39% from its peak, with the 12-month price-to-book and price-to-earnings ratios declining to 1.6x and 3.9x respectively, reaching levels last seen before the AI cycle

According to reports, Japan coordinated with the U.S. to intervene in the yen exchange rate in late July, with USD/JPY falling from a post-1987 peak of 163.99 to 155.25. Meanwhile, U.S. 30-year Treasury yields reached a 19-year high of 5.28% in early August, with 10-year yields climbing to 4.8%,

According to Robert Mitchnick, head of digital assets at BlackRock, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $854 million in inflows last week, marking the best weekly performance since mid-April. BlackRock's IBIT contributed $694 million, accounting for over 80% of total inflows, while Fidelity's FBTC

According to CoinDesk, Trump Media & Technology Group's digital asset holdings declined in the second quarter due to cryptocurrency price drops, recording a $360.6 million loss in the first half of 2026. As of June 30, the company held 9,477.16 BTC with a fair value of $557.1 million, down 65 BTC

US Stocks GameStop (NYS:GME) and eBay (NAS:EBAY) declined on August 10 (US time) following reports that video game retailer GameStop is considering withdrawing its acquisition proposal for eBay. The move stems from eBay's board immediate rejection of GameStop's $56 billion hostile takeover offer

Insurance companies in South Korea purchased 13.4366 trillion won in government bonds with remaining maturity over 30 years from January to July this year, down nearly 5 trillion won from 18.87 trillion won in the same period last year, according to Yonhap Infomax bond over-the-counter investor

According to CNBC, GameStop is considering withdrawing its $56 billion unsolicited takeover proposal for eBay on August 10, 2026 (U.S. local time), triggering a selloff in both stocks. eBay shares fell $4.27, or 3.81%, to close at $107.71, while GameStop declined $0.37, or 1.93%, to $18.79. GameStop

SK Hynix has emerged as a major buyer in South Korea's corporate credit bond market, but issuers are expressing growing concerns despite the liquidity relief. The semiconductor company has purchased tens of trillions of won in bonds—primarily AA+ rating or higher with maturities under three

HiteJinro's Q2 2026 revenue is forecast at 623.3 billion won and operating profit at 59 billion won, down 3.6% and 8.53% year-over-year. The decline stems from continued slowdown in alcohol consumption and pronounced weakness in the beer market, compounded by a base effect from the May 2025 beer

Foreign investors are increasing their focus on South Korea's credit market as domestic liquidity contracts, prompting industry calls to expand tax exemptions beyond government bonds to include special bank bonds and public corporation bonds. The push comes as the credit market has narrowed to the p

Following the Bank of Korea's July rate increase, semiconductor company SK Hynix has emerged as a major buyer of Korean credit bonds, absorbing tens of trillions won in AA-rated securities with maturities of three years or less, according to investment banking sources. The purchases have provided re

According to Bitdeer Technologies Group's unaudited financial results released Aug. 10, the Bitcoin mining and AI infrastructure company reported Q2 2026 revenue of $228.8 million, up 47% year-over-year from $155.6 million in the prior-year period. Gross loss narrowed significantly to $8.5 million,

iM Securities raised its profit forecast for Korea District Heating Corporation (071320) after the company reported a surprise Q2 2024 operating profit of ₩33.1 billion, far exceeding the market consensus of a ₩24.6 billion loss. The brokerage maintained its 'Buy' rating and ₩135,000 target price, p

South Korean gold exchange-traded funds rebounded sharply over the past week following unexpectedly weak US employment data that reduced expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate increases. The HANARO Global Gold Mining Companies ETF rose 19.23% during the week, while gold futures and spot

According to IM Securities on August 10, Korean district heating operator (ticker: 071320) posted Q2 operating profit of 33.1 billion won, marking a surprise swing to profitability versus market consensus of a 24.6 billion won loss. The company's power generation unit contributed 37.8 billion won in

Kiwoom Securities analyst Han Ji-young stated on August 11 that investors should not drastically reduce KOSPI allocations despite KOSDAQ's recent outperformance. KOSDAQ rose approximately 32.5% from its July 30 low compared to KOSPI's 12.6% gain over the same period, according to data cited by the brokerage. The analyst attributed KOSDAQ's relative strength primarily to rebound dynamics from excessive prior declines rather than independent revaluation, noting that KOSDAQ fell 47% peak-to-trough

According to Chosun Ilbo, international gold prices rebounded 8% overnight on August 10, with domestic gold-linked exchange-traded funds surging in tandem. Spot gold rose from $4,053.45 to approximately $4,390 per troy ounce, while December gold futures climbed to $4,450 per ounce. Among Korean gold

KB Life Insurance is redeeming 700 billion won in subordinated bonds on May 24 without refinancing, continuing its cash redemption strategy. The bonds, issued in 2021 with a 3.61% interest rate, are being retired amid rising interest costs and upcoming regulatory changes favoring basic capital.