Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to a report released by South Korea's Insurance Research Institute on July 26, dollar-denominated insurance sales surged amid high won-dollar exchange rates, with first-quarter 2026 sales reaching approximately 47,000 contracts, more than double the same period last year. However, the Inst

According to ChainCatcher, as of July 25, 10 listed companies collectively held over 1 million BTC. MicroStrategy remained the largest corporate Bitcoin holder with 843,775 BTC, valued at approximately $58 billion. Other major holders included Twenty One Capital (43,514 BTC), Metaplanet (43,000 BTC

South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service issued consumer guidance on May 26 regarding domestic market return accounts (RIA), integrated management accounts (IMA), and bank exchange-traded fund (ETF) trusts. The guidance addresses growing consumer complaints as RIA account holders increased

According to Benzinga and Intel's Q2 earnings report, the chipmaker formally committed in the second quarter to launching mass production of its next-generation 14A process by 2028, marking a dramatic shift from concerns raised just three months earlier about potential delays or cancellation due to

Korean investors using RIA accounts to sell overseas stocks must verify the settlement completion date, not the order execution date, according to guidance issued by the Financial Supervisory Service on May 26. The tax deduction rate is determined by the settlement completion date, and a

According to South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service on July 26, the agency issued investor guidance on key conditions for tax deductions in RIA (Returning Investor Account) for overseas stock transactions. The FSC clarified that the tax deduction rate for overseas stock gains is determined by t

According to South Korea's Financial Services Commission on July 26, investors must complete the sale settlement of overseas stocks held in a Return to Domestic Market Account (RIA) by July 29 to qualify for an 80% capital gains tax deduction. The authority clarified that the deduction rate is

According to Populus, on April 10, 2026, Japan's Cabinet approved a comprehensive reform package reclassifying 105 digital assets, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, from payment instruments to financial products under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA). The change will impose

According to Goldman Sachs hedge fund business chief Tony Pasquariello on July 26, U.S. stock trading remains highly difficult amid severe internal divergence and elevated momentum factor volatility. He recommended investors simplify portfolios and concentrate risk on high-conviction positions.

According to The Kobeissi Letter, on July 26, global stock market total market capitalization rose to 137% of global GDP, approaching historical highs. The ratio has climbed 40 percentage points cumulatively since April 2025, matching the peak level during the 2021 meme stock surge. Global stock ma

South Korea's IPO market recorded 17 listings in the first half, a 59% decline from the 10-year average of 27 listings per half-year period, according to a report by Oh Gwang-young, a researcher at Shinhan Securities. The market raised KRW 1.1 trillion, down 48.7% year-over-year, marking a 30%

According to Shinhan Securities analyst Oh Kwang-young, South Korea's IPO market saw sharply lower activity in the first half of 2026, with only 17 companies listed on July 26—a 59% decline versus the 10-year average of 27 IPOs per half-year. Fundraising totaled 1.1 trillion won, down 48.7%

According to Lee Hwa-young, executive director at LG AI Research Institute, the institute recently developed a financial AI service that analyzes approximately 8,000 listed companies across the U.S. and South Korea to generate one-month-ahead corporate forecasts with explanatory scores. The system u

According to Bloomberg, China-based memory chipmaker Chanxin Storage (CXMT) will debut on Shanghai's STAR Board (科创板) tomorrow (July 27). At the IPO price, the company trades at a price-to-book ratio of approximately 2.4 times, representing a roughly 56% discount to the average valuation of global

219 Korean export manufacturers surveyed by the Korea Trade Association identified freight rate increases as their top logistics challenge in the first half, with 83.1% of respondents citing this as their primary concern. The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) reached 3,062 points on

According to Korea Trade Association's survey released on July 26, 83.1% of Korean export manufacturers cited rising shipping costs as their biggest logistics challenge in the first half of 2026. The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) climbed to 3,062 points, up 2.3 times since late

According to local reports, Ukrainian drones attacked Russia's Tyumen refinery on July 26, sparking a fire at the facility located approximately 1,700 kilometers east of Moscow and 2,000 kilometers from Ukraine's border. Regional governor Alexander Moor confirmed emergency crews were responding,

Following AMD's 'Advancing AI 2026' conference in San Francisco, multiple Wall Street analysts upgraded price targets for the chipmaker. Futurum Equities raised its target to $800, representing 48% upside from current levels, with analyst Daniel Newman citing major partnerships including a 2GW AI co

Bank-affiliated securities firms in South Korea reported record-breaking profits for the first half, driven by a stock market boom that significantly increased trading volumes. NH Investment & Securities led with net profit of 965.2 billion won, up 107.6% year-over-year, while KB Securities

Korean corporate bond yields reached multi-year highs on the 24th, with AA- unsecured 3-year bonds hitting 4.653% — the highest level since November 14, 2023. The yield surge followed investor sentiment contraction triggered by the JR Global REIT and Joongang Group incidents, alongside escalating