Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

The USD-KRW 1-month non-deliverable forward (NDF) closed at 1,459.10 won (MID) on the 24th (local time), down 7.20 won from the Seoul foreign exchange market spot close of 1,466.60 won on the previous session, according to overseas brokers on the 27th. The dollar gained modestly against the euro

Semiconductor stocks fell for five weeks on AI investment concerns, but a $950 billion cooperation was announced May 24 at the San Francisco AI Summit. The collaboration involves Korean companies and global big tech firms in AI and semiconductor development, countering worries about AI capital

According to Min Kyung-wook, deputy president of Korea Exchange, KOSDAQ plans to restructure its market into three tiers—Select, Standard, and Alert—by the end of 2026 to revitalize the 30-year-old market. The exchange aims to attract institutional capital through the Select segment while ensuring f

According to overseas brokers, the USD-KRW 1-month NDF rate in New York fell to 1,459.10 won on July 26, declining 7.20 won from Seoul's spot market closing price of 1,466.60 won on the previous day. The bid was 1,458.90 won and the ask was 1,459.30 won. Meanwhile, WTI crude oil for September

According to SK Securities, South Korea's KOSPI index fell 1.91% to 6,690.62 as of late July 27, amid five consecutive weeks of semiconductor stock weakness. Semiconductor shares had dropped 5.72% on July 24, with futures posting further declines of 2.8% after market close. High volatility

Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, stated in a July 22 market commentary that the next crypto bull market could be shaped by stablecoins, tokenization, and institutional adoption rather than speculation. Hougan noted bitcoin rose 9% since July 1 while the Nasdaq-100 fell 6%,

According to PitchBook data released on July 27, U.S. buyout funds with 10 or more years since establishment held a record $348.5 billion in net asset value (NAV) by the end of 2025, driven by delayed exits amid rising interest rates and valuation compression. The buildup of aging, unsold assets

Intel reported earnings that exceeded market expectations, with earnings per share (EPS) beating forecasts by 2x and revenue surpassing estimates by 25%. The results come as AI server demand drives increased orders for Intel's server CPUs, which grew 59% - the highest growth rate in 15 years.

According to multiple Wall Street analysts, Intel's latest earnings beat expectations with earnings per share surging 2x forecast and revenue exceeding guidance by 25%, driven by 59% server CPU sales growth—the strongest in 15 years as demand for AI data center chips accelerates. However, analyst v

According to F&Guide data and Maeil Business Newspaper, SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics are set to announce record-breaking second-quarter earnings on July 29-30. SK Hynix Q2 revenue is projected at 84.17

According to BizWatch, ILJIN Global, a South Korean automotive parts conglomerate, was designated in May 2026 as the nation's first publicly announced corporate group with assets exceeding 5 trillion Korean won. As of year-end 2025, the group's domestic subsidiaries held combined assets of 5.06 tril

According to Reuters, oil prices fell approximately 3% over the weekend after six trading days of gains, with WTI crude settling at $85 per barrel and Brent at $96, amid signs of potential de-escalation in regional tensions. The decline was driven by reports that Pakistan, with Chinese backing, is s

According to Houthi statements released today, the Yemeni militant group claimed to have attacked three Saudi oil tankers over the past 48 hours and vowed to continue imposing a maritime embargo on vessels associated with Saudi

According to CCTV News, on July 26, Brazil's President Lula criticized the U.S. government's new tariffs on Brazilian goods in a Washington Post op-ed, calling them a strategic error. The new tariffs, ranging from 12.5% to 37.5%, are unfair and will harm the U.S. economy and the bilateral

Cryptocurrency investors at Korean private banking and wealth management centers are reallocating assets from digital currencies to AI stocks and Seoul real estate. According to KB Kookmin Bank, Hana Securities, and Korea Investment & Securities, clients who accumulated billions of won in crypto ass

According to South Korean banks and brokers, crypto investors who built wealth through digital assets are increasingly reallocating their portfolios to AI-related equities, ETFs, and real estate instead of pursuing further crypto investments. Recent consultations at major institutions including KB K

The KOSDAQ market experienced severe liquidity contraction as trading volume dropped to 4.62 trillion won on the 21st, down from a 15 trillion won daily average between January and May 27, according to Korea Exchange data released on the 27th. The sharp decline coincided with approximately 12 trilli

Hyperliquid recorded real-world asset (RWA) trading volume surpassing crypto for the first time during the week of July 13-19, with RWAs accounting for 54% of total trading. Lorenzo Valente, director of digital assets research at ARK Invest, announced the milestone Thursday on X, stating that Hyperl

According to CoinMarketCap, as of July 27, Bitcoin rose 0.58% over the past week to trade at $64,774.17 (approximately 9.47 million Korean won), oscillating around the $64,000 level. Ethereum gained 3.17% weekly, trading at $1,925.55 (approximately 2.82 million Korean won). Binance Coin rose 0.63% w

According to Michael Burry's Substack post on July 26, the Big Short investor expanded short positions in semiconductor stocks, adding Micron (MU) at $933.86 per share, Nvidia (NVDA) at $210.28, and increasing Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) shorts at $535.83, while initiating a new short position in