Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Japanese stocks opened sharply higher as of 9:17 AM, with the Nikkei 225 index rising 2,485.88 points (4.02%) to 64,353.31. The rally was driven by overnight gains in US markets, where Microsoft surged over 15% on strong second-quarter earnings, lifting the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index 8.19%.

Korean financial authorities implemented stricter deposit requirements for single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tracking Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix stocks on the 31st. The base deposit requirement was raised from 10 million won to 30 million won, with only cash now qualifying to

CJ CheilJedang is reviewing the sale of its starch sugar business division, triggering sale speculation across the Korean starch sugar industry. The company selected Samjung KPMG as the lead advisor and is proceeding with the sale, with a carve-out method being discussed. The timing coincides with t

KOSPI surged 11.34% to 6228.14 as of 9:09 AM on July 31, breaking through the 6000 level in a single session driven by heavy foreign buying. Foreign investors net purchased 2.547 trillion won, propelling the index upward while domestic retail investors sold 2.370 trillion won and institutions

According to its official announcement on July 30, Luokang Pharma (02652) priced a placement of 21.75 million new H-shares at HK$13.82 per share, raising HK$301 million (net: HK$295 million). The placement price represents an 11.97% discount to the previous close of HK$15.70. The new shares

According to Daeshin Securities researcher Lee Kyung-min, KOSPI reached bottom levels on July 30, with potential to rebound to 9,300 points. The researcher identified support levels at 5,700–5,800 based on technical analysis, including the 200-day moving average and forward price-to-earnings ratio o

According to Jin10, as of July 31 at 8:30 AM, international spot palladium and platinum prices showed notable fluctuations overnight, with these precious metals ranking among top movers in commodity markets.

As of 8:30 a.m. Beijing time on July 31, spot platinum rose 0.13% and spot palladium rose 0.19% in early trading.

According to Wolfe Research semiconductor analyst Chris Caso, on July 30, U.S. semiconductor stocks rebounded strongly after Lam Research (LRCX) posted better-than-expected earnings. The chipmaker reported Q2 revenue of $6.72 billion, up 15.1% sequentially and a record high, with non-GAAP

Samsung Electronics faces analysis projecting 132 trillion won in additional shareholder return capacity this year, according to DS Investment & Securities research released on the 31st. The calculation stems from Samsung's 3-year shareholder return policy requiring 50% of free cash flow

According to Jin10, fuel oil futures rebounded sharply since July 28, 2026 following escalating U.S.-Iran tensions. As of July 30 close, high-sulfur fuel oil futures (September 2026 contract) rose 6% to 3,711 yuan/ton, while low-sulfur contracts climbed 4% to 4,807 yuan/ton. Haitong Futures

According to DS Investment & Securities' analysis on July 31, Samsung Electronics' additional shareholder returns for 2026 could reach approximately 132 trillion won. The analyst projects the company's operating cash flow at 325.5 trillion won and capital expenditure at 62.3 trillion won,

According to Bitget, on July 31, the Nikkei 225 index hit 64,000 points, gaining 3.57% intraday. SoftBank Group stock rose 14% in the same session.

According to The Block, on Thursday (July 31), six crypto mining companies saw shares soar as their AI data center operations attracted market attention. IREN led gains with a 30.54% jump, followed by Bitdeer at 24.72%, Riot Platforms at 21.27%, CleanSpark at 21.07%, and HIVE Digital at 18.34%. The

According to Coinglass data, Seagate stock contract liquidations exceeded $20 million in the past 12 hours on July 31, ranking first across all markets amid a sharp rally in U.S., South Korean, and Japanese

According to Zhao Lian's Chief Economist Dong Ximiao, cited by Jin10, China's central bank is expected to cut reserve requirement ratios and lower policy rates in the third quarter of 2026. The economist forecasts potential policy rate cuts of 10 to 20 basis points if economic momentum weakens in th

International credit rating agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) upgraded Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance's credit rating from AA- to AA on the 31st. S&P stated the upgrade reflects expectations that Samsung Fire & Marine will maintain strengthened capital adequacy, supported by robust asset-liability

According to S&P, on July 31, the international credit rating agency upgraded Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance's credit rating from AA- to AA, citing the company's strengthened capital adequacy and solid asset-liability management capabilities. S&P expects the company to maintain enhanced capital str

Central banks purchased a net 288.9 tonnes of gold in Q2 2026, a 62% increase from Q2 2025's 177.9 tonnes, according to World Gold Council (WGC) data. The rebound from Q1's revised 57 tonnes was driven by increased purchases from Poland and China, alongside reduced sales from Turkey and Russia.

Paradise Co. is forecast to report Q2 operating profit of 44 billion won, an increase of 2.72% year-over-year but below market expectations, according to a compilation by Yonhap Infomax of earnings forecasts from six major domestic securities firms released within the past month. The