Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Citigroup estimates Korean retail investors lost approximately $38.7 billion (56.3 trillion won) from leveraged exchange-traded fund (ETF) investments during the recent market correction, according to analysis released on the 29th. The investment bank's Asia Pacific Trading Strategy Head Mohamed

According to Korea Securities Depository, Korean listed companies raised 6.27 trillion won through paid-in capital increases in the first half of 2026 as of July 29, representing a 24.5% decline from the same period last year. A total of 220 companies participated in the offerings, a marginal 0.9% i

According to BlockBeats, on July 29, Ark Invest increased its SpaceX holdings by $12.2 million while reducing its Robinhood stake by $4 million. The fund also sold $2.3 million in Block Inc shares and $1.6 million in Bullish

According to The Fact, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won's shareholdings lost approximately 1.557 trillion won in value between July 24-28, as SK stock plunged 18.32% from 655,000 won to 535,000 won during the period. The stock collapse came after a court ordered Chey to pay 944 billion won in cash to

According to Citi Global Markets Securities, South Korean retail investors suffered approximately $38.65 billion (about 56.3 trillion won) in losses from leveraged ETF investments, as the products' market cap collapsed from $52.5 billion to $19 billion as of July 29. Among individual stocks, SK

According to Mirae Asset Securities on July 29, the brokerage cut SK Hynix' price target from 4.2 million Korean won to 2.8 million won (down 33.3%), citing NAND flash price weakness and broader semiconductor sector headwinds. Despite the sharp downgrade, the firm maintained its 'buy' rating,

According to Iran's state television, three tankers were struck and halted by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the Strait of Hormuz hours ago after ignoring warnings, the Iranian military claimed.

Seoul foreign exchange dealers on May 29 forecast range-bound trading for the USD-KRW exchange rate around 1,450 won, driven by competing forces of dollar selling pressure and renewed Middle East tensions. The forecast follows Iran's ballistic missile launch at a US military base in Jordan on May 28

South Korea’s Presidential Office Policy Office Director Kim Yong-beom announced on July 29 at a press conference in São Paulo, Brazil, that he has asked the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service to investigate structural factors behind the significantly higher volatility in South Korea’s stock market—such as the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI)—than in other markets. The scope of the assessment will cover not only leveraged ETFs but also the entire market

According to The Defiant, over the past week, Robinhood Chain's tokenized stock DEX trading volume averaged $29.7 million daily, exceeding the combined volume of Solana's xStocks ($11.1 million) and Backpack's Sunrise ($13.4 million). Tokenized Nvidia led

According to Lloyd Chan, senior foreign exchange analyst at MUFG Bank, the U.S. dollar is likely to receive support if the Federal Reserve maintains interest rates unchanged with a hawkish stance at today's FOMC meeting. MUFG's base case is a hawkish hold, during which the Fed may emphasize that

SK Hynix President Song Hyun-jong expressed confidence in the company's next-generation HBM4E high-bandwidth memory technology during the Q2 2026 earnings conference call on the 29th, stating that optimal processes with technical maturity and production stability have been applied and subsequent

According to Jin10, on July 24, Russia lifted the ban on Kazakhstan sulfur transit through Russian railways and ports, following an order signed by First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. Russian Railways notified subsidiaries to resume accepting sulfur shipments from Kazakhstan destined for Rus

According to SK Hynix CEO Song Hyun-jong at the company's Q2 2026 earnings call on July 29, mass shipment of HBM4 memory chips began in the second quarter, with production set to expand significantly in the second half of the year. The CEO expressed confidence in HBM4E, the next-generation

According to Yonhap Infomax, South Korea's central bank Governor Shin Hyun-song stated on July 16 that market participants should monitor semiconductor prices themselves rather than chip company stock prices. Data analysis released on July 29 showed that the DramEXchange composite index (DXI) and th

South Korea's KOSPI index and the Nasdaq 100 reached a 60-day correlation of approximately 0.50, the highest level since 2021, according to Rayliant Global Advisors. The tightening link stems from artificial intelligence spending that ties Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to the same hyperscaler

Some economists are calling on Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh to raise interest rates at today's meeting. Joe Lavorgna, chief economist for the Americas at SMBC Nikko Securities America, argues the central bank's 2025 cuts left policy too loose even as core Personal Consumption Expenditures

According to Rayliant Global Advisors, South Korea's KOSPI and Nasdaq 100 60-day correlation climbed to 0.50 on July 28, the highest level since 2021, driven by shared artificial intelligence chip spending. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix together account for over 50% of the KOSPI, anchoring both i

DB Securities researcher Seol Tae-hyun identified the KOSPI 5300-5700 zone as a key support line on the 29th, based on supply-demand analysis following the April 2025 rally. Approximately 17% of total trading volume concentrated in this range, forming a strong supply zone that may act as support

KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Brandon Nispel downgraded Apple to underweight with a $250 price target on the 28th (local time), according to Yahoo Finance, citing growth deceleration from iPhone price increases and elevated valuation as Apple trades near all-time highs. The downgrade implies a