Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to Yonhapinfomax, the USD-KRW exchange rate fell to 1,466.60 won as of 3:30 p.m. on July 23 in the Seoul market, down 0.20 won from the previous close of 1,466.80 won and marking the lowest level since May 7. The currency declined 7.60 won compared to the New York session close of 1,474.20

According to Nikkei, the Bank of Japan will maintain its key interest rate at the policy meeting scheduled for next week, sources familiar with the matter disclosed.

Korean foreign exchange swap points rose on the 24th, reflecting a market imbalance where dollar supply exceeded won availability. The 1-year FX swap point closed at -12.90 won, up 0.70 won from the opening price, while shorter maturities also gained across the board. The upward movement stemmed fro

According to Yonhap Infomax, on July 24, South Korea's interest rate swap (IRS) rates rose across all maturities. The 1-year IRS rate climbed 3 basis points to 3.5075%, the 5-year rate increased 5.5 basis points to 4.1475%, and the 10-year rate rose 4.5 basis points to 4.2625%. Dealers attributed th

According to Yonhapinfomax, on July 24, South Korea's 1-year FX swap points rose 0.70 won to close at -12.90 won, while 6-month and 3-month tenors gained 0.70 won and 0.40 won respectively. The rally across all tenors reflected tight Korean won supply against ample dollar liquidity, driven by month-

PayPal, Robinhood and Coinbase will report second-quarter results over four days next week, creating a concentrated test of whether stablecoins, prediction markets and crypto services have become material earnings drivers. PayPal is scheduled to report on July 28, followed by Robinhood on July 29 an

Renewable energy exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in South Korea surged over a one-week period from July 17 to July 24, with the PLUS Solar&ESS ETF climbing 20.65%, driven by escalating military tensions in the Middle East. Brent crude oil exceeded $100 per barrel on July 23 (local time) for the first t

Korean retail investors purchased over $613 million in SK Hynix American Depositary Receipts (ADR) on the New York Stock Exchange from listing through the 23rd, prompting criticism from global finance experts. Owen Lamont, Senior Vice President at Acadian Asset Management,

PayPal, Robinhood and Coinbase will report second-quarter earnings over four consecutive days next week—July 28, 29 and 30 respectively—in a concentrated test of whether stablecoins, prediction markets and crypto services have become material earnings drivers. PayPal's call will focus on whether

According to Yuexuan Group, the company's mid-year profit attributable to shareholders is expected to decline 55-60% year-over-year through June 30, 2026. The drop is primarily driven by weak demand that reduced sales volume, coupled with rising costs and production efficiency pressures in the

According to Benchlife, Nvidia has notified its board partners of price increases for GDDR6 and GDDR7 memory kits. The chipmaker bundles GPU chips with VRAM chips into kits sold to add-in board (AIB) manufacturers, which then assemble them onto PCBs to produce custom graphics cards. With memory kit

According to MSX.COM data, AI-related stocks showed mixed movements in U.S. pre-market trading on July 24. Micron Technology rose 3.2%, Broadcom fell 0.79%, Klac climbed 1.88%, AMD declined 2.99%, and Nvidia

According to Japan's Marine Science and Technology Agency (JAMSTEC), sampling conducted off Minami-Torishima island in January confirmed multiple rare earth elements including yttrium (approximately 30%) and neodymium (approximately 20%) at depths of around 6,000 meters. The agency extracted approxi

According to Korea's Electronics News, semiconductor equipment delivery cycles extended to 1.5–2 times their original timeframes as of July 24. Equipment makers including Applied Materials, ASML, Lam Research, Tokyo Electron, and KLA—which collectively represent approximately 70% of the global semic

Orient Securities released its interim earnings report for H1 2026, showing net profit of 4.518 billion yuan, up 30.46% year-over-year, with operating revenue of 9.56 billion yuan, up 19.49% year-over-year. The company attributed the growth to increased revenue across wealth management, investment b

According to Shanghai International Energy Exchange, the exchange released the Low Sulfur Fuel Oil Futures Options Contract on July 24. The contract has been approved by the exchange's board of directors and reported to China's securities regulator. The contract took effect on the date of release.

EcoPro BM, a South Korean battery materials manufacturer, submitted an amended securities filing on May 24 maintaining its 1.2 trillion won capital raise plan. The Financial Supervisory Service requested the first amended filing on the 14th, prompting the company to expand its disclosure

According to Yonhapnews, Ecopro BM submitted its first amended equity offering disclosure on July 24, maintaining the planned issue size of 1.2 trillion won (approximately 9.909 million shares) despite regulatory requests for clarification from South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service on July 14.

Zhibao Technology, a Shanghai-based insurer trading on Nasdaq stocks under ticker ZBAO, signed a non-binding agreement for a roughly $220 million PIPE deal paid in approximately 3,500 Bitcoin rather than cash. The proposed transaction would transfer Bitcoin directly to Zhibao's balance sheet and

Zhibao Technology signed a non-binding agreement to raise approximately $220 million through a PIPE transaction in which investor Joyertech would pay about 3,500 Bitcoin as direct consideration for newly issued shares, establishing a Bitcoin treasury on the company's balance sheet without a cash