Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to F&Guide, South Korean brokerage firms published dramatically divergent price targets for major semiconductor stocks on August 10, with SK Hynix targets spanning 750,000 to 4.7 million won—a 6.3-fold gap. Samsung Electronics showed a 4.3-fold variance (150,000 to 650,000 won). The

Oil prices surged approximately 5% as US-Iran negotiations over reopening the Strait of Hormuz remained deadlocked with no clear resolution in sight. On the 10th (US Eastern time), West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for September delivery jumped $3.95 (5.05%) to close at $82.13 per barrel on the

According to Yonhap Infomax, on August 10, WTI crude oil for September delivery surged 3.95 dollars to $82.13 per barrel, up 5.05% and marking a fourth consecutive day of gains. Brent crude for October delivery rose 4.17 dollars to $87.72, up 4.99%. The rally was driven by investor concerns as

Trump Media & Technology Group on Monday reported a net loss of more than $238 million for its fiscal second quarter on revenue of less than $2 million. The loss, which significantly exceeded the almost $20 million lost in the same period last year, was primarily driven by declines in non-cash

According to Munhwa, KOSDAQ index surged 6.97% on August 10 to close at 854.47 points, continuing a sharp seven-day rally that has lifted the benchmark 32.52% from its recent low of 644.78. This month, KOSDAQ has climbed 18.72% compared to a 4.48% decline in KOSPI, as individual investors

According to CNBC, Trump Media & Technology Group reported a net loss of more than $238 million for its fiscal second quarter on Monday (August 10), primarily driven by more than $190 million in losses from digital assets, digital assets pledged, and equity securities. The loss dwarfed the

According to Korean media, South Korea's KOSPI and KOSDAQ markets triggered circuit breakers (Sidecar mechanism) 77 times this year despite the intended risk-buffering measure failing to contain volatility. In the most recent 10 trading days, the circuit breaker was activated 8 times, with average d

Korean corporations face mounting funding difficulties across multiple channels despite the Bank of Korea reporting broad money supply (M2) reached 4,184 trillion won in May, up 32 trillion won from the prior month. The monetary multiplier dropped from an annual average of 14.9 in 2024 to 13.36 in M

According to court documents, four U.S. states—California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey—will begin jury selection tomorrow (August 12) in a federal lawsuit against Meta, seeking $1.4 trillion in damages. The lawsuit alleges that Meta's platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, were

Gold futures prices rose nearly 1% to surpass the $4,400 mark on August 10 afternoon (US Eastern Time), with December delivery gold futures (GCZ6) trading at $4,434.60 per troy ounce on the COMEX exchange. The rally follows a month-long consolidation period in July where gold found support at the $4

According to Yonhapnews, citing data from South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), loans collateralized by SK Hynix shares surged more than five-fold as of May 2026 compared to one year earlier. The increase was particularly pronounced among investors in their 40s, whose share of such loan

According to TechInsights McClean Report, the global semiconductor market is projected to surge to approximately $1.7 trillion in 2026, representing year-over-year growth of 98.3%, driven by AI infrastructure buildout. The memory market will be the primary growth engine, with an estimated increase o

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) fell to 298.7 million barrels as of Aug 7, dropping below the 300 million barrel threshold for the first time since 1983. The weekly draw-down totaled 6.1 million barrels, marking a continued depletion of the nation's

JPMorgan raised its year-end S&P 500 target to 8,000 from 7,800 on Monday, while research firm CFRA lifted its 12-month target to 8,650 and year-end target to 8,050. The upgrades follow strong earnings growth driven by artificial intelligence investment and cloud computing expansion, with Google

According to Yahoo Finance, on August 10, Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, stated that multiple rate hikes are necessary to bring inflation back to the central bank's target. Hammack said a single 25 basis point move does not have a significant impact on the

According to JPMorgan and CFRA, on August 10, JPMorgan raised its S&P 500 year-end target to 8,000 from 7,800, implying roughly 3% upside from Friday's close of 7,757.64. CFRA lifted its year-end target to 8,050 and its 12-month target to 8,650. Both strategists cited strong earnings and

Korean retail investors shifted trading activity to 3x leveraged exchange-traded funds following a July 31 regulatory restriction on single-stock leveraged ETFs. Data from the Korea Securities Depository for the six trading days from July 31 to August 7 showed the Direxion Daily Semiconductor

SK Hynix shares declined for two consecutive days following its quarterly dividend announcement on the 7th, as the 375 won per share payout matched last year's amount despite the stock price exceeding 1.4 million won. The unchanged dividend disappointed investors, resulting in a dividend yield