Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Korea Investment Holdings reported Q2 net profit of 9,984 billion won, an 84.8% increase from the same period last year, disclosed on the 6th. The growth was driven by strong performance across all subsidiaries including securities, savings bank, capital, and asset management divisions. The Korean f

According to BlockBeats, on August 6, U.S. Federal Reserve officials signaled a more hawkish stance despite July ADP employment gains of only 44,000. Officials including Kashkari, Cook, and Daley emphasized they would not rule out further rate hikes if inflation fails to improve consistently, signal

According to Yonhapnews, South Korea's KOSPI index fell 4.58%, or 301.88 points, to close at 6,296.38 on August 6, retreating into the 6,200s after a two-day rally.

The Korean exchange-traded fund market showed stark performance divergence in the first half of the year, with AI and semiconductor ETFs delivering triple-digit gains while inverse ETFs betting on market declines suffered losses exceeding 80%. According to Korea Exchange

According to Yonhapinfomax, Korea Financial Group reported Q2 2026 net profit of 998.4 billion won on August 6, up 84.8% year-over-year and surpassing market expectations of 781.3 billion won. Operating profit reached 1.34 trillion won, up 129.6% YoY, while revenue grew 92.7% to 13.55 trillion won.

According to Yonhapnews, South Korea's 3-year government bond yield rose 3.3 basis points to 3.710% in afternoon trading on August 6, after dropping below 3.7% the previous day. The 10-year yield increased 0.4bp to 4.159%, while 30-year maturity declined 0.9bp to 4.507%. 3-year government bond

According to Korea Exchange Data Market data released on August 6, South Korea's ETF market in the first half of 2026 showed stark winners and losers. AI and semiconductor-focused ETFs led gains, with the TIGER 200IT Leverage ETF posting a 235.46% surge from the start of the year, followed by the

SoftBank Group reported investment gains of 257.58 billion yen (approximately $1.78 billion) from its Vision Fund in the first quarter of 2026.

Nintendo reported operating profit of 142.6 billion Japanese yen for the first quarter, significantly exceeding analyst estimates of 74.09 billion yen and nearly tripling the 56.93 billion yen recorded in the same quarter of the prior

SoftBank Group reported first-quarter net profit of 347.3 billion yen, significantly exceeding the estimated 165.8 billion yen. Revenue for the quarter reached 2.02 trillion yen versus the forecast of 1.97 trillion yen. The company maintained its full-year dividend guidance at 11.00 yen per

According to Jin10, the CFETS-NEX market-wide sentiment index (China Foreign Exchange Trade System-NEX) reported 48 as of 2:30 p.m. on August 6, up 1 point from 10:15 a.m. Among institutional segments, large banks, mid-size banks, and non-bank institutions reported 47, 49, and 47 respectively,

Korean Exchange released its monthly corporate value enhancement status report on the 6th, showing value-up plan disclosures reached 747 listed companies in July. The cumulative total includes 348 companies on the KOSPI market and 399 on the KOSDAQ market, with 6 new disclosures added during the mon

BGF Retail reported Q2 revenue of 2.4268 trillion won and operating profit of 84.9 billion won, exceeding analyst forecasts. The results represent year-over-year growth of 6.0% and 22.3% respectively, surpassing the consensus estimates of 7 securities firms. The company attributed the performance

According to Guru Club, South Korea's industry minister warned today (August 6) that the country risks losing its semiconductor edge without accelerating chipmaker investments amid intensifying global competition. Minister Geum Jung-kwan stated that the global memory chip market is projected to

According to the IEA's 2026 Global Critical Minerals Outlook, tungsten prices surged 622% from January 2025 to April 2026, driven by export restrictions and highly concentrated supply chains. The metal is widely used in cutting tools, aerospace components, electronics, and defense

According to Bloomberg, Leopold Aschenbrenner's hedge fund Situational Awareness returned to the investment market just days after the fund nearly collapsed, placing a $400 million bet on a private company. The investment followed a $100 million commitment to the same company last month. The

According to DBS Group announcement on August 3, DBS Group and DBS Bank appointed Jonathan Larsen, age 60, to their boards, effective immediately. Larsen served as Chief Innovation Officer at China Ping An from May 2017 until his retirement in February 2026, where he oversaw the introduction of

According to Bloomberg, the American Family Institute surveyed 2,000 men aged 18-29 on August 5 and found that approximately 25% engage in daily stock trading. The survey revealed that many of these young day traders experience significant feelings of failure comparable to gambling-related

According to The Fact, on August 5, South Korea's market participants and minority shareholders criticized the government's tax reform plan announced on August 3, arguing that its anti-stock suppression measures lack enforcement power. The Ministry of Economy and Finance proposed the measure to pre