Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to E Daily analyst Lee Jin-kyung at Shinhan Investment, South Korea's USD/KRW exchange rate oscillated between 1,400 and 1,500 won last week, with the currency weakening in early week amid dollar strength and Middle East tensions, then stabilizing below 1,500 won as downward pressure

On Friday, July 17, the U.S. dollar index (DXY) ended the week lower at 100.77, down 0.2%, as softer inflation data reduced market expectations for imminent Federal Reserve rate hikes. U.S. consumer and producer price indices rose more slowly in June,

U.S. stock indices fell sharply on July 17, with the Nasdaq Composite declining 1.4%, the S&P 500 dropping 1.01%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing 0.77%. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell 1.63% into bear territory, reflecting a decline of at least 20% from recent highs. Semiconduc

Five major South Korean defense stocks rose an average of 22.7% year-to-date through the closing on the 16th, underperforming the KOSPI index's 61.9% gain over the same period. The stocks—Hanwha Aerospace, Hyundai Rotem, Korea Aerospace Industries, Hanwha Systems, and LIG Nex1—had surged following t

Foreign investors net sold over 12 trillion won in Korean stocks during the 1st-16th while simultaneously net buying nearly 600 billion won in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), according to Korea Exchange and KOSCOM CHECK data released on the 19th. The contrarian trading pattern occurred as the KOSPI in

According to Korea Exchange and Koscom CHECK, foreign investors sold over 12 trillion won in domestic stocks from July 1-16, while purchasing approximately 600 billion won in ETFs. On the KOSPI market, foreign investors recorded net sales of 12.1 trillion won, with sales activity outweighing purchas

According to Yonhapnews and Korean securities analysts, five major South Korean defense contractors saw their stocks decline sharply from peak levels reached in early March through mid-July. Hanwha Aerospace fell 43% from its March 4 high of 1.655 million won to 943,000 won on July 16; Hyundai

Model-turned-broadcaster Byun Jung-soo revealed on the YouTube channel 'Bolbbangan Nyonnyonnyon' that she started stock investing due to artificial intelligence, purchasing SK Hynix shares at 1.75 million won per share based on ChatGPT recommendations and subsequently recovering her principal.

KOSPI declined over 25% in less than a month from June 22, prompting Korean securities firms to focus on upcoming US Big Tech and semiconductor earnings scheduled for next week starting July 22. Analysts attribute the drop to AI investment slowdown concerns and semiconductor cycle uncertainty

KOSPI fell below the 7000-point threshold on the 16th, closing at 6820.60, down 463.81 points (6.37%) from the previous trading day, according to Korea Exchange. The decline stemmed from growing concerns over the semiconductor sector amid data center investment delay worries, triggering circuit

KOSDAQ fell 23.27% over one month ending July 16, recording the steepest decline among major global indices according to Investing.com data published on the 19th. The market closed at 1000.93 on the 18th of last month before sliding below the 800 level, hitting an intraday low of 749.76 on the 14th

According to Financial News, retail investors are increasingly turning to AI tools like ChatGPT for stock investment decisions. A March survey by Investing.com of 938 U.S. investors found that 62% use AI in investment decisions, with 26.6% following AI-generated trading ideas multiple times. In

According to News1, on July 16, KOSDAQ fell 23.27% over the past month, recording the steepest decline among major global stock indices. The index dropped from 1,000.93 in mid-June to below 800, hitting a one-year low of 749.76 on July 14. The decline reflects concentrated fund flows toward

According to News1, South Korea's KOSPI index fell more than 25% in less than a month from its June 22 high of 9,114.55 points, before rebounding 67% within one week—historically a common pattern following sharp market selloffs. Analysts at Shinhan Securities noted that 67% of KOSPI's 48 sharp

According to Dailian, South Korea's KOSPI index fell below the 7,000-point level on July 16, closing at 6,820.60, down 463.81 points or 6.37%, as semiconductor stocks faced headwinds amid data center investment concerns. The index traded within a range of 6,448.86 to 7,529.07 during the week, with t

The Korean won appreciated 4.27% against the US dollar in July 2026 month-to-date, the highest appreciation rate among major currencies, as the won/dollar exchange rate fell to 1,478.5 won on July 17. The appreciation was driven by dollar inflows from SK Hynix's American Depositary Receipt (ADR)

According to Yonhapnews, South Korea's Korean won appreciated 4.27% against the dollar in July, the strongest performance among major 20 currencies, as the KRW/USD exchange rate fell from 1,560 to 1,478.5 won on July 17-18, 2026. SK Hynix's $26.5 billion Nasdaq ADR listing triggered substantial doll

Bitcoin Japan's shares fell 26.7% to 99 yen on Friday following disclosure of a convertible bond and warrant financing package with Cayman Islands-based EVO Fund that could raise approximately 9.66 billion yen ($59.5 million) in net proceeds over roughly 12 months, according to Tokyo Stock

South Korea's Financial Services Commission announced measures on the 16th to tighten access to single-stock leveraged ETFs for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, raising the minimum cash deposit from 10 million won to 30 million won starting next month 5th and increasing the trading unit from 1

US stock market margin debt reached a record $1.5 trillion in June, according to data from FINRA, NYSE, and JPMorgan cited by Adam Kobeissi. The surge reflects investors using borrowed funds at historic rates to amplify their market positions. Such high leverage levels have historically signaled