Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Singapore's middle distillate oil inventories fell by 593,000 barrels to 8.715 million barrels, a 3-week low, for the week ended July 22, according to data released by Singapore's Enterprise Singapore (ESG) on July 23.

According to Singapore's Economic Development Board, fuel oil inventory rose 345,000 barrels to 19.46 million barrels for the week ending July 22, marking a three-week high.

JB Financial Group achieved a record Q2 net profit of 2,196 billion won, marking a 5.7% increase from the same period last year and the highest Q2 performance in company history. The capital subsidiary JB Woori Capital led the growth with Q2 net profit of 1,041 billion won, double the profit

According to Korea Securities Depository CEO, SK Hynix's $26.5 billion ADR (American Depositary Receipt) offering issued on July 10 has exhausted its conversion limit. The company had capped the proportion of Korean-listed shares convertible into U.S.-traded ADRs at 2.5% of total issued shares.

According to JB Financial Group's announcement on July 23, the company recorded consolidated net profit of 219.6 billion KRW in the second quarter, up 5.7% year-over-year, marking the highest Q2 result in company history. JB Woori Capital, the group's capital affiliate, drove the performance with n

The KRW-JPY exchange rate in the Seoul foreign exchange market fell to 898.90 won per 100 yen at 2:38 PM on the 23rd, down 6.13 won from the previous session, driven by sustained Korean won strength. This marks the first time the rate has dropped below the 900 won threshold since

KB Financial Group confirmed on the 23rd that dividend reduction will proceed next year as planned and is considering linking return on equity (ROE) to its shareholder return framework. CFO Na Sang-rok stated during the earnings conference call that dividend reduction starts next year with

NH Investment & Securities announced on the 23rd that its net profit attributable to controlling shareholders reached 965.2 billion won in the first half, marking a record half-year performance and a 107.6% increase compared to the same period last year. The company's second-quarter net profit

Hyundai Card reported a 15.7% year-over-year increase in net profit for the second quarter, reaching 1,205 billion won, driven by operating profit expansion and increased Apple Pay transactions. The company disclosed on the 23rd that Q2 net profit rose from 1,041 billion won in the prior-year

According to Yonhap Infomax, on July 23, the JPY/KRW exchange rate broke below 900 won for the first time in approximately 20 months, trading at 898.90 won per 100 yen as of 2:38 p.m. The rate hit a low of 898.41 won near noon. This marks the first time the pair has fallen below the 900 won level

According to the Financial Investment Association, investor deposits on South Korea's stock exchange dropped to 103.88 trillion won as of July 22, marking the lowest level in five months. The decline of 2.82 trillion won in a single day represents the sharpest pullback since February 13, when deposi

According to CryptoQuant analyst Axel Adler Jr., on July 23, U.S. spot bitcoin ETF weekly net inflows rebounded to $439 million, marking the first significantly positive figure since May. The Coinbase premium index narrowed to -0.042 after trading negative for 78 consecutive days, rebounding

According to Newsis, South Korea's KOSPI index closed at 7,096.89 on July 23, up 299.19 points or 4.4%, reclaiming the 7,000 level for the first time in five trading days. The rally was driven by Google parent Alphabet's better-than-expected second-quarter earnings and capital expenditure

Wai Fai Enterprises (00622) reported today that first-half 2026 profit is expected to exceed HK$150 million, representing 59% year-on-year growth, primarily driven by increased revenue and higher profit contributions from associated companies. The stock surged 16.9% to HK$2.49 as of 3:49 p.m.,

According to market pricing on July 23, the European Central Bank is expected to raise interest rates twice by the end of 2026 at 25 basis points per hike, with market probability at 100%. Market participants are also increasing bets on Bank of England rate hikes, with 100% probability priced in

South Korean financial authorities are considering advancing the implementation of increased deposit requirements for single-stock leveraged ETFs to the end of this month, following President Lee Jae-myung's directive on July 21. The Financial Investment Association held a working-level meeting on J

South Korean petrochemical companies failed to recover credit ratings in the first half of this year, with zero upgrades among 14 major firms reviewed by the country's three credit rating agencies. LG Chem was downgraded

According to Jin10, Shanghai Gold's afternoon fix on July 23 was 896.63 yuan per gram, trading 5.38 yuan above the international gold price of 891.25 yuan per gram.

According to credit rating agencies, in H1 2026 regular assessments, none of the 14 major South Korean petrochemical companies received credit rating upgrades, marking a comprehensive failure in credit recovery. LG Chem's rating fell from AA+ to AA, while Yeochen NCC dropped from A- to BBB+, and

German 10-year government bond yields (Bunds) reached 3.2014% on July 23, marking the highest level since 2011. The yield surge reflects recent monetary policy shifts and broader European fixed-income market