Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Align Partners, an activist fund, proposed on July 14 that South Korea's two major regional financial holding companies—JB Financial Group and BNK Financial Group—merge to create a mega regional finance holding with combined assets of 234 trillion Korean won. The fund estimates the merged entity's e

Microsoft Corp. shares rose 1.5% on Monday, bucking a market-wide selloff linked to escalating U.S.-Iran tensions. The stock has gained fresh momentum in July after emerging as one of the weakest performers in its peer group during the first half. Retail traders are now watching the stock closely as

Microsoft Corp. shares rose 1.5% on Monday, bucking a broader market selloff linked to U.S.-Iran tensions. On the same day, Microsoft announced a major update to Windows 11's Search Box, prioritizing on-device files and results while removing ads and promotional content. The revamp is rolling out to

According to Guru Club, Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index fell 1.2% to 5,076.81 points on June 4.

Dutch asset management firm Robeco forecast on May 14 that the memory semiconductor cycle led by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will extend beyond historical patterns. At a press conference held in Seoul, Chris Berkouwer, Deputy Head of Global Stars Equity Strategy at Robeco, stated that three

NuScale Power Corp. (SMR), Richtech Robotics Inc. (RR), and Factorial Energy Inc. (FAC) stocks hit 52-week lows on Monday. SMR fell more than 7% after Truist initiated coverage with a 'Hold' rating and a $10 price target, RR shares fell nearly 6% as investor sentiment remained pressured by

According to South Korea's Finance and Economy Ministry, the government raised its economic growth forecasts on July 14, projecting nominal growth of 12.3% and real growth of 3.0% for 2026. The upward revisions, of 7.4 and 1.0 percentage points respectively from January forecasts, reflect

On July 14, Joshua Crabb, head of Asia-Pacific equities at Robeco, warned that U.S. stocks have exhausted upside revaluation potential while Asian markets including South Korea and Taiwan remain significantly undervalued with reassessment opportunities ahead. Crabb noted that despite Asian equities

NuScale Power (SMR), Richtech Robotics (RR), and Factorial Energy (FAC) slumped to 52-week lows on Monday. SMR fell over 7% after Truist initiated coverage with a Hold rating and $10 price target. RR shares declined nearly 6% as accounting errors disclosed in early June continued to pressure

According to Robeco, the Dutch asset manager with $396 billion in assets under management, Korea's memory semiconductor cycle will extend significantly due to multiple supporting factors, Chris Burkouwer, global head of equity strategy at Robeco Global Stars, said on July 14. Burkouwer cited

Japan's inventory-to-sales ratio fell to -1.1% in May, down from -0.6% in the prior month, according to official data.

China's June exports surged 27% year-over-year, significantly exceeding expectations and marking the highest growth in over four years, amid a wave of artificial intelligence-related investment spending. First-half exports rose 17.6% compared to the same period last year.

Japan's equipment utilization index rose 0.1% month-on-month in May, rebounding from a decline of 0.80% in the previous month.

Japan's industrial production month-over-month final reading came in at 0.1% in May, down from the previous reading of 0.50%, according to official economic data.

South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS), which manages up to $88 billion in currency forward limits, lacks a transparent public process for selecting foreign exchange (FX) trading counterparties, according to industry observations reported on May 14. While the pension fund publicly selects

Japan's industrial output for May came in at -2.1% year-over-year in the final reading, down from the initially reported -1.7%, marking a steeper decline than first estimated.

According to Yonhap Infomax on July 14, South Korea's National Pension Fund lacks transparent procedures for selecting counterparties in forex derivative trading, unlike its process for stocks and bonds. The fund manages up to $88 billion in forward exchange contracts and forex swaps, with foreign e

According to Jin10 Futures, pure benzene in East China closed at 7,570 yuan/ton on July 13, up 280 yuan/ton from the previous trading day. The price gain was driven by rising crude oil prices amid escalating Middle East tensions, combined

SK Hynix has recently completed its listing on Nasdaq, marking a significant shift in the AI memory investment landscape. As a leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for Nvidia's latest AI accelerators, SK Hynix directly competes with Micron

Former Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Bok-hyun leads a legal team representing JTBC bond victims and alleges securities firms mis-sold bonds to retail investors, while South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service launched inspections of Shinhan Investment &