Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Five South Korean defense stocks—Hanwha Aerospace, LIG Defence & Aerospace (LIG D&A), Hanwha Systems, Hyundai Rotem, and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)—received maintained 'Buy' ratings from DS Investment & Securities despite recent underperformance, as the brokerage anticipates a second-half

According to DS Investment Securities on July 15, five major Korean defense companies are expected to secure large export orders in the second half of 2026, with the brokerage maintaining a buy rating on all five firms. The companies—Hanwha Aerospace, LIG Ndefence & Aerospace, Hanwha Systems,

Citigroup (NYS:C) shares fell 5.29% to $133.27 on July 14 (local time) despite reporting strong second-quarter results, as the banking giant declined to raise its full-year performance guidance. The decision to maintain annual Return on Tangible Common Equity (RoTCE) guidance at 10-11%

According to The Kobeissi Letter, semiconductor ETF SMH and software ETF IGV experienced 34 trading days with single-day price swings of 4% or more year-to-date, surpassing 2024's full-year record of 9 occurrences by 278%. This exceeds the cumulative total from the past seven complete years. SMH rec

According to Forbes on July 14, Oracle founder and chairman Larry Ellison saw his wealth decline by $124.8 billion over the past month, as the company's stock tumbled from $250 per share on June 1 to $133 on July 13. Ellison's total assets dropped from $300 billion to $175.2 billion, causing his

According to Gate data, South Korea's KOSPI index (benchmark equity index) opened on Wednesday, July 15, up 3.49% to 7,096.41 points. SK Hynix rose 10%, while Samsung Electronics gained 7%.

According to Yonhap Infomax, Citigroup's stock fell 5.29% to $133.27 on July 14, closing on negative sentiment despite beating second-quarter expectations. The decline reflected investor disappointment that the bank maintained its full-year return on tangible common equity (RoTCE) guidance at 10-11%

On July 15, early trading, SK Square jumped 10.5% to 1,315,000 Korean won as South Korea's semiconductor stocks rallied. Samsung C&T and Samsung Life Insurance, which hold stakes in SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics respectively, also gained, rising 3.81% and 5.68% as of 9:08 a.m. local

Japan's 5-year government bond yields fell 3 basis points to 1.92% today.

According to Reuters, data center operator Switch hired Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase for a potential initial public offering as soon as the fourth quarter. The IPO could raise up to $10 billion and value the Las Vegas-based company at approximately $80 billion, including debt. Switch operates

CJ ENM is forecast to post Q2 operating profit of 33.4 billion won, up 16.91% year-over-year, but below market expectations, according to a consensus of 11 domestic securities firms compiled by Yonhap Infomax. Revenue is projected at 1.281 trillion won, a slight decrease from the prior year. The ear

According to China International Capital Corporation research cited by Jin10 on July 15, the U.S. June Consumer Price Index declined 0.4% month-over-month and rose 3.5% year-over-year, both below market expectations. Core CPI showed zero growth month-over-month with a 2.6% year-over-year increase, a

According to Yonhap Infomax consensus data from 11 major Korean brokerages, CJ ENM is forecasted to post operating profit of 33.4 billion won for Q2 2026, up 16.91% year-over-year, with revenue expected at 1.2811 trillion won. A production gap at U.S. subsidiary Fifth Season and a 19.2% decline in

According to CoinGecko, Bitcoin bounced to $64,968 on July 15 morning, up 4.4% in 24 hours and reaching levels not seen since June 22. The move was driven by U.S. inflation data released on July 14: the June Consumer Price Index rose 3.5% year-over-year, missing market expectations of 3.8%, and

According to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, T. Rowe Price's actively managed cryptocurrency ETF TKNZ is ready to launch, potentially on Thursday, July 17.

According to BlockBeats, on July 15, President Trump abandoned a proposal to impose 20% tolls on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz, reversing the plan within 24 hours of its announcement. Trump stated he would replace the toll scheme with trade and investment agreements from Gulf states,

Shinhan Asset Management announced on the 15th the regular rebalancing of its 'SOL AI Semiconductor TOP2 Plus' exchange-traded fund (ETF). The rebalancing added five front-end equipment companies — Wonik IPS, Daedeok Electronics, PSK, VM, and TES — while removing LG Innotek, ISC, RFHIC, Korea

According to BlockBeats citing sources, CoreWeave is exploring financial derivatives to hedge potential memory and storage chip price declines as of July 15. The AI cloud computing company has signed long-term agreements with memory and storage chipmakers including Micron and SanDisk that include pr

Korean insurance broker Toss Insurance reported pension insurance new contract volume surged 78.1% year-over-year in the first half of the year, according to customer data analysis released on the 15th. The growth was driven by a strong stock market rally, with the KOSPI reaching the 9000 level

US spot Bitcoin ETFs experienced approximately $424 million in net outflows, erasing recent weekly gains in ETF flow momentum, according to a report citing cryptoslate.com. The outflows represent a test of the recovery trade as the market assesses liquidity and risk dynamics. The development adds a