Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

WTI and Brent crude oil futures erased early gains and turned lower earlier today, now down 0.3% as sentiment shifted. The contracts had climbed roughly 1% during the initial session before the decline.

According to Deutsche Bank, as of October 8, the bank downgraded U.S. tech stocks to neutral from buy, citing concerns about stretched valuations and fading momentum. Since July 29, tech stocks have outperformed the broader market by 18.1 percentage points over 52 trading days, approaching the

According to President Trump, Russia has agreed to supply over 300,000 tons of diesel to the U.S. and global markets effective immediately as part of an energy ceasefire agreement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The supply will include 500,000 tons in November, followed by an additional 1 million to

According to UBS strategist Théa Ziegler, London copper futures closed near historic highs on Friday at approximately $14,622 per ton. The report notes that electrification and data center expansion are expected to drive demand growth exceeding

Shinhan Securities received approval from South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) to become a major shareholder of Korean Reinsurance despite violating pre-approval requirements under the Financial Company Governance Act. The FSC recently approved the shareholder change application

SK Hynix is projected to post operating profit of 80.1 trillion won in Q3 2026, a 32% increase from the previous quarter and exceeding market expectations, according to a report by Meritz Securities analyst Kim Sun-woo on October 12. Market consensus had lowered Q3 estimates to 70 trillion won due t

Samsung Electronics reported Q3 operating profit of 10.74 trillion won, marking a 783% year-over-year increase, yet the Korean stock market continues to lose upward momentum. While domestic companies' earnings per share growth rate this year is estimated at 237% — far exceeding Taiwan's 68% and

According to Yonhapinfomax, on October 12, South Korea's Financial Services Commission approved Shin Young Securities' change in major shareholder status at Korean Reinsurance Company, despite the company's failure to obtain prior approval as required by the Financial Company Governance Act. Shin Yo

Korea Investment & Securities maintained its 'Buy' rating and 520,000 won target price on APR on October 12, citing strong cosmetics sales performance that would partially offset foreign exchange headwinds. Analyst Kim Myung-joo stated that APR's stock price of 371,500 won as of October 8 implies

Brent crude traded at $105.10 per barrel in early Asian trading on October 11, up 0.4%, as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia drove international oil prices and the dollar higher together. Twelve people were killed in an attack on Riyadh International Airport on October 10, followed by another attack on

According to Korea Investment Securities on October 12, the brokerage maintained its buy rating and 520,000 won ($400 USD equivalent) target price on South Korean cosmetics exporter APR, citing strong beauty product sales that partially offset currency headwinds. The company's shares closed at 371,5

According to Zhitong Finance, on October 10, 2026, China's A-share earnings season officially entered its key disclosure window after Huahua Pharmaceuticals released its third-quarter results. The company reported Q3 net

According to reports, Broadcom is pursuing $50 billion in funding for AI semiconductor-related operations, while SpaceX is negotiating approximately $40 billion in financing to purchase Nvidia AI chips. SpaceX's funding structure includes $30 billion in corporate bonds and $10 billion in bank

According to Axios, on October 11, Trump announced a potential "energy ceasefire" agreement between Russia and Ukraine, proposing both sides halt attacks on oil refineries. A White House official described the deal as a "refinery-for-refinery" arrangement but acknowledged a stark imbalance: Ukraine

Hana Securities maintained its overweight strategy on the memory semiconductor materials sector on the 12th, identifying low-power DRAM (LPDDR) supply shortages as the key variable for future earnings revisions and stock price recovery. Analysts Kim Rok-ho and Park Kyu-yeon noted that memory

According to Hana Securities research on October 12, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix stock prices fell 5.1% and 8.7% respectively over the past week, despite memory chip prices exceeding market expectations. Analysts attributed the disconnect to limited upside in supply and long-term contracts

Global financial markets face a critical week starting October 14, highlighted by major macroeconomic releases and policy signals. China and the United States will announce September CPI data on Wednesday (October 16), followed by U.S. retail sales and PPI on Thursday. The International Monetary

According to Yonhapinfomax, the USD/KRW 1-month NDF contract fell to 1,339.70 won on October 9 (local time), down 2.30 won from the previous Seoul forex market close of 1,342.80 won. The decline came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans for Russia to supply over 300,000 tons of diesel o

According to Reuters, on October 10, the U.S. Department of Energy authorized the release of 4 million barrels from strategic petroleum reserves to address supply disruptions caused by Hurricane Isaias. The move brings reserve inventory to its lowest level