Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to MoneyToday, four of six Korean brokerages covering Emart cut their target prices on July 12, with the average falling to KRW 121,000, down 15.2% from pre-Q2 earnings levels. Second-quarter operating profit estimates were reduced 19.6% to KRW 61.1 billion, driven primarily by

Kiwoom Securities and Hanjin are conducting investor demand forecasting this week (July 13-17) for corporate bond issuances, marking a rare appearance of BBB-grade public bonds in South Korea's corporate bond market. Kiwoom Securities, rated AA0, plans to issue 200 billion won in bonds, while Hanjin

South Korea's steel industry recorded export growth in June for the first time in 14 months, driven by rising demand from AI data center construction projects. Steel exports reached $2.14 billion in June, a 9.6% increase compared to the same month last year, according to the Ministry of Trade,

According to South Korea's Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy, steel exports rose to $2.14 billion in June, marking the first increase in 14 months. The June export volume climbed 9.6% year-over-year, driven primarily by expanded AI data center construction demand in the United States and

According to E-Daily, Hanjin will conduct a demand survey for corporate bond issuance on July 14, with the bond launching on July 23. The issuer plans to raise 40 billion won through bonds with maturities of 1 year (20 billion won) and 1.5 years (20 billion won), with potential upsize to 80 billion

According to CCTV, on July 12, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Navy announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, citing foreign intervention as the cause. The announcement followed the issuance of warning shots against a vessel that deviated from approved shipping lanes and ignored Iranian w

According to Morgan Stanley's strategy team, on July 6, the firm released a report indicating that semiconductor stocks have pulled back in recent weeks, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index up 78% year-to-date but down sharply over the past two weeks. The report notes that large-scale cloud se

Agricultural commodity exchange-traded notes posted gains of 6% to 9% month-to-date through May 10, led by the Meritz Leveraged Representative Agricultural Commodity Futures ETN(H) which rose 9.12% to close at 10,230 won, according to Korea Exchange data. The rally was driven by forecasts of a

According to Korea Exchange, Meritz Leveraged Agricultural ETN rose 9.1% through July 10, significantly outperforming South Korea's benchmark equity index, which fell 11.8% over the same period. Individual commodity ETNs tracking wheat, corn, and soybeans also climbed 5.9% to 8.8%. The gains

According to Korea Financial Investment Association, South Korea's stock market has experienced a sharp increase in large-scale forced liquidations following the launch of leverage ETF products for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The leverage products have amplified market volatility, triggering m

According to E Daily, SK Hynix ADR closed at $168.01 on July 10 (first trading day on Nasdaq), up 12.76% from the IPO price of $149. The ADR's closing price converts to approximately 2.532 million Korean

According to SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung on Friday, the global memory industry will face its worst supply shortage in history in 2027, with customer demand expected to exceed the company's supply capacity continuing through 2030 and beyond. The executive cited sustained surge in artificial

According to The Motley Fool, Nvidia's stock has climbed only about 5% so far this year as of July 7, a sharp contrast to its meteoric gains over the past two years. Analysts attribute the modest performance to valuation compression rather than weakening fundamentals. The data center division, the c

On July 7, Tiangong International's indirect subsidiary Jiangsu Tiangong Cemented Carbide Technology officially launched an expansion project targeting annual production of 300 tons of ultra-fine-grain PCB tool billets, 100 million PCB end mills, and 300 million PCB drill

EcoPro BM announced on the 12th that the EcoPro Group acquired a stake in Indonesia's BNSI (Bahodopi Nickel Smelting Indonesia) smelter to respond to Indonesia's offshore regulations. The investment secures a total of 65,000 tons per year of nickel supply rights, sufficient to produce

According to Yonhapinfomax, EcoPro BM acquired a stake in Indonesia's BNSI (Bahodopi Nickel Smelting Indonesia) nickel smelter on July 12, with the EcoPro Group investing 1.5 trillion Korean won in the second phase of the project. The investment brings the group's total annual nickel supply

The Korean stock market is expected to continue volatility in the upcoming week amid verification of semiconductor peak-out concerns, according to NH Investment & Securities on July 12. Securities firms have lowered outlooks on Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, yet the KOSPI's forward

According to Edaily, South Korea's KOSPI index fell 11% on July 12 as semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix declined. While large-cap semiconductor stocks weighed on the index, mid-cap stocks and defensive sectors such as entertainment, leisure, and banking stocks rose, reflecting a

According to the Fair Trade Commission statement, on July 9, Mirae Asset Consulting was approved to acquire a 92.06% stake in Cobit cryptocurrency exchange for approximately 133.4 billion won. The regulator found no significant risk of market competition restrictions, noting that Cobit holds