Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Seoul apartment monthly rent reached 52.3% in August, surpassing jeonse for the first time per Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport data. The shift stems from renters recognizing opportunity costs, as KOSPI index gains of 184.98% from December 2024 to September significantly outpaced

According to DS Investment & Securities, the brokerage raised its target price for Samsung SDI to 940,000 Korean won from 840,000 Korean won on October 8, maintaining a 'buy' rating. The upgrade reflects expectations for improved earnings driven by energy storage system (ESS) growth and

According to Yonhapnews, the Korea Exchange announced on October 8 that it will suspend delisting procedures for listed companies that fail to meet minimum market capitalization requirements, citing a court order. The announcement triggered sharp gains in related stocks during morning trading,

According to Hyundai Motor Securities, the brokerage upgraded Kakao Games to Buy from Neutral on October 8 and raised its price target to 13,000 KRW from 11,000 KRW. Analyst Choi Seung-ho expects the gaming company to achieve profitability next year, with operating profit of 96 billion KRW against r

According to Peptron's official statement released on October 8, the company's technology evaluation period with global pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly for the SmartDepot platform ended on October 7, with no subsequent commercialization contract reached. The Seoul-listed biotech firm's shares fell to

According to Financial News, on October 7, SOL Global DRAM Semiconductor Plus ETF, a new exchange-traded fund focusing on global memory chip makers including Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron, attracted 5.8 billion won in net individual purchases on its first trading day. The product

According to South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, monthly rent (월세) surpassed traditional deposit-based jeonse leases in Seoul apartments for the first time in August 2026, with monthly rent accounting for 52.3% of new rental contracts. This marks a sharp reversal

According to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS), the Chinese yuan rate index rose 0.27 points to 103.20 on September 30.

At 8:30 Beijing time on October 8, spot platinum declined 0.35%, while spot palladium rose 0.09% in early trading.

On October 6, Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, creating a new entertainment conglomerate combining Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, CNN, CBS, and multiple streaming platforms. Including debt, the transaction valued at approximately $110 billion, represents

According to the Federal Reserve's September meeting minutes, all 19 officials supported a 25 basis point rate increase, with most believing further policy tightening is necessary before year-end. However, recent cautious statements from Fed officials have cooled market expectations for another

According to the company announcement, China International Holdings (08118) completed a placement of 100 million shares at HK$0.049 per share on October 7, 2026. The shares were placed with not fewer than six subscribers under the terms of the placement agreement. Following the completion,

According to ChainCatcher, citing sources, SK Hynix's Solidigm has selected Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as lead underwriters for a planned U.S. IPO as early as 2027, targeting approximately $10 billion in fundraising with a potential valuation of up to $100 billion. JP Morgan, Citigroup, and

Peptron stocks plunged over 25% on the 8th following the announcement that its technology evaluation period with global pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly ended without a commercialization contract. According to the Korea Exchange, Peptron traded at 97,800

South Korea's registered foreign institutions handling Korean won transactions (RFI-K) expanded to 10 institutions as of the previous day, up from the initial six registered on the 22nd of last month, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance on the 8th. The four new additions include Hana

According to South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance, as of October 7, registered RFI-K (Offshore Korean Won Trading) institutions increased to 10 from 6 established on September 22. Four new overseas branches were added: Hana Bank Singapore, KB Kookmin Bank London,

According to Peptron's official statement, the South Korean biotech company's technical evaluation period with U.S. pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly for its SmartDepot drug delivery platform concluded on October 7 without a follow-up commercialization agreement. On the morning of October 8, Peptron's

According to analyst Eamonn Sheridan, U.S. forecasters expect a storm forming in the Gulf of Mexico to become the Atlantic's first hurricane of 2026 within the next two days and potentially strike oil and gas facilities. Offshore production zones in the storm's path account for approximately 15% of

Seoul Trade, a fintech startup, announced on the 8th its plan to complete over-the-counter brokerage licensing procedures and prepare infrastructure for token securities trading of unlisted stocks, targeting a February next year launch. The move follows Capital Markets Act enforcement decree