Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

The Korean stock market faces a test this week as KOSPI's stability above 7000 depends on NVIDIA earnings on Aug 27 and the Jackson Hole meeting from Aug 27-29. KOSPI closed at 6912.95 on Aug 21, up 0.88%, after volatile trading last week driven by surging US Treasury yields. SK Hynix announced a 40

According to Jin10, Iran threatened on August 23 to cut oil exports from the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf region if the U.S. implements economic sanctions. U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent confirmed the specific measures will be announced on August 24.

Global government bond yields surged to multi-year highs on May 18, with the US 30-year Treasury yield breaking 5.3% for the first time since 2007 and Japan's 10-year yield reaching 2.95%, its highest level since 1996. The sharp rise stems from prolonged Middle East conflict driving oil price

Loan delinquency rates among individuals aged 60 and above, as well as those in their 20s, rose noticeably as of June-end, according to data submitted by the Financial Supervisory Service to National Assembly member Lee Jong-wook. The five major Korean banks—KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori, and

Mirae Asset's TIGER exchange-traded funds swept the top three positions for highest returns over the recent 3-month period among Korean ETF products, according to data from Korea Securities Depository reported on the 24th. TIGER Euro Stoxx Leverage (Synthetic H) recorded the highest return at 21.88%

According to data from South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service, delinquency rates for borrowers aged 60 and above hit 0.37% as of June, exceeding the national average of 0.22%, as retirees face mounting losses from stock-backed

According to Dailyan, Mirae Asset Asset Management dominated the top three positions of domestic ETF returns over the past three months as of August 24, according to data from Korea Securities Depository's SAVE platform.

According to ZeroHedge, chip and storage stocks reached their cyclical top on the same day total return swap (TRS) financing costs hit record levels on August 24. The report suggests the sector's recent rally may have been driven partly by leverage rather than fundamentals. Situational Awareness, a

According to Guru Club, on Monday in Asia-Pacific early trading, WTI crude oil futures fell 0.68% to $86.467 per barrel, while spot gold rose 0.31% to $4,618.86 per ounce.

According to ChainCatcher, U.S. stock index futures opened lower on Monday, based on Gate market data.

WTI and Brent crude oil opened lower by 0.3 per barrel on Monday, with prices at $85.97 and $91.96 per barrel, respectively.

According to CME FedWatch, the probability of the Federal Reserve holding rates steady in September is 59%, with a 41% chance of a 25 basis point hike. For October, the market prices in a 46.6% probability of no rate change, a 44.8% chance of a 25 basis point increase, and an 8.6% probability of a 5

On the weekend session, USD/CAD climbed 0.22% to 1.3796 as trade tensions between the United States and Canada escalated. The currency pair's gain reflects market reaction to the intensifying bilateral trade

Nearthlab and Hatchtech list on the KOSDAQ market on the 24th and 25th respectively, while Skylab conducts its IPO subscription for general investors on the 26th and 27th. The companies are raising capital to expand their businesses in AI-based autonomous drone solutions, 3D magnetic sensor

According to Seoul Economics, AI drone maker NearLabs listed on KOSDAQ on August 24 at an offer price of 412,000 Korean won, raising 37.49 billion won with institutional demand reaching 743.49x. Sensor chipmaker HatchTech followed on August 25 at 230,000 won per share. SkyLabs, a medical wearable c

NH Investment & Securities, Mirae Asset Securities, and Korea Investment & Securities launched or announced Integrated Management Account (IMA) products totaling 4200 billion won in one week, according to the financial investment industry on the 24th. NH Investment's 'N2 IMA1 Medium-Term

South Korean retail investors purchased $85.6 million of the Roundhill Memory ETF during Aug 14-20, marking the second-largest overseas investment by volume after Alphabet during that period. The ETF focuses on global memory semiconductor companies including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The

According to industry sources, Korean brokers have intensified competition for integrated managed account (IMA) customers in the week through August 24. NH Investment Securities raised 120 billion won in one day through its IMA1 Medium-term 3 product, completing its target after just 24 hours,

According to MarketWatch, the S&P 500 is up 11.6% year-to-date through August 20, significantly outpacing the typical -1.3% decline for midterm election years during the same period based on 1954–2022 historical averages. Historical data shows that in the 12 months following U.S. midterm

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have announced record-breaking shareholder returns in 2026, spurring the launch of new exchange-traded funds focused on Samsung and SK group companies. The new ETF products target both holding companies and financial subsidiaries to capture benefits from