Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to Yonhapinfomax, the USD/JPY exchange rate held around 159 yen on August 21 amid rising oil prices and Middle East uncertainty. The yen weakened as U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled extensive economic pressure on Iran, pushing global crude prices higher. WTI crude surged

Upcoming data releases on August 21: Eurozone's August manufacturing PMI preliminary reading, and LME inventory changes for copper, aluminum, and nickel will be published within minutes.

Walmart (WMT) stock is headed for its worst week in over four years despite delivering a strong fiscal second-quarter (Q2) 2027 earnings beat and raising its full-year outlook. The retail giant reported Q2 revenue of $187.9 billion and earnings of $0.81 per share, exceeding analyst estimates, but in

According to SK Hynix and Korean Exchange data, the semiconductor chipmaker announced on August 20 a 40 trillion won self-share buyback and cancellation plan, triggering a stock surge. The stock climbed 12.73% to 1,691,000 Korean won, with intraday gains exceeding 14%. The company plans to

According to Fiscal AI data, Walmart reported Q2 earnings beat but Q3 guidance disappointed, with comparable-sales growth slowing to 2.6% in the most recent quarter—sending the stock toward its worst week in over four years. The company reported Q2 revenue of $187.9 billion and EPS of $0.81, both

Samsung SDI announced on the 21st that it will sell 13,088,235 shares of Samsung Display to Samsung Display itself for 4.4499 trillion won, reducing its stake from 15.22% to 10.22%. The transaction is designed to secure investment funds for future growth initiatives. The move comes as Samsung SDI

Korean stocks closed mixed on the 21st as the KOSPI rose 0.88% to 6,912.95 while the KOSDAQ fell 4.63% to 801.94. The divergence occurred as expectations for large-scale shareholder returns from Samsung Electronics offset pressure from rebounding US Treasury yields. Securities firms observed that Sa

From 07:15 to 07:30 (UTC) on August 21, 2026, BTC rose 0.58% over 15 minutes, trading within a range of 75,936.3–76,917.0 USDT, with an amplitude of 1.29%. Over the past 24 hours, BTC rebounded from a low of $69,231 to a high of $75,783, a gain of 7.91%, before falling 0.92% to around $74,435 in the most recent 1-hour candle. Volatility intensified significantly, and market attention increased rapidly. The primary drivers of this move were the dual shocks of a sharp escalation in the US-Iran con

According to Jin10 Futures, as of August 21, Dalian Commodity Exchange chemical futures warehouse receipts showed the following movements: polyethylene (PE) 4,343 contracts, unchanged day-over-day; polyvinyl chloride (PVC) 121,011 contracts, down 34 contracts; polypropylene (PP) 27,696 contracts,

According to the Shanghai Futures Exchange, warehouse inventories for key commodities shifted this week: copper rose 19,817 tons, aluminum fell 18,300 tons, zinc increased 1,181 tons, lead dropped 209 tons, nickel declined 771 tons, tin gained 56 tons, and natural rubber decreased 5,716 tons.

Korea Investment & Securities forecasts the Bank of Korea will raise its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points at the monetary policy committee meeting on the 27th, marking a second consecutive hike following July's increase. Analyst Ahn Jae-kyun released the projection on the 21st, citing the

According to Bloomberg, on August 21, the Korean won surged to 1,380.35 per U.S. dollar, marking a 1% intraday gain, driven by expectations that Samsung Electronics would soon announce a record 100 trillion won shareholder return package. SK Hynix previously disclosed a 40 trillion won share

According to MP Doctor, the KRW/USD exchange rate closed at 1,386.5 won on August 21, declining 6.1 won from the previous trading day and marking a new yearly low.

According to Korea Investment Securities, the Bank of Korea's Financial Policy Committee is expected to raise the base rate by 25 basis points on August 27, marking a second consecutive hike following July's decision. The research firm predicts the revised economic forecast will raise this year's

According to Samsung SDI disclosure on August 21, the company disposes 13.09 million Samsung Display shares for approximately 4.45 trillion won, or 340,000 won per share. The transaction will be completed through Samsung Display's share buyback program, with settlement scheduled for August 27. Samsu

Korean stock market analysts project sector rotation as KOSPI companies' earnings momentum shifts beyond semiconductors following Q2 results. Choi Jae-won, Kiwoom Securities researcher, stated on the 21st that profit outlook for transportation, IT hardware, construction, and machinery sectors

South Korean stocks closed mixed on August 21, with the KOSPI index rising 0.88% to 6912.95 despite widespread declines across the broader market, powered by gains in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The semiconductor-driven rally masked underlying weakness, as 683 stocks fell versus 193 gainers on

According to Shanghai Gold Exchange, gold T+D (futures) closed up 1.81% to 984.0 yuan per gram on August 21 (Friday). Silver T+D closed up 3.49% to 16,730 yuan per kilogram on the same day.

According to Thailand's central bank, the country's international reserves reached $280.9 billion on August 14, up from $280.6 billion on August 7.

According to Kiwoom Securities, on August 21, South Korean securities analysts noted that sector rotation is underway as transportation, IT hardware, construction, and machinery earnings outlooks improve significantly in Q3. Transportation earnings projections rose 25.5 percentage points in recent w