Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to Jin10, Shanghai gold traded at 970.5 yuan per gram on August 20 morning, down 0.74 yuan compared to the international gold price of 971.24 yuan per gram.

According to Bloomberg, YouTube is offering popular creators millions of dollars to upload videos exclusively to the platform for specified periods, aiming to counter Netflix's recruitment of top talent. The initiative includes direct program financing and allocating portions of major brand deals to

According to Korea Corporate Governance Forum chair Lee Nam-woo, SK Hynix announced on August 20 a plan to acquire and cancel shares worth approximately 4.004 trillion won (24.07 million shares). The buyback is comparable in size to the 4 trillion won raised through an ADR issuance in early July, th

According to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), on August 19, the institution warned that unusually high sovereign debt levels in the Americas are amplifying macro-financial risks by raising country risk premiums and faster inflation expectations. BIS noted that 27 out of 33 countries in

According to Wolfe Research analysts Tobin Marcus and Chutong Zhu, the U.S.-Iran standoff has solidified into a 'no war, no peace' stalemate this week as the ceasefire framework neared expiration. Brent crude surged past $90 per barrel amid nearly halted transit through the Strait of Hormuz after

Finnish economist Tuomas Malinen, a financial crisis researcher, warned on the 19th (local time) via Business Insider that a US recession is imminent despite the economy's surface-level strong growth. Malinen's analysis identified two of three key economic indicators signaling recession warnings: co

According to BusinessInsider, Finnish economist Tuomas Malinen warned on August 19 that a U.S. recession is imminent, citing a 12% surge in corporate bankruptcies over the past 12 months to over 600,000 filings—the highest level since the COVID-19 pandemic. Malinen analyzed three key economic

According to Japan's Ministry of Finance, Japan posted a trade deficit of 634.5 billion yen in July, announced on August 20, slightly beating market expectations of 680 billion yen despite a month-on-month widening. Exports rose 23.2% year-over-year to 11.51 trillion yen, while imports

Strategy (MSTR) stock rose more than 3% in the overnight session late Wednesday after Bitcoin (BTC) surged above $69,000 for the first time since early June. The cryptocurrency's climb coincided with institutional investors adding $1.2 billion to their MSTR holdings in the second quarter. The Bitcoi

According to Strategy, shares of MicroStrategy (MSTR) rose more than 3% in the overnight session late Wednesday as Bitcoin surged above $69,000 for the first time since early June, and major institutional investors expanded their positions in the second quarter. Twelve of the top 15 institutional s

According to Money Today, on August 20, Samsung announced a shareholder return plan worth 1 trillion Korean won.

According to Korea Exchange, SK Securities surged 29.79% to 2,810 won on August 20 as of 10:41 a.m., hitting the daily limit up, following news that the brokerage will mediate SK Hynix's 40 trillion won share buyback program. The stock gains reflect expectations of expanded commission revenue from t

According to South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service filing system, Youngpoong reported revenue of 801.2 billion won and maintained operating profitability in the first half of 2026. The company improved profitability as global geopolitical tensions drove up product prices and operational

On August 19, 2026, biotechnology company Moderna posted a rare bullish candlestick in the U.S. stock market. At the close, MRNA was priced at $174.38, up $111.42 from the previous trading day's close of $62.96, a gain of 176.97%. Its trading value reached $28.58B, ranking first among U.S. stocks. Its market capitalization rose from approximately $25 billion the previous day to approximately $69.5 billion, adding more than $44 billion in a single day. This gain was extremely rare in the history

According to Gate data, Korean payment and fintech stocks linked to stablecoins surged today (August 20). Kakao Pay rose 10.91% to 4,575 won, The Zone climbed 10% to 2,090 won, NHN KCP advanced 9.76% to 14,840 won, Hecto Financial jumped 20.49% to 22,350 won, and Danal gained 11.73% to 5,190 won. T

According to Odaily, multiple gold stock ETFs posted gains exceeding 6% today (August 20). The ETFs include Guotai Gold Stock ETF, Huaxia Gold Stock ETF, and ICBC Gold Stock ETF, as market data shows gold stocks trading

European covered bond market authorities are advancing third-country equivalence proposals that would extend regulatory benefits previously limited to EU issuers to overseas issuers, prompting active preparations from multiple countries including Korea, Canada, Australia, and Singapore. Third-countr

Mirae Asset Securities announced on the 20th the launch of IMA No. 4, a performance-based investment product募集 100 billion won from the 24th to the 27th. The company raised the benchmark return rate from 4% to 5% annually to reflect the recent rise in market interest rates and base rate hikes by the

According to Korea Investment & Securities, the brokerage lowered its 2026 second-half average USD/KRW forecast by 50 won to 1,420 won today (August 20). The company revised third and fourth quarter forecasts to 1,430 won and 1,410 won respectively, with the year-end trading range adjusted

According to investment banking industry sources on August 20, South Korea is accelerating preparations to secure European covered bond equivalence status, which would reduce funding costs for Korean financial institutions issuing euro-denominated covered bonds. Korea Housing Finance Corporation, wh