Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to S&P Dow Jones Indices data, single-stock volatility in the S&P 500 spiked above 50 in July, far exceeding the previous decade's average of roughly 32. Despite this surge in individual stock swings, the key gauge of index-level volatility remained relatively stable—a divergence not

According to BIT market data, on August 19, SK Hynix (SKHY) and Nokia (NOK) led gains in U.S. pre-market trading, with SKHY up 4.40% and NOK up 2.13%, while most semiconductor stocks declined, including Intel

Cathie Wood, founder of ARK Invest, recently warned that surging high-bandwidth memory (HBM) prices could backfire, prompting AI chipmakers to engineer alternative architectures rather than signaling industry strength. Wood noted that when component prices spike 3–10 times, it often triggers

Bybit launched three U.S. stock perpetual contracts today: Roundhill Technology Titans Seven ETF (MAGSUSDT), Home Depot (HDUSDT), and Analog Devices (ADIUSDT), with maximum leverage of 25x. During the launch period, users enjoy a limited-time fee promotion: 0% fees on limit orders and 50% discount o

Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate extended gains Wednesday as uncertainty over shipments through the Strait of Hormuz kept supply risks central to the oil market. Brent rose 26 cents to $91.28 a barrel in early Wednesday trade, while WTI gained 37 cents to $85.31, marking the fourth straight s

Gold traded at $4,359.58 an ounce at 7:37 a.m. GMT on August 19 ahead of the July Federal Open Market Committee minutes scheduled for August 19 at 2:00 p.m. ET, with markets pricing material risk of a September interest-rate increase. The Federal Reserve's July 28-29 meeting produced a 9-3 vote to h

Crude oil prices extended gains Wednesday, with Brent reaching $91.28 per barrel (up $0.26) and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) approaching $85.31 (up $0.37). Both benchmarks notched their fourth consecutive session of gains, marking their highest levels since July 24, as uncertainty over

Robinhood's TradePMR has integrated with Artha, offering registered investment advisors (RIAs) a streamlined workflow from client portfolio data through scenario analysis, optimization, rebalancing, and tax-loss harvesting. Advisors will authenticate with Artha, import account and portfolio data fro

According to Reuters market data, spot gold traded near $4,359.58 per ounce on August 19 as the Federal Reserve's July FOMC minutes approached their 2:00 p.m. ET release, with markets pricing a 28 percent probability of a September rate hike. The July policy vote held rates at 3.50 percent to 3.75 p

Samsung Electronics raised prices on advanced foundry services by up to 15% amid surging AI chip demand that has left Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company fully booked. According to a Reuters report, Samsung increased prices in July on new orders for some advanced contract chipmaking services,

According to Reuters, Samsung raised prices for advanced chip manufacturing services by up to 15% in July, driven by surging AI demand that has left TSMC fully booked and pushed major customers toward rival chipmakers. Samsung increased prices for its 4-nanometer SF4 and 5-nanometer SF5 processes by

Traders said Russian western port seaborne crude oil exports reached 2.3 million barrels per day in early August, down 15% from initial plans due to disruptions at Novorossiysk port.

According to Marex's announcement on August 18, the financial-services company agreed a multi-year principal partnership with Nottingham Forest, securing front-of-shirt rights on men's and women's kits and netball dresses from the 2026/27 season onward. The deal comes as Premier League clubs

According to MSX.COM data, U.S. pre-market AI stocks fell on August 19, with Marvell Technology (MRVL) down 2.18%, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) declining 1.07%, Alphabet (GOOGL) falling 0.45%, and Micron Technology (MU) down 1.00%.

According to Gate trading data, Moderna (MRNA) surged 30% in pre-market trading on August 19, 2026.

According to Jin10 Data, Iran's parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee member Reza'i stated on August 19 that Iran has full responsibility for the management, supervision, and inspection of the Strait of Hormuz, under unified oversight by the Armed Forces General Staff. He

On August 18, 2026, OpenAI reported its second-quarter financial results to investors. The company's quarterly revenue reached $6.7 billion, up 18% from $5.7 billion in the first quarter. For the vast majority of startups, nearly $7 billion in quarterly revenue would already represent an astonishing scale. However, given OpenAI's current valuation, fundraising plans, and IPO expectations, this growth rate fell short of market expectations. Even more unsettling for investors was the continued exp

According to But Bin, the founder of Oriental Harbour investment firm, on Aug 18 evening, he plans to increase his position in SpaceX. On social media, But Bin stated: "I plan to buy SpaceX today, marking the beginning of my strategic deployment in this target." SpaceX, which went public in the U.S.

Broadcom emerged as the top long-term stock pick over SanDisk and Micron in an analysis published by investment media outlet Motley Fool on August 19 (local time), citing Morgan Stanley-origin analyst Manali Pradan's comparison of the three semiconductor companies alongside SpaceX. The

According to Motley Fool citing Morgan Stanley analyst Manali Patel, Broadcom emerged as a top long-term AI investment candidate on August 19 despite trailing near-term stock gains of competitors. In fiscal Q2 2026 ended in August, Broadcom reported revenue of $22.2 billion, up 48% year-over-year,