Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

On Tuesday, Amylyx Pharmaceuticals (AMLX) shares hit a record high, surging 64%, after announcing positive topline data from its late-stage LUCIDITY trial of avexitide, a once-daily injection for post-bariatric hypoglycemia. The company simultaneously launched a $350 million underwritten public

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix margin trading volumes surged following stricter regulations on single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds and exchange-traded notes implemented July 31, according to data from KOSCOM through August 14. Samsung Electronics' daily average new credit financing

According to Korea Exchange (KOSCOM), following the July 31 leverage ETF regulation that raised deposit requirements to 30M Korean won, Samsung Electronics' daily average new margin financing surged 52.3% to 3.79 million shares by August 14, while SK Hynix jumped 25.5% to 661,000 shares. New margin

The Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank's GDPNow model estimated U.S. Q3 growth at 4.0% on an annualized quarter-over-quarter basis on August 18 (local time). This represents a 0.3 percentage point decrease from the 4.3% estimate published on the 14th. The downward revision was driven by the latest

Toyota Finance opened applications Tuesday for its second tokenized bond offering, allowing retail investors to purchase directly through the Toyota Wallet app without opening securities accounts. The Toyota Finance Second Security Token Bond, also called the TOYOTA Wallet Tsumugu Bond, has a

According to the Atlanta Federal Reserve, on August 18, the Fed's GDP Now model lowered its estimate for U.S. third-quarter economic growth to 4.0% annualized, down 0.3 percentage points from 4.3% on August 14. The downward revision reflects updated economic data, including a reduction in the

According to Korea Exchange, the KOSPI index closed at 6,869.83 on August 19, down 108.11 points (1.55%) from the previous trading day, falling short of the 7,000-point recovery target. Among 10 stocks that declined sharply in late July, six have recovered their losses. However, major

According to the Financial Investment Association of Korea and Korea Exchange, the VKOSPI (Korea Composite Stock Price Index 200 Volatility) fell to 56.97 as of August 18, down 30.6% from 82.05 on August 4. As market sentiment stabilizes, leverage-dependent trading activity is accelerating despite d

According to the financial investment industry, on August 19, five active exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were delisted in South Korea within two months due to failure to meet correlation coefficient requirements. Under Korea Exchange rules, active ETFs must maintain a correlation coefficient of at

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the U.S. pending home sales index fell 2.3% in July, announced on Tuesday, missing economist expectations for a 0.3% increase. Year-over-year, pending home sales dropped 2.2% against forecasts for a 1.4% rise. Spot gold initially fell to a se

Spot gold and silver prices declined in early U.S. trading Tuesday, with gold trading near $4,390.40 an ounce, down 0.58%, while silver traded at $64.890, down 1.17%. The declines occurred as a stronger oil-risk premium and higher long-end Treasury yields offset fading expectations for a September

SK Hynix was excluded from Motley Fool's '10 Best Stocks to Buy Now' list despite 257% Q2 2026 revenue growth, analysis published on the 17th showed. Motley Fool cited semiconductor industry cyclical characteristics and long-term memory supply stabilization concerns as valuation constraints. The

SK Group's corporate valuation discount factors are being alleviated following multiple developments. SK announced the sale of 47.32 million SK Siltron shares to Doosan for 2.3 trillion won, while reporting Q2 2024 consolidated revenue of 42.1247 trillion won and operating profit of 4.8412 trillion

According to Mizuho, Japan's central bank could raise rates as soon as September 2026, with market pricing in a 78% probability of a hike on September 18. Mizuho's co-head of global markets Tatsuro Koshimizu said the BOJ may increase the frequency of rate adjustments from roughly every six months to

According to Kitco NewsWire, spot gold fell 0.58% to $4,390.40 per ounce in early U.S. trading Tuesday, while spot silver dropped 1.17% to $64.89, pressured by rising long-end Treasury yields and geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. A ship transiting the strait was struck by a projectile o

According to the Motley Fool on Aug 17, SK Hynix reported a Q2 revenue surge of 257% and net profit increase of 1,242% to approximately $660 billion, yet the U.S. investment advisory firm excluded the company from its 'Top 10 Stocks to Buy Now' list. Despite strong earnings, SK Hynix maintains a

According to Newsis, foreign investors engaged in net buying for 5 consecutive trading days through August 18, accumulating 9.5 trillion won in purchases on South Korea's stock market. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix accounted for 8.3 trillion won of the total, or 87% of foreign net purchases

On Tuesday (August 18), U.S. stock index futures declined at New York close. The S&P 500 futures fell 0.69%, Dow Jones futures dropped 0.22%, Nasdaq 100 futures declined 1.75%, and Russell 2000 futures

On Tuesday (August 18), offshore Chinese yuan (CNH) closed at 6.7463 against the U.S. dollar in New York trading, down 32 points from Monday's close. The currency traded within a range of 6.7420–6.7478 during the session, moving away from the intraday high of 6.7376 reached on Monday.

According to Choson Ilbo's YouTube channel Choson Ilbo Money, Kim Young-ik, a professor at Hanyang University and known as Korea's 'Dr. Doom,' warned on August 18 that a major financial crisis could materialize in