Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to Chosun Biz Money Move, on August 11, small-cap Korean companies struggling with delayed M&A deals have accepted preliminary management stock (gwanli-jongnok) designation notices. Once designated, equity transfer-based acquisitions become substantially blocked, further reducing the

According to Reuters, Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norway's sovereign wealth fund, warned on Tuesday that the $2 trillion fund could one day lose all its value. Speaking at a political conference in southern Norway, Tangen said markets are climbing despite mounting risks and called this abnormal. "I

According to COMEX, gold futures for December delivery rose to $4,423.20 per troy ounce on August 11 afternoon (ET), up $3.50 (0.08%) from the previous close. Intraday prices touched $4,495, marking the highest level since June 5. The gains were supported by softening U.S. Treasury yields

The Securities and Exchange Commission is considering taking direct control of a controversial database that tracks trades across US equities and options markets, following Citadel Securities' successful lawsuit last year that challenged the database's funding

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix stocks diverged from the 6th to the 11th as market focus shifted to shareholder return policies. Samsung Electronics rebounded from the 230,000 won range on the 6th to 239,500 won on the 11th, while SK Hynix remained in the 1.4 million won range after falling

BlackRock Fund Advisors disclosed holding 5.03% of Alteogen shares on the 7th, after purchasing additional shares on the 31st when KOSDAQ recovered from the 600s to the 700s. The world's largest asset manager expanded its Korean stock holdings while retail investors concentrated on semiconductor

According to Korean Economic TV, South Korea's stock exchange announced new delisting criteria effective today (August 12) to weed out low-priced and small-cap stocks from KOSDAQ. The strengthened standards, revised on July 1, classify companies with market capitalizations below 20 billion won or

According to major Korean securities firms, shareholder return policies have become the primary investment driver for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in recent weeks, shifting attention from AI chip demand itself. KB Securities estimates Samsung Electronics' annual shareholder return could

According to Barclays, a structural shift in the buyer base of U.S. Treasuries toward value-oriented mutual funds, households, and private investors has contributed to 30-year yields reaching multi-decade peaks. The increased participation by retail and institutional value-focused investors

According to local securities firms, KOSDAQ surged on August 11, entering a strong uptrend as fund flows improved following stricter single-stock leverage product regulations. The index had previously lagged behind KOSPI but has recovered amid better supply-demand conditions in the

Restaurant chain CAVA forecast full-year comparable store sales growth of 4.5% to 6.5%, a significant deceleration from recent quarters. The company reported Q1 same-store sales growth of 9.7% and Q2 growth of 9.0%, implying the second half of 2026 will see growth of 0% to 4%.

On Aug. 10, Nvidia and six financial institutions announced the establishment of dedicated capital platforms to mobilize over $500 billion in third-party capital for AI infrastructure. The partners are Apollo, Blackrock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs and KKR, representing some of the world's

According to Jin10, CoreWeave (CRWV.O) surged 12% in after-hours trading on August 12 following the release of second-quarter results. The company reported revenue of $2.58 billion, beating Wall Street expectations with 112% year-over-year growth, reflecting robust demand for AI computing

Korean retail investors are reconsidering margin trading and minus account loans as the domestic stock markets rebounded following a sharp decline. Over one week, KOSPI rose from 6257.45 on the 3rd to 6299.66 on the 10th, a 0.67% increase, while KOSDAQ surged 15.88% from 737.35 to 854.47. The reboun

McDonald's missed US sales growth expectations in the second quarter, according to reports. The company pulled back on app discounts and shifted focus to a $3 value menu offering, citing execution challenges as the primary factor impacting sales

On Tuesday, August 11, at New York close, spot gold fell 0.50% to $4,368.81 per ounce, while spot silver dropped 1.63% to $6.46705 per ounce. COMEX copper futures gained 0.19% to $6.6285 per pound, bucking the broader downtrend in precious metals. Spot platinum

Jim Bianco, head of Bianco Research, stated that US Treasury yields have risen for nearly two years while the Federal Reserve cut or held rates, with the bond market rejecting the Fed's rate-cutting policy throughout this period. Bianco argued that yields could peak only if the Fed begins raising ra

According to Stephen Jen, CEO of Eurizon SLJ Capital, and economist Joana Freire, U.S. and Japanese authorities' coordinated support for the yen represents a watershed moment that will prevent further declines toward a 40-year low against the dollar. "USD/JPY has likely peaked because both the U.S.

US stocks closed mixed on August 11, with the Dow falling 0.34% and the Nasdaq declining 0.60%, while semiconductor equipment and memory stocks showed relative strength. The market sentiment leaned toward selective risk appetite rather than broad risk aversion, as interest rates and the VIX

According to Korean Exchange and CHECK, from late July through August 12, South Korean retail investors increased positions in inverse and leveraged inverse products on KOSDAQ despite the index's sharp rally. Retail traders withdrew over 300 billion won from KOSDAQ 150 leveraged products while