Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Nokia finalized an acquisition agreement for NXP's Chandler, Arizona facility, which will be converted to an indium phosphide (InP) photonics semiconductor production line. Production will begin early next year through partial facility leasing, with the full acquisition completing in Q1 2029. The

Redcap Tour announced Q2 preliminary results after market close on August 6, showing operating profit growth outpacing revenue expansion. The company's closing price stood at 9,900 KRW with a market capitalization of approximately 165.5 billion KRW based on 16.72 million outstanding shares.

According to blazingbees, South Korea's KOSPI fell 4.1% and KOSDAQ declined 0.8% as of 11:25 AM on August 6. Retail investors purchased 2.4 trillion Korean won, while foreign investors responded with net selling, keeping both spot markets in negative

KT Nasmedia, Telechips, Boryung, and Showbox announced second-quarter earnings on August 6, 2025 that exceeded market consensus across multiple metrics. KT Nasmedia reported operating profit of ₩7.8 billion, a 200.9% year-over-year increase, while Telechips turned operating profit positive at ₩3.2 b

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated on the 6th that domestically purchased gold can be classified as monetary gold and included in reserve assets if it meets reserve asset criteria and required purity standards, regardless of the currency used for settlement. This clarifies ongoing market d

SanDisk announced FY26 Q4 revenue of $8.97 billion, up 372% year-over-year, and non-GAAP EPS of $39.25, both beating analyst expectations. The data center segment grew 437% year-over-year, with non-GAAP gross margins reaching 84.6% driven by NAND price increases and AI infrastructure orders.

According to DataTooza, Red Cap Tour announced its Q2 2026 preliminary results on August 6 after market close. The company reported consolidated sales of 98.23 billion Korean won, up 3.6% year-over-year, with operating profit of 15.74 billion won increasing 16.3% and net income attributable to

Apple is facing a DRAM shortage for its iPhone 18 Pro and first foldable model ahead of their September launch. The supply constraint stems from Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix shifting production capacity toward HBM memory for AI datacenters, tightening the availability of standard DRAM for

According to IMF, on August 6, gold acquired through domestic purchases can be classified as monetary gold and included in reserve assets if it meets purity standards of 99.5% or higher and other reserve asset criteria, the International Monetary Fund stated to Seoul Economic Daily. South Korea's c

According to recent reports from Chinese media, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix together hold $263 billion in cash, more than double Nvidia's $102 billion and surpassing the combined cash reserves of the other six Magnificent 7 companies. However, the two South Korean chipmakers' shareholder

SanDisk forecasts the global NAND flash memory market will exceed $300 billion in 2026, representing a threefold increase compared to the prior year. The projection reflects surging demand from AI inference workloads and datacenter storage infrastructure, with hyperscalers driving enterprise SSD

According to Bloomberg, just days after his hedge fund faced potential collapse, Leopold Aschenbrenner returned to investing by committing $400 million to back a privately held company, according to people familiar with the

According to Shengye's announcement, the company will distribute a final dividend of HK$0.4047 per share on August 17, 2026, for the year ended December 31, 2025.

According to company announcement on August 11, Inepharma-B (07630) expects first-half 2026 net loss of RMB 81.7–99.9 million, down 22–37% year-over-year from RMB 129 million in the same period of 2025. Revenue is projected to reach RMB 94.7 million to RMB 116 million, up 276–359% year-over-year fro

According to Reuters citing Iranian officials, Iran is demanding a 5-7% toll on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which could reach approximately $11.2 million per supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil based on current prices of $80 per barrel. Oman is negotiating around 3%

According to Twitter/@ShawnKwon11, IonQ reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $80.1 million, up 23.8% sequentially and exceeding previous guidance by 20%. The company raised its full-year revenue outlook to $280–290 million.

Goldman Sachs projects SK Hynix will reach 592 trillion won in revenue and 448 trillion won in operating profit by 2028, with total margin peaking at 86% in 2027. The investment bank's forecast assumes a sustained 'higher for longer' cycle across DRAM, NAND, and HBM markets, driven by continued AI d

SanDisk (SNDK) signed multi-year NAND supply contracts with eight customers, securing minimum revenue of approximately $93.9 billion at floor prices. The contracts, which span up to five years and average over four years in duration, cover more than half of the company's planned bit shipments for fi

According to reports, this year DRAM prices have risen significantly while demand for HBM4 from major tech companies including AMD, Meta, and Google has expanded rapidly. The shift in market dynamics is prompting chipmakers to reevaluate long-term contracts previously secured with customers like

Iran is demanding toll fees of 5% to 7% of cargo value for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a senior Iranian official cited by Reuters. The toll requirement is part of ongoing negotiations over an agreement that would grant Iran control over vessels entering the Gulf through