Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

UBS raised its 2027 memory spending forecast from $761 billion to $899 billion within two months, an 18% increase driven by HBM demand projected at $173.3 billion (up 246.9%). Six hyperscalers — Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, and SpaceX — issued $269 billion in bonds and loans this year, d

According to industry sources, eight leading Chinese polysilicon manufacturers representing over 90% of domestic capacity signed a "price stabilization" pledge on August 12, committing to maintain selling prices above production costs. Current spot pricing has halted, with some companies planning to

According to UBS, memory chip spending for 2027 is projected to reach $899 billion, up 18% from a prior forecast of $761 billion. Within the semiconductor segment, HBM (high bandwidth memory) is expected to surge 246.9% to $173.3 billion, while standard DRAM is forecast to rise 157.8% to $487.9 bill

According to CME data on August 11, gold, WTI crude oil, and Brent crude oil all showed increases in both trading volume and open interest. Gold trading volume rose by 20,569 contracts and open interest increased by 407 contracts; WTI crude oil volume surged 52,173 contracts with open interest

According to Yonhapinfomax, in July, South Korea's stock market experienced 6 circuit breaker halts within a single month, with 4 occurring on the KOSPI and 2 on the KOSDAQ, reflecting unprecedented market volatility. Additionally, the government announced tax reform measures including increased

GSR, a prominent crypto market maker, attributes Bitcoin's sluggish momentum this year to capital rotating into artificial intelligence infrastructure rather than crypto-specific factors. Spencer Hallarn, Head of Markets at GSR, said in a recent interview that the slowdown gripping digital assets is

The Longtan Science Park Phase III expansion project (Longtan Phase III), which had been delayed for more than two years, has recently been confirmed to resume. The planned area has ultimately been adjusted to 104.19 hectares, of which approximately 46 hectares are designated for industrial use. The Hsinchu Science Park Bureau stated that TSMC has made clear that it is willing to establish operations there, provided that the relevant statutory procedures for Longtan Phase III are approved. Accor

Foreign and institutional investors recorded strong net buying in Korean stocks recently, with foreigners purchasing 2,172.2 billion won and institutions 872 billion won on a daily basis, while individual investors sold 2,839.3 billion won net. However, a correlation analysis reveals that 20-day

Germany's largest naval shipbuilder TKMS raised its full-year outlook recently, citing surging European demand for warships, submarines, and underwater electronics as the continent's rearmament intensifies.

The Hang Seng Index fell 303 points, or 1.18%, to 25,349 in early afternoon trading on August 12, extending losses from the previous day after breaking through the 250-day moving average and the 20-day moving average. Tech stocks led declines, with Alibaba

According to Zhonglian Jin Information Network, sulfur prices in Shandong showed mixed movement today (August 12). Xintai Petrochemical liquid sulfur was quoted at 8,705 yuan/ton, up 100 yuan/ton; Dongming Petrochemical liquid sulfur at 8,830 yuan/ton, up 30 yuan/ton, with solid sulfur at 9,400 yuan

According to CNBC, CME Group will introduce futures contracts on October 5 that track the rental prices of NVIDIA H100 and Blackwell B200 graphics processing units. The move marks the first time GPU computing power will be traded as a commodity in a derivatives market similar to oil futures.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release the July Consumer Price Index (CPI) on August 12. The Dow Jones survey consensus forecasts that headline CPI will rise 3.4% year over year in July, while core CPI will rise 2.5%. The consensus forecast for core CPI growth month over month is 0.2%, while Goldman Sachs forecasts a lower increase of 0.19%. Four Key July CPI Indicators: Dow Jones Survey Consensus Forecasts According to the Dow Jones survey consensus, the four CPI figures to watc

According to Jin10 on August 12, the U.S. government has sold the Bella 1, a Venezuela-linked oil tanker that was seized by the U.S. Coast Guard in the Atlantic in January. The vessel, part of what analysts call a "shadow fleet" used to evade sanctions, will now be scrapped. The Bella 1 had

According to reports, Temasek is considering a direct investment in SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics through its internal investment team, currently evaluating the timing for entry. Both SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics shares surged over 8% intraday

Korean retail investors net purchased approximately $4.6 billion in US stocks during July, marking the second-highest monthly purchase volume this year and representing a more than sixfold increase compared to June. This surge in US stock purchases occurred as the KOSPI experienced a nearly 40%

Pakistani defense officials indicated signs of an emerging arrangement between the United States and Iran, while Iran's National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaee maintained that the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked unless the US changes its behavior and accepts Iranian conditions. Markets ha

Korean retail investors made net purchases of approximately $4.6 billion in U.S. stocks in July, marking the second-highest monthly buying volume this year and surging more than six times compared to June, amid a broader selloff in South Korean

According to ENEOS, a 128,000-barrel-per-day crude distillation unit at the Marifu oil refinery was unexpectedly shut down on August 7.

According to MarketWatch, on Monday, Nvidia announced over $500 billion in independent computing financing partnerships to support long-term AI infrastructure development. Six financial institutions including Apollo Global Management, Blackstone, and Goldman Sachs