Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Barings Asset Management introduced the Barings K-Growth Leaders Fund as an investment option concentrating on South Korea's core growth industries. As of the 14th, the fund recorded a year-to-date return of 75.51%, according to financial data provider FnGuide. The fund targets sectors including

Foreign investors net purchased 8.07 trillion won in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix stocks over four trading days from the 11th to the 14th, according to Korea Exchange data released on the 16th. The buying spree marks a reversal from the previous trend, during which foreign investors net

According to Korea Exchange data, foreign investors resumed heavy buying of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix from August 11-14, with combined net purchases of 6.16 trillion won over the four-day period. Samsung Electronics accounted for 3.31 trillion won and SK Hynix for 2.86 trillion won,

According to Korea Exchange data released on Aug 16, semiconductor ETFs dominated the domestic exchange-traded fund market's weekly performance rankings from Aug 10 to 14. SOL Semiconductor Process Rising led all gainers at 20.53%, followed by TIGER Semiconductor Top 10 at 19.72%, with nine semicond

According to financial information company F&Guide, Bearing K-Growth Leaders Fund posted a year-to-date return of 75.51% as of August 14, with six-month and one-year returns of 33.20% and 140.34% respectively. The domestic equity fund focuses on South Korea's core growth sectors including

South Korea's equity-linked securities market recorded 3.5266 trillion won in issuance last month, marking the largest monthly volume since April 2023, according to Korea Securities Depository data released on the 16th. The resurgence follows the 2024 Hong Kong H-index crisis that triggered

JPMorgan economists predict global food inflation will rise from 2.8% in the first half of 2026 to 5% in the first half of 2027, driven by potential supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and a potential "super El Nino" phenomenon, according to senior global economist Nora Szentivanyi's

According to Korean Economic Daily, ELS (equity-linked securities) issuance in July reached 3.53 trillion won, the highest monthly volume since April 2023, as investors returned to the structured finance products amid rising demand for higher-yielding alternatives. The combined issuance of ELS and E

South Korea's National Pension Service significantly reshuffled its domestic stock holdings between the end of 2024 and the end of 2025. SK Square, which climbed to 4th place in market capitalization, jumped from 40th to 7th position in NPS's portfolio valuation rankings during this period. The

According to Korean Economic Daily, equity-linked securities (ELS) products staged a comeback in the first half of 2026, with new offerings providing annualized returns exceeding 20%. The recovery marks a sharp turnaround after 2024, when a sharp decline in Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index triggered

According to Herald Economy, the investment portfolio of South Korea's National Pension Service underwent significant changes over the past year. SK Squre, which climbed to 4th in market capitalization ranking this year, surged from 40th to 7th position in the pension fund's stock valuation

According to Barron's, Berkshire Hathaway increased its Alphabet holdings by approximately 80% in the second quarter to 106 million shares, making the Google parent company its third-largest stock position with a market value of around $36 billion, according to the company's latest 13-F filing

Multiple South Korean semiconductor fabless and equipment companies are pursuing stock market listings as global artificial intelligence semiconductor demand drives production facility investment expansion. Hatchtech, a sensor IC design company, is set to list on the KOSDAQ on January 25, while

According to financial investment industry sources, four South Korean semiconductor ecosystem companies are pursuing stock exchange listings as AI chip demand drives equipment investment expansion. Sensor IC design firm Hatechtec is set to list on KOSDAQ on August 25, focusing on magnetometer

Korean investors concentrated purchases on Japanese semiconductor stocks from the 3rd to the 14th. Data from Korea Securities Depository showed Murata Manufacturing led net purchases at $5.319 million, followed by Tokyo Electron at $2.262 million. The buying shift occurred as Korean investors, who h

Fortinet, a cybersecurity company operating the FortiGate firewall platform, saw its stock close at $160.01 on August 14 (local time), marking a 105.46% increase from its January 2 closing price of $77.88. The surge follows the company's Q2 revenue reaching $2.05 billion, representing 26%

According to Korean exchange data, investors who bought SK Hynix leveraged ETFs near the June 25 peak face cumulative losses of 76.51% on average, while those in Samsung Electronics leveraged ETFs averaged 52.25% losses. Due to the non-linear characteristics of leveraged ETFs, which track twice the

According to Korea Securities Depository, domestic investors have been actively accumulating shares in Japan's semiconductor supply chain companies since the beginning of August. The buying focus spans equipment, materials, and electronic components sectors, marking a renewed concentration on semico

South Korea's National Pension Service and related pension funds net purchased 1.5339 trillion won of SK Hynix stocks between last month's 1st and this month's 14th, according to Korea Exchange data released on the 16th. During the same period, the funds net sold 964.6 billion won of SK Square

According to Reuters, Robinhood Ventures Fund II (RVII) launched on the New York Stock Exchange on August 15, raising approximately $225.5 million at an opening price of $22.50 per share. The fund will focus on existing and former participants of Y Combinator, the startup accelerator program that ha