Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to Yonhapinfomax, citing analysis by Alexander Stahl, founder of Burckgrave Holdings, Middle Eastern oil exporters have operationalized an alternative shipping route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz on September 29, with 116 vessels transporting crude oil at 94% of January-level export

According to Moody's Analytics economist Dave Chia on September 29, South Korea's economy is running at two speeds—semiconductor exports are driving growth while domestic demand remains weak. The rating agency has significantly raised its 2026 and 2027 growth forecasts to 3.5% and 2.6%

According to South Korea's Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the country's overseas direct investment totaled $20.52 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up 32.3% year-on-year, marking four consecutive quarters of growth. The finance and insurance sector led with $10.48 billion in

Saudi Arabia completed restoration of its East-West Pipeline on the 27th and resumed crude oil exports through the Red Sea, Saudi state oil company Aramco confirmed on the 28th (local time), according to the Wall Street Journal. The pipeline had been shut down since the 10th following a drone

According to Yonhapnews, Hanmi Semiconductor received an order for micro SAW & VISION PLACEMENT (MSVP) equipment worth 7.87 billion won from UTAC's Thai subsidiary on September 29. The order represents 1.37% of the company's 2025 consolidated revenue, with delivery scheduled through December 31. The

According to CoinDesk, Goldman Sachs brought its approximately $100 billion U.S. Treasury fund FTIXX to digital asset institutions on September 29, offered through the Lynq settlement network with trades processed by SEC-registered broker-dealer tZERO Securities. The fund marks the first external as

According to AMD, the company agreed on September 28 to acquire World Labs, a San Francisco-based AI lab developing world models for 3D environment simulation, for approximately US$8.2 billion in an all-stock transaction. World Labs founder Fei-Fei Li, a Stanford professor who previously led AI

The Nikkei 225 index expanded its intraday decline to 1% on September 29.

Four new stocks debuted on Hong Kong's main board on September 29. Robosense Technology (03757) priced at 436 HKD per share with 8.65x oversubscription in public offering. Kingwong Electronics (03228) opened at 69.88 HKD with 94.25x oversubscription. Techny New Materials (09607) was priced at 44 HKD

The Shenzhen Stock Exchange announced on September 29, 2026, that Kingwai Electronics (03228) and Tongcheng New Materials (09607) have been added to the Hong Kong Stock Connect program, effective immediately.

Major South Korean securities firms raised Comprehensive Asset Management Account (CMA) interest rates by 0.15 to 0.25 percentage points recently, according to financial investment industry sources on the 29th. The rate hikes respond to steep increases in commercial bank deposit rates following the

Jefferies Financial Group (NYS:JEF) stocks closed at $47.13 on the 28th, down 1.15%, despite posting strong Q3 earnings that beat Wall Street expectations. The US financial firm reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.08, surpassing the $1.00 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $2.22

GS P&L, a Korean hotel holding company spun off from GS Retail in December 2024, reported substantial financial improvements in H1 2025, with revenue reaching 289.3 billion won (+40.0% year-over-year) and operating profit surging to 53.5 billion won (+99.6% YoY). The performance surge was driven

The won-dollar exchange rate fell into the 1350 won range during morning trading on 29일, declining 6.20 won to 1358.90 won from the previous day's 3:30 PM closing price, as quarter-end exporter dollar selling flows entered the Seoul foreign exchange market. The decline occurred despite global dollar

Korea Exchange announced amendments to its KRX Gold Market operating regulations to support the Bank of Korea's foreign exchange reserve gold purchases. The regulatory changes establish trading, storage, and settlement infrastructure enabling BOK to acquire physical gold bullion through the exchange

According to the Shanghai Gold Exchange, gold and silver futures prices declined during early trading on Sept 29. Gold T+D futures fell 1.88% to 890.2 yuan per gram, while silver T+D futures dropped 2.41% to 14,753.0 yuan per

According to Newsis, major South Korean brokerages including Mirae Asset Securities, KB Securities, Korea Investment Securities, and Samsung Securities raised CMA (Comprehensive Money Account) rates by 0.15–0.25 percentage points on September 29, amid rising competition from bank deposit

According to Investing.com, Jefferies Financial Group's stock fell 1.15% to $47.13 on September 28 as declines in bond and asset management operations offset strong overall quarterly results. The company reported adjusted Q3 earnings per share of $1.08, beating Wall Street consensus of $1.00, with r

According to financial investment industry sources reported by Yonhapnews on September 29, the Korea Exchange (KRX) has revised its gold market operating rules to facilitate the Bank of Korea's foreign reserve gold purchases. The BOK restarted physical gold acquisitions after 13 years. Key

According to E-Daily, MoaLifePlus (142760) announced today that it has decided to conduct a third-party allocation of new shares worth 4 billion won (KRW). The company will issue 4 million common shares as part of the capital