Commodities (Crude Oil & Copper) & Macro Outlook

Seoul foreign exchange market participants will monitor the Bank of Korea monetary policy meeting and SK Hynix dollar supply this week from the 13th to 17th. Market expectations center on a base rate increase from 2.50% to 2.75% at the BOK meeting on the 16th, which would be the first hike in 3

According to The New York Times, a commercial vessel came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, July 12, followed by U.S. strikes on Iranian targets. The incident has triggered concerns over renewed oil price volatility. Transit traffic through the strait has dropped sharply to 22 vessel

Robert Kiyosaki issued a warning on July 9 in a post on X, stating that financial assets requiring institutional trust could face destruction in a coming crash and possible depression. The 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' author cited the book 'The Entropy Trap' while reiterating concerns he has voiced for

According to Robert Kiyosaki's July 9 X post, the Rich Dad Poor Dad author warned that "any asset that requires 'trust' will be destroyed in the coming crash and possible Depression." He specifically cited U.S. bonds, stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, 401k and IRA retirement accounts, and fiat

South Korea's steel industry recorded export growth in June for the first time in 14 months, driven by rising demand from AI data center construction projects. Steel exports reached $2.14 billion in June, a 9.6% increase compared to the same month last year, according to the Ministry of Trade,

According to South Korea's Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy, steel exports rose to $2.14 billion in June, marking the first increase in 14 months. The June export volume climbed 9.6% year-over-year, driven primarily by expanded AI data center construction demand in the United States and

According to CCTV, on July 12, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Navy announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, citing foreign intervention as the cause. The announcement followed the issuance of warning shots against a vessel that deviated from approved shipping lanes and ignored Iranian w

Agricultural commodity exchange-traded notes posted gains of 6% to 9% month-to-date through May 10, led by the Meritz Leveraged Representative Agricultural Commodity Futures ETN(H) which rose 9.12% to close at 10,230 won, according to Korea Exchange data. The rally was driven by forecasts of a

According to Korea Exchange, Meritz Leveraged Agricultural ETN rose 9.1% through July 10, significantly outperforming South Korea's benchmark equity index, which fell 11.8% over the same period. Individual commodity ETNs tracking wheat, corn, and soybeans also climbed 5.9% to 8.8%. The gains

EcoPro BM announced on the 12th that the EcoPro Group acquired a stake in Indonesia's BNSI (Bahodopi Nickel Smelting Indonesia) smelter to respond to Indonesia's offshore regulations. The investment secures a total of 65,000 tons per year of nickel supply rights, sufficient to produce

According to Yonhapinfomax, EcoPro BM acquired a stake in Indonesia's BNSI (Bahodopi Nickel Smelting Indonesia) nickel smelter on July 12, with the EcoPro Group investing 1.5 trillion Korean won in the second phase of the project. The investment brings the group's total annual nickel supply

According to Jin10, Oman has notified the United States that Iran rejected proposed terms regarding the Strait of Hormuz. The diplomatic impasse prompted the U.S. to immediately resume sanctions and reinstate maritime blockade

US stocks investors will focus on second-quarter corporate earnings and June inflation indicators this week amid renewed US-Iran conflict. Trump declared the ceasefire memorandum of understanding with Iran ended, and US military conducted consecutive strikes on Iran, yet WTI August futures

According to Jin10, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Navy announced early on July 12 that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed effective immediately and no vessels are permitted to transit. The closure announcement came hours after several ships attempted to navigate along routes not approved by Ir

Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Mike McGlone predicts gold could reach a sustainable peak in 2026 and face a reversal during the second half of the year. The forecast follows gold's record high near $5,500 per ounce in the first quarter, after which a large red annual candlestick began forming — a te

According to Axios, Qatari officials are participating in talks between Iran and Oman in Muscat regarding the Strait of Hormuz, according to diplomats familiar with the discussions.

According to Jin10 reporting remarks from Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi in an interview published by 24 Hours Sun on July 11, if Middle East conflict persists, global oil markets may break the current range of approximately $80 to $100 per barrel by the first quarter of 2027, pushing up inflation and

According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister, the country recently imposed a ban on diesel exports to meet domestic market demand. The official stated that Russia will accelerate efforts to repair damaged refineries to support domestic fuel