DXY & Forex

South Korea's Korea Development Institute (KDI) recommended on the 19th that the base interest rate be maintained above the mid-2% level for the time being. KDI official Kim Mi-ru, head of the Macroeconomic and Financial Policy Research Department, stated at a revised economic outlook briefing

The Korean won surged past the 1,400 per U.S. dollar mark for the first time since October 2025, marking a significant strengthening of the currency amid ongoing economic developments.

Overnight SHIBOR (Shanghai Interbank Offered Rate) rose 2.0 basis points to 1.3810% on August 19. The 7-day SHIBOR increased 0.5 basis points to 1.3850%, while the 3-month rate held flat at 1.4300%.

According to Bank of Korea, household credit grew 3.6% year-over-year as of end-June, unchanged from the growth rate recorded at end-March.

The US government's debt servicing costs have surged to $1.2 trillion on an annualized basis, exceeding defense spending, according to a report by Axios on the 19th. The rising interest burden stems from maturing low-rate bonds being replaced with newly issued debt at current higher rates, forcing m

According to Axios, U.S. annual interest costs on national debt reached $1.2 trillion as of August 19, surpassing defense spending. This surge stems from lower-rate bonds issued in the past maturing and being refinanced at current higher rates, diverting more government revenue toward debt

According to Guru Club, RBA Deputy Governor Hauser said today, Aug 19, that the central bank may raise interest rates again if inflation does not decline. Hauser cited elevated inflation and rising upside risks, noting that monetary policy must reduce aggregate demand. He added that while the

According to the Ministry of Finance, China's 1-month Treasury cash deposit facility settled at 1.62% today, down 2 basis points from 1.64%. The 3-month facility remained flat at 1.67%.

Robin Brooks, former Goldman Sachs FX analyst, stated on local time 18th via his blog that fiscal policy normalization and debt reduction are necessary to address the recent global surge in long-term interest rates. Brooks diagnosed that major countries' fiscal policies have deviated from normal

Japanese stocks opened lower on the 19th, with the Nikkei 225 index falling 2,061.83 points (3.06%) to 65,398.90 at 9:17 AM, marking the second consecutive day of decline and dropping below the 65,000 level. The selloff was triggered by a sharp plunge in US semiconductor stocks overnight, as the

According to Robin Brooks, former Goldman Sachs foreign exchange analyst, global long-term bond yields have surged in recent days, with Japan's 10-year forward rates rising most sharply over the past 10 days, followed by the UK, France, and Italy. Brooks attributed the rises to fiscal policy

The term premium on US 10-year Treasury bonds reached 89.48 basis points (bp) on August 17, the highest level since late May last year, according to the New York Federal Reserve Bank's model. The premium surged 12.37bp on July 29 during the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) press conference led b

According to the New York Federal Reserve, the term premium on U.S. 10-year Treasury securities reached 89.48 basis points on August 17, the highest level in 15 months, with the index trading above 80bp for six consecutive trading days. On July 29, the day of the Federal Open Market Committee

Foreign investors in the Seoul foreign exchange market sold dollar futures for three consecutive weeks, with selling activity accelerating on the previous day. During the Aug 7 week, foreign investors net sold 173,873 contracts, followed by 64,556 contracts during the Aug 14 week. Through the previo

According to South Korea's Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Energy, Minister Kim Jong-gwan met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and USTR Representative Jamieson Greer on August 16-19 to discuss strategic investment projects and trade issues. The emergency visit aimed to maintain

Australia's seasonally adjusted wage price index rose 0.8% quarter-over-quarter in Q2 2026, matching both market expectations and the prior quarter's reading of 0.8%.

According to Yonhap Infomax, the USD-KRW exchange rate remained near 1,410 won on August 19, with daily volatility declining significantly. The average daily fluctuation from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. narrowed to 7.7 won, down from 12.4 won in July and 8.4 won since August 6. Market dealers attributed the

According to CNBC, on August 18, U.S. 30-year Treasury yields surged above 5.33%, marking the highest level in 19 years. Japan's 10-year yields hit a 30-year high, while Germany and France's 30-year yields reached their highest levels since 2011 and 2008, respectively. The sharp rise in bond yields

According to the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank conducted zero operations in 7-day reverse repurchase agreements on August 19, while deploying 327.4 billion yuan in overnight reverse repos based on primary dealers'

According to China's interbank foreign exchange market, the USD/CNY midpoint rate stood at 6.7854 on August 19, down 51 points, reflecting appreciation of the yuan. The EUR/CNY rate was 7.8328, down 50 points, while GBP/CNY fell 99 points to 9.1586. AUD/CNY declined 176 points to 4.7915, and CAD/CNY