The World Bank (WB), along with the Group of Seven (G7) countries, has decided to invest US$40 million in developing countries in order to stabilize global supply chains. The WB plans to raise US$100 million within five years, and the Korean government will contribute US$3 million in the early stage
Iranian funds, frozen in South Korea and later released, have once again become a topic of controversy. This is because the possibility was raised that the US$6 billion of Iranian funds, which had been held up in South Korea, were suspected to have been transferred to the Palestinian militant group
South Korean government bond yields have been on a soaring trajectory, surging by nearly 0.5 percentage points in just the past month, and are now heading towards the 5 percent range.According to the Economic Statistics System of the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Oct. 5, the yield on 10-year government bon
Struggling with a bearish trend before the Chuseok holiday, the KOSPI index experienced a sharp decline of over 2 percent on Oct. 4, falling below the 2,400 mark as it was hindered by the rapid increase in U.S. Treasury bond yields. Concurrently, the won-U.S. dollar exchange rate reached its highest
South Korea’s battery industry is on high alert due to the potential designation of companies as “Foreign Entities of Concern” (FEOC) by the United States. If Chinese companies that supply raw materials and substances to Korean firms get listed as FEOCs, it could hinder these firms from receiving th
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at esshim@nhqv.com -- Ed.Started as a textile product manufacturer, DI Dongil has been striving steadily to diversify its business areas. In line, the values of its subsidiaries and assets are projected to be highlighted once
Lee Jae-Yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics; Chey Tae-Won, Chairman of SK Group; and the heads of other top 10 Korea-based conglomerates are projected to visit Saudi Arabia next month.According to industry sources on Sept. 14, Won Hee-ryong, minister of land, infrastructure, and transport, is cons
Last month foreign investors experienced a net outflow of US$1.7 billion (2.26 trillion won) from their investments in domestic stocks and bonds, marking the first time in 7 months since January that such a substantial withdrawal has occurred. Both stocks and bonds saw capital leaving the market dur
The development of next-generation network (6G) commercialization technology and core components, with a budget of 440 billion won, is set to begin in earnest next year. Further, there’s an ambition to demonstrate pre-6G technology by 2026 and secure 30% of the 6G international standard patents, aim
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. He can be reached at jk.ahn@shinhan.com -- Ed.US government and Fed seek to bring down inflation without a recessionThe US Fed is seeking to stabilize inflation at lower levels without a recession in hopes of avoiding a repeat of the 1970s. It has rai
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at sw.kang@nhqv.com -- Ed.Spiking real interest rates undermine fiscal sustainability. The US government will try to pace its spending and ease supply pressures through the TGA account. However, investors have no incentive to
On Aug. 9 (local time), the U.S. federal government made a decision to regulate American capital investment in China’s advanced technology sector. This marks an escalation of the economic battle between the U.S. and China, expanding its front from trade and technology to the investment domain. This
The semiconductor battle between the United States and China is escalating. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on semiconductor exports to China, citing threats to national security, to which China responded by blocking exports of key semiconductor minerals. The U.S. is now considering restricting even
KT&G Corporation(“KT&G” or the “Company”) (KRX:033780), South Korea’s leading tobacco manufacturer, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023. The Company also shared its robust shareholder return program, including interim dividend and share cancellation.For the 2
In the first six months of this year, the net issuance of Korean Paper denominated in foreign currencies by domestic residents, excluding the government, amounted to US$13.3 billion. This marks a significant increase compared to the previous year’s annual net issuance of US$11.4 billion. Furthermore
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at esshim@nhqv.com -- Ed.Due to a reported breach of Genians’ NAC solution, investor sentiment towards the firm has worsened, resulting in a share price plunge. However, no damage has been confirmed, and related business impa
U.S. chipmakers including Intel, Qualcomm, and Nvidia have reacted to U.S. President Joe Biden’s anti-China semiconductor export control policy. They have begun to speak about the news that the Biden administration is preparing additional semiconductor export control measures amid the escalating con
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. He can be reached at jk.ahn@shinhan.com -- Ed.July MPB meeting confirms BOK is in a bind, unable to raise or cut ratesThe Bank of Korea (BOK) unanimously decided to keep the base rate unchanged at 3.50% at the July Monetary Policy Board (MPB) meeting.
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. He can be reached at jk.ahn@shinhan.com -- Ed.Lowered expectations for US rate cuts, strong external headwinds for 3Q23US Treasury yields are unlikely to move lower in 3Q. The Silicon Valley Bank crisis and the ensuing financial market unrest that tri
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at dongyang.kim@nhqv.com -- Ed.SK Inc is expected to maintain solid fundamentals as a ‘professional value investor’ by reinforcing its new growth portfolios centered upon four major businesses and by strengthening shareholder