As armed conflict between the US and Iran heightens the risk of a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, crude oil supply anxieties are unsettling markets. Compounded by output freezes from major oil producers and ongoing geopolitical tensions, investor caution is rising.
The US military struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to Iranian missile attacks targeting US vessels and deployed F-35A stealth fighters, strengthening the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Key OPEC+ members decided to freeze crude oil production for October, taking into account export disruptions caused by the war with Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
A US presidential special envoy delegation visited Moscow and Kyiv consecutively to discuss a peace plan, but differences between the two sides persisted on key issues such as territorial disputes.
US President Trump highlighted the valuation imbalance of the Canadian dollar against the US dollar amid tariff tensions with Canada.
The US Secretary of Energy urged military support and participation from non-regional allies to secure the safety of crude oil transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
AI firm Anthropic postponed its originally scheduled IPO prospectus disclosure and listing timeline by one month to just before the US mid-term elections in November.
South Korean retail investors trading overseas net sold individual semiconductor stocks amid concerns over peaking earnings, while expanding purchases of 3x leveraged semiconductor ETFs and short-term US Treasury ETFs.
While external caution prevails ahead of the US CPI release and earnings from major tech companies, renewed AI demand momentum is supporting the market downside. If a slowdown in inflation is confirmed, expectations for rate cuts and a soft landing are likely to strengthen, enabling investor sentiment to break out of its sluggish trend and recover rapidly.
Market focus is centered on the upcoming US August Consumer Price Index (CPI) release to gauge inflation trends and the direction of Fed monetary policy.
US-based Oracle is scheduled to report earnings, with expectations to reconfirm AI investment demand and cloud business growth momentum.
US August nonfarm payrolls recorded 162,000, significantly exceeding the market consensus.
A North American client is set to unveil its first foldable smartphone, raising expectations for gains across the domestic component value chain.
Meritz Securities raises target price for Fine M-Tec to KRW 13,000, reflecting a second-quarter earnings surprise and second-half momentum.
