The Setup Korea’s benchmark equity index, the KOSPI, fell 5.34% in a single session on July 8, closing at 7,656.31 — a jarring divergence from the comparative calm in New York, where the S&P 500 gained 0.48% to 7,518.88 and the NASDAQ added 0.52% to reach 25,968.15. The CBOE VIX finished at 15.6, barely changed, … Read more
The Move Three normally uncorrelated assets sold off in tandem on June 25: equities, crude oil, and gold. That configuration is worth pausing on before explaining it away. The S&P 500 declined 1.69% to 7,346.82. The Nasdaq fell 2.72% to 25,454.94. WTI crude dropped 3.81% to $70.42 a barrel. And gold retreated 3.24% to $3,995.90 … Read more
Lead: $72.16 — The Number That Cuts Against the Headline WTI crude closed the June 24 session at $72.16 a barrel, down 1.43% on the day. That single figure demands explanation. Iran’s war is in its 117th day. Negotiators are in open dispute over nuclear inspection terms. The Strait of Hormuz — through which more … Read more
THE MACRO PICTURE Korea’s KOSPI surged 8.86% overnight—its best single-day performance in over two years—yet the broader Asia narrative is fracturing in ways U.S. investors should notice. While Seoul exploded higher, the dollar barely budged (USD/KRW up 0.41% to 1,510.53) and the yen held flat at 158.89, suggesting this wasn’t a regional risk-on wave but … Read more