S&P 500 — US Large Cap Index
FTSE 100 — UK Blue Chips
Euro Stoxx 50 — Eurozone Leaders
DAX 40 — German Equities
CAC 40 — French Market Index
Nikkei 225 — Japan Benchmark
Hang Seng — Hong Kong Index
Shanghai Composite — China Mainland
ASX 200 — Australian Market
TSX Composite — Canada Index
Nifty 50 — India Large Cap
STI Index — Singapore Market
KOSPI — South Korea Index
Bovespa — Brazil Equities
JSE Top 40 — South Africa Index
IPC Index — Mexico Market
The South Korean won traded around 1,414 per dollar, remaining near an over ten-month high touched last week, supported by persistent dollar-selling flows. The currency continued to benefit from the conversion of SK hynix’s ADR proceeds into won, which has been a key factor behind its sharp appreciation in recent weeks. Additionally, chip exports surged 155.4% year-on-year in the first 10 days of August to $9.95 billion, reinforcing the won’s underlying support from Korea’s strong semiconductor-driven external position and robust global AI demand. Meanwhile, expectations for a September Federal Reserve rate hike have increased, lending some support to the dollar and limiting the won’s gains ahead of key US inflation data. At the same time, uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz and higher oil prices remained a headwind, raising concerns over Korea’s import costs and inflation.
