BigBreakingWire

🚨 BREAKING: JPMorgan Warns Hedge Funds May Cut Tech Exposure After July Rout

• JPMorgan warned that hedge funds' capacity to hold technology stocks may be structurally reduced after July's semiconductor sell-off triggered widespread liquidations across the sector.

• Tech-focused hedge funds lost more than 10% in July, excluding Situational Awareness, which suffered a 67% drawdown, while Asia-focused stock pickers recorded their worst month on record, according to Goldman Sachs.

• JPMorgan strategist Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou said the recent losses could permanently reduce hedge funds' ability to hold volatile semiconductor stocks as prime brokers cut balance-sheet allocations.

• The bank warned that the technology trade could increasingly depend on retail investors, potentially leading to greater market volatility and sharper price swings.

• The latest sell-off has raised concerns that institutional appetite for high-growth chip stocks may remain subdued even if the sector rebounds.

$SKHY $NVDA

🚨 BREAKING: NVIDIA Expands 6G Push, Seeks Chinese Partners For AI Base Stations

• NVIDIA is urgently seeking Chinese partners to develop 6G AI-RAN base stations that combine telecom connectivity with on-site AI computing, accelerating its expansion into the global telecom operator market.

• The company is looking for Chinese base-station manufacturers capable of building 6G equipment that meets overseas market requirements.

• Shenzhen Jiaxian Communications has emerged as a confirmed partner, with sources saying NVIDIA began working with the company in 2025 and that the collaboration has already lasted more than six months.

• The project is currently in the technical research and development stage and relies heavily on NVIDIA's CUDA ecosystem to integrate AI capabilities into telecom infrastructure.

• Sources said the two sides are discussing the creation of a commercial joint venture for overseas expansion, while NVIDIA plans to begin deploying edge-computing networks over the next two years.

$NVDAB

🚨 SpaceX Plunges 12%, Loses Over $205 Billion in Market Value

• SpaceX shares fell as much as 12% in early trading, wiping out more than $205 billion in market capitalization as investors worried about soaring AI spending and capital expenditures following the company's first post-IPO earnings report.

• Despite the selloff, major Wall Street firms remained largely bullish. Morgan Stanley reiterated an Overweight rating with a $300 price target and expects annual recurring revenue to exceed $100 billion by the end of 2026, with 2027 revenue projected at $102 billion.

• Wells Fargo maintained an Overweight rating but cut its target price to $215 from $230, citing potential delays in SpaceX's compute expansion plans despite management targeting more than 8 GW of capacity by 2027.

• Deutsche Bank ($235 PT), Goldman Sachs ($220 PT), Citigroup ($200 PT), JPMorgan ($240 PT) and UBS ($210 PT) all maintained bullish ratings, highlighting AI growth, Starlink expansion, data-center scaling and management's accelerated goal of reaching $1 trillion in revenue by 2030 or earlier.

• Analysts expect near-term volatility due to heavy spending, lockup expiries and execution risks, but see significant upside from partnerships with Anthropic, Google and Reflection AI, as well as future Starship and Starlink deployments.

$SPCX

🚨 BREAKING: Goldman Sachs Says Selloff in Samsung, SK Hynix Is Overdone

• Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix shares have fallen about 23% and 35%, respectively, over the past month amid concerns over weaker HBM pricing, NAND oversupply and rising competition.

• Goldman Sachs said the selloff is excessive, citing low inventories, persistent supply tightness, long-term contracts and shareholder-return support, while reiterating Buy ratings on both companies.

• The stocks are now trading at just 3.5–3.6x 2027 P/E and 1.4–1.6x P/B, reflecting sharply lower valuations.

• Goldman expects 2027 HBM average selling prices to rise about 87% for Samsung and 100% for SK Hynix to around $2.9 per GB, with its SK Hynix forecast roughly 24% above consensus.

• The bank warned that HBM supply expansion remains constrained by node upgrades, higher stacking requirements and tougher yield ramps, potentially leading to an even larger supply shortfall next year.

$KORUB $SKHY
#SKHynixClimbsOnBuybackBet

🚨 BREAKING: Oil Majors Post Massive Q2 Profit Surge

• ExxonMobil reported Q2 net income of $14.5 billion and adjusted earnings of $14.7 billion, marking its strongest quarterly profit in four years.

• Chevron posted $12.0 billion in net income, its best quarterly performance in six years, while Shell earned $10.8 billion, more than doubling from a year earlier.

• BP reported $3.91 billion in net income, up 141% YoY, while TotalEnergies posted $5.4 billion, up 67% YoY and its strongest quarter in three years.

• Saudi Aramco reported Q2 net income of $32.69 billion, up 44% year-on-year, benefiting from higher oil prices.

• The earnings surge comes amid elevated energy prices and supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East.

#SCCrudeDrops6.01%

🚨 BREAKING: SK Hynix Jumps on Buyback Speculation and Chip Rally

• SK Hynix shares surged as much as 7.9% in Seoul on Wednesday, outperforming Samsung Electronics, which gained around 6%, after a rally in U.S. semiconductor stocks.

• Investors are speculating that SK Hynix, a key supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips for NVIDIA, could soon announce shareholder-return measures.

• Market attention is focused on the expiration of a 25-trading-day quiet period following the company's ADR issuance, which ended on August 4 and may clear the way for new announcements.

• Independent analyst Douglas Kim said SK Hynix could unveil a major shareholder-return package, potentially including share buybacks, share cancellations and a special dividend.

• Brokerages, including William Blair, initiated coverage of SK Hynix's ADRs overnight with Buy ratings.

$SKHY $NVDA

🚨 BREAKING: Semiconductor ETFs Dominated South Korea's Worst Performers in July

• Korea Exchange data published on August 4 showed that, excluding leveraged and inverse products, eight of the ten worst-performing domestic ETFs in July were linked to the semiconductor sector.

• SOL AI Semiconductor TOP2 Plus led the losses, plunging 38.15%, followed by ACE K Semiconductor TOP2+ (-36.25%) and SOL Semiconductor Front-End Process (-35.97%).

• ETFs with overseas semiconductor exposure also recorded steep declines as investors reacted to sharp losses in U.S. chip stocks and growing concerns that the global semiconductor cycle may have peaked.

• The only non-semiconductor ETFs in the bottom ten were aerospace-focused funds: KODEX US Aerospace (-37.81%) and TIGER US Space Technology (-35.96%), both of which count SpaceX as their largest holding.

$SKHY $KORU

🚨 BREAKING: Retail Investors Exit South Korean Market as Volatility Surges

• The Korea Exchange (KRX) said retail investors are rapidly pulling out of the market as heightened volatility weakens investor sentiment.

• Retail investors' share of KOSPI turnover fell to 31.2–31.5% in July, down from 48.1% in January, marking a decline of roughly 16–17 percentage points in just six months.

• Since June, retail investors have no longer been the dominant force in the market, with foreign investors accounting for around 38–39% of KOSPI turnover in July, overtaking individuals.

• KRX said even small market rebounds are triggering selling as retail investors attempt to recover losses, accelerating capital outflows from domestic equities.

• Analysts said the KOSPI's heavy concentration in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix is a major reason behind the retail exodus.

🚨 BREAKING: Moody's Upgrades SK Hynix to A3 on AI Memory Strength

• Moody's upgraded SK Hynix's long-term issuer and senior unsecured ratings to A3 from Baa1, while maintaining a stable outlook.

• The agency cited SK Hynix's stronger competitiveness in the AI memory market, along with significant improvements in profitability and cash generation.

• This marks the first time since joining SK Group in 2012 that SK Hynix has received an A-range rating from Moody's. Meanwhile, S&P and Fitch continue to rate the company at BBB+, with positive and stable outlooks, respectively.

• Moody's expects SK Hynix to maintain strong profitability and cash generation over the next 12–18 months, adding that its substantial cash reserves have improved resilience against any downturn in the semiconductor cycle.

🚨 SOUTH KOREA CRACKS DOWN ON CHIP ETF SPECULATION

• KODEX SK Hynix leveraged ETF volume fell to 59 million shares, the lowest since June 4
• Samsung's leveraged ETF hit its weakest trading since its late-May 2026 launch
• New leveraged purchases now face high cash-deposit requirements
• Regulators moved after leveraged ETFs amplified market swings

$SKHY $KORU

🚨 BREAKING: KOSDAQ Jumps Over 5% as Trading Curbs Triggered for Third Straight Day

• South Korea's KOSDAQ surged more than 5% after the Korea Exchange activated a buy-side-only trading curb at 10:47:51 KST, temporarily pausing program trading.

• The buy-side curb has now been triggered for the third consecutive trading day, marking the 17th occurrence this year and the 12th instance last month.

• Institutional investors were heavy buyers, purchasing a net KRW 354 billion of KOSDAQ shares, while retail and foreign investors sold a net KRW 167 billion and KRW 183 billion, respectively.

• Biotech stocks led the rally, with LigaChem (+12.9%), ABL Bio (+12.3%), HLB (+9.6%), Peptron (+9.4%), Alteogen (+7.0%) and Sam Chun Dang Pharm (+6.0%) posting strong gains.

• Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said the government will work to reduce market volatility and swiftly implement measures to limit the use of single-stock leveraged ETFs.

$SKHY $KORU

🚨 BREAKING: Telegram Disappears From Apple's App Store Search

• Telegram can no longer be found through the Apple App Store's search function, while the company and CEO Pavel Durov have not yet commented on the issue.

• This is not the first such incident. In 2018, Apple temporarily removed Telegram and Telegram X over concerns related to inappropriate content before restoring the apps after additional safeguards were introduced.

• Digital assets linked to Telegram also came under pressure, with GRAM (formerly TON) trading at $1.34 as of 7:08 a.m. (IST), down 5.8% from a day earlier, according to CoinMarketCap.

• The reason behind Telegram's disappearance from App Store search results remains unclear.

$GRAM

🚨 BREAKING: Trading in South Korea's Single-Stock Leveraged ETFs Plunges After Margin Hike

• Trading volume in 16 KOSPI-listed single-stock leveraged and inverse ETFs linked to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix fell to 1.24 trillion won, down 58.6% from 2.99 trillion won on the day the new rules took effect.

• Turnover has collapsed to nearly one-tenth of the 12.45 trillion won recorded on the final trading session before regulators imposed stricter margin requirements.

• South Korean regulators raised the minimum cash margin for investors in single-stock leveraged ETFs from 10 million won to 30 million won in an effort to curb excessive speculation.

• Retail trading in these products dropped sharply to 250.7 billion won, less than a quarter of the 929.9 billion won traded on the implementation day.

$SKHY $KORU

🚨 SOUTH KOREA PRESIDENT'S AIDE FACES ETF CONTROVERSY

• Complaint filed against policy chief Kim Yong-beom
• Allegations include abuse of power and coercion
• Probe centers on a single-stock leveraged ETF plan
• Critics warn such products amplify market volatility

$SKHY $KORU

🚨 BREAKING: Banks Turn to 'Crash Puts' as Leveraged ETF Risks Surge

• Banks are increasingly using "crash puts"—derivatives that pay out during extreme market declines—to reduce exposure linked to leveraged ETFs, according to Bloomberg.

• South Korea's KOSPI has fallen about 37% since late June, prompting regulators to halt new single-stock leveraged ETF launches and limit individual exposure.

• In the United States, the SEC blocked the launch of triple- and quintuple-leveraged ETFs in late 2025, while 73 leveraged funds have shut down in 2026, according to Morningstar.

• Dealers are paying hefty premiums for complex derivatives that shift tail risk from booming leveraged ETFs to investors willing to absorb potential losses.

$SKHY $KORU

🚨 BofA Sees Big Tech AI Spending Surging to $1.2 Trillion by 2027

• Bank of America expects combined capital spending by Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta to exceed $860 billion in 2026—up about 80% year-on-year—and reach $1.2 trillion in 2027.

• The spending boom is supported by more than $2.3 trillion in customer contracts and order backlogs, which rose about 16% quarter-on-quarter, improving demand visibility.

• Despite AI and cloud revenue growth of roughly 80–100%+, rising investment is expected to pressure free cash flow, with industry FCF margins projected to fall to -1% in 2026 and -5% to -6% in 2027–28.

• The five hyperscalers have raised about $270 billion this year, mainly through long-term debt and equity, while key beneficiaries include AI chips, storage, semiconductor equipment, power semiconductors and optical communications.

🚨 STABLECOINS ARE SHRINKING AS MONEY FLEES

• Supply fell from $322B to $307.6B since May
• USDT and USDC saw major outflows
• Capital shifted into tokenized Treasuries
• Stablecoin volume still hit a record $1.79T

📈 Crypto volatility could rise.

⚠️ Are stablecoins losing their dominance?

Morgan Stanley Upgrades South Korea to Overweight

• Morgan Stanley upgraded South Korean equities to "overweight" from "neutral", saying recent deleveraging has created attractive entry points for AI and the industrial supercycle trade.

• Strategists led by Daniel K. Blake see the KOSPI rising about 36% to their 9,000 target, despite the index falling as much as 5.5% on Monday after Friday's record 18% surge.

• The bank said the recent selloff was largely technical, adding that the unwinding of leveraged ETFs, hedge-fund positions and retail margin trades is now more than halfway complete.

• Morgan Stanley expects the KOSPI to trade in a 5,500–10,500 range in the near term, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix providing valuation support, while industrials, defense and financials could benefit most.

$SKHY $KORU

🚨 BREAKING: Japan and U.S. Reportedly Coordinated Yen Intervention

• Japan is expected to announce on Monday that it coordinated with the United States to intervene in currency markets after the yen fell to a 40-year low, according to Reuters.

• The joint yen-buying operation follows an estimated $59 billion in intervention spending by Japanese authorities.

• The move is aimed at stabilizing the yen and preventing broader disruptions in financial markets.

• The intervention would also signal close coordination between Tokyo and Washington as policymakers seek to curb excessive currency volatility.

🚨 BREAKING: South Korean Retail Investors Lose Faith After KOSPI Crash

• South Korea's KOSPI plunged 22% in July, marking its biggest monthly decline since the global financial crisis, despite an 18% rebound on Friday.

• Retail investors, known for aggressive risk-taking, recorded their largest-ever net sales of KOSPI stocks as losses mounted.

• Encouraged by market reforms and leveraged ETFs, retail investors poured about 78 trillion won ($54.2 billion) into Korean equities during May and June, leaving many heavily exposed to July's volatility.

• Social media has been flooded with criticism of the government, with some investors saying the best rule for the KOSPI is "don't invest" and vowing to exit the market.

$SKHY $KORU