Hanwha Investment Raises KT&G Target Price by 39% Amid Growth Prospects Hanwha Investment & Securities announced on May 8 that it has raised its target price for KT&G from 180,000 won to 250,000 won, reflecting a 39% increase. The firm maintained its "buy" rating on the stock. Han Yu-jung, an analyst at Hanwha Investment, stated, "We are raising the target price based on the company's core growth, portfolio restructuring, and expanded shareholder return policies. KT&G has completed the buyback of all its treasury shares, and a new shareholder return policy foc May 8, 2026

Trump's 10% Global Tariff Blocked Again by Court President Donald Trump's proposed 10% global tariff has been blocked again by the courts. Following a Supreme Court ruling that halted existing tariffs, a workaround has also lost its effectiveness. However, U.S. tariff pressures are far from over, as the focus shifts to country- and item-specific measures. On May 7, the U.S. International Trade Court voted 2-1 to block the global tariff that the Trump administration implemented in February. The court found that the tariff was unlikely to h May 8, 2026

Government Plans to Adjust Tax Benefits for Rental Property Owners The government has assessed that the real estate market is transitioning to a focus on actual residents, prompting a review of tax benefits for rental property owners. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol stated on May 8 during a meeting at the Government Complex in Seoul that, "The recent real estate market is moving away from overheating and is being restructured around actual residents." He noted that loan regulations and land transaction permits are ef May 8, 2026

Samsung Securities Raises Target Price for HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Samsung Securities announced on May 8 that it has raised its target price for HD Hyundai Heavy Industries from 890,000 won to 1,030,000 won, citing improvements in profitability across all business divisions and the anticipated impact of high-value contracts. The investment rating remains at 'Buy.' Analyst Han Young-soo noted, "First-quarter operating profit exceeded market expectations by 14%. Even without one-time gains, the results are impressive considering conservative performance bo May 8, 2026

Test Drive: 2027 Hyundai Mighty Offers SUV-Like Comfort On May 7, the 2027 New Mighty, a mid-sized cargo truck, maneuvered through the parking lot at Incheon Port. The first noticeable feature inside the vehicle was its upgraded passenger car-like interior. Despite the rough terrain and sea breeze outside, the cabin was surprisingly quiet. The windshield glass and direct glazing method significantly reduced external noise. Handong-wook, a researcher from Hyundai's Mighty development team, explained, "Unlike the previous model, which used rubbe May 8, 2026

Bitcoin Falls Below $80,000 Amid Uncertainty in Middle East Negotiations Bitcoin's price has dropped below $80,000, reflecting a bearish trend as uncertainty looms over peace negotiations in the Middle East. As of 8 a.m. on May 8, Bitcoin was trading at $79,899, down 1.73% from the previous day, according to CoinMarketCap. The cryptocurrency briefly surpassed $82,000 on May 6 amid optimism for a U.S.-Iran agreement but has since declined. Major altcoins also experienced losses, with Solana (SOL) down 1.09% at $88.08, Ripple (XRP) falling 2.62% to $1.38, and Ethereum May 8, 2026

U.S. Stocks Decline as Semiconductor Gains Fade; Dow Drops 0.63% U.S. stock indices fell across the board as profit-taking in semiconductor stocks followed recent gains, compounded by volatile oil prices and uncertainty in the Middle East. However, strength in major artificial intelligence (AI) stocks and some software companies helped limit the declines. On May 7, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 313.62 points (0.63%) at 49,596.97. The S&P 500 dropped 28.01 points (0.38%) to 7,337.11, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 32.75 points (0.13%) to 2 May 8, 2026

South Korea's Current Account Surplus Reaches Record $37.3 Billion in March South Korea's current account surplus reached a record $37.33 billion in March, driven by strong semiconductor exports. The increase in oil products and chemicals also contributed to this historic surplus. According to preliminary statistics released by the Bank of Korea on May 8, the current account surplus for March was approximately 54.43 trillion won. This marks the 35th consecutive month of surplus, the second-longest streak since the 2000s. Following a record surplus of $23.19 bill May 8, 2026

Samsung ETFs Surge 93%, LG and Hyundai Stumble Amid Market Rally ◆Ajou Economic Key News ▷Samsung Group ETFs Lead with Over 93% Returns, Others Lag - The KOSPI index continues its rally, with Samsung Group ETFs achieving returns exceeding 93% since the start of the year, dominating the ETF market. - ETFs like 'TIGER Samsung Group' (93.64%) and 'KODEX Samsung Group' (86.15%) significantly outperformed the KOSPI's 77.73% rise, largely due to Samsung Electronics' surge. - In contrast, ETFs for major groups like LG, Hyundai, POSCO, and Hanwha reported ret May 8, 2026

HMM Namoo Arrives in Dubai After Fire Incident Investigation Begins The HMM Namoo, which caught fire due to an explosion while anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, has arrived in Dubai, UAE, approximately 12 hours after being towed from the incident site. According to HMM, the vessel reached the vicinity of Dubai port at 5:20 a.m. Korean time, towed by a tugboat from near Umm al-Quwain. The Namoo is now docked at Drydocks World Dubai, the largest repair yard in the Middle East, where it will undergo repairs and an investigation into the cause of the fire. Th May 8, 2026