'I lost $14,000 in a month': Investors hit by Korean stock market's wild swings

• The S&P 500 reached a historic milestone on August 14, 2026, closing at a record high and surpassing the 7,800 mark for the first time. • Following this record-breaking close, stock futures showed mixed performance as investors reacted to the new peak.

• Asian stock markets mostly declined on Friday, with the Hang Seng losing 1% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipping 1.1%, while U.S. futures remained largely unchanged. • Some markets bucked the trend, as South Korea's Kospi rose 1.3% to 6,924.74 and Tokyo's Nikkei 225 gained 0.3% to 68,533.85.

• AI infrastructure stocks surged on Wall Street on August 13, led by CoreWeave, which jumped 19.5% following reports of a $104 billion backlog. • Other AI cloud providers, including Nebius and ERock, also rallied amid a wave of mega AI contracts and M&A activity supported by Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.

• The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed in the high 6,900 range, having briefly surpassed the 7,000 mark during the trading session. • The index's performance was driven by foreign investors, who acted as net buyers for four consecutive trading days.

• The Indian Rupee opened flat against the US Dollar at approximately 95.40 on Friday, coinciding with a correction in global oil prices. • Separately, Reddit shares surged 11% in extended trading on Thursday following confirmation of its inclusion in the S&P 500 index.

• Asian stock markets are positioned for a weekly gain as investors reduce their expectations for a U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate hike in September. • The market shift follows a period of volatility driven by uncertainty and "gambling" over the Fed's future monetary policy decisions.

• Wall Street is experiencing an exceptional Q2 corporate earnings season, while performance across European markets remains mixed. • Investors are closely monitoring upcoming results from AI giants Nvidia and Broadcom to determine if the current surge in AI infrastructure investment is sustainable.

• European shares remained subdued on August 13 as investors awaited euro zone employment data and monitored ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. • Maersk shares surged 9.4% after the shipping group beat profit forecasts and raised its full-year guidance for a second time, driven by higher freight rates.

• European stock markets recorded their first weekly loss in five weeks, breaking a positive streak. • The downturn was primarily driven by a surge in crude oil prices and recent economic data.

• The latest official Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation figures have been criticized for overlooking specific fuel costs that impact American households. • According to The Real Economy Blog, these hidden transportation costs are quietly driving up the prices of food and a wide variety of other consumer goods.

• Hugh Gimber, a global market strategist at JPMorgan, observes a curious trend where the US stock market appears to be driving economic performance rather than reflecting it. • This shift suggests a decoupling between traditional economic indicators and equity market behavior, creating an unusual dynamic for investors and policymakers.