Agricultural and Livestock Prices Stay High After Holidays... Government Launches Livelihood Prices Task Force [3-Min Brief]

[At a glance]
1. Post-holiday price-drop pattern weakens... Meat and fruit prices stay sky-high
2. "Domestic stock market will perform well this year, with plenty of 20-30% upside for the KOSPI"
3. U.S. imports up 5% last year despite Trump's tariff policy... Trade deficit narrows slightly

MARKET INDEX : Year to date

○New York stocks rally in relief after ruling that tariffs were illegal

○Uncertainty remains as Trump activates Plan B

○All eyes on Nvidia's earnings announcement

Top3 NEWS

■ "I picked up an apple and my eyes widened"... Holiday is over but runaway prices are not coming down

○Prices of key holiday agricultural and livestock products continued to rise before and after the holiday
○Government forms a task force of related ministers for special management of livelihood prices
○"We will conduct intensive inspections on livelihood items and root out unfair trade practices"

■ "KOSPI has enough 20-30% upside, and semiconductors will lead the way"

○Semiconductors will perform well through next year thanks to AI development
○ETF market to keep growing over the next 10-20 years
○An era is coming when Korean ETFs are exported to the United States

■ U.S. imports up 4.8% year-on-year... Similar to 2024, which was during Biden's term

○Exports up 6.2% year-on-year
○Trade deficit narrows as import growth is smaller
○European Union deficit surpasses China

Graphic News: "Buying Yeouido Marriott instead of a silver town"... Can a zero-deposit hotel-style retirement be an alternative?

○Large conglomerates are entering the senior residence market one after another

○"Quality of my own life over inheritance"... Seniors who want to live in city centers

○Foot traffic heading toward hotel-style senior residences

the Chart: Health insurance finances trapped in a "deficit swamp"... Putting the brakes on excessive non-covered treatment

○With fiscal pressure mounting, a current-account deficit of several hundred billion won is expected this year

○Following the introduction of "managed benefits," forced offsetting of refunds for delinquent payers is also being implemented

○"For items subject to managed benefits, we will set reimbursement rates and basic coverage standards"

Today's key schedule

○Domestic

KOSDAQ Kbank subscription, final offering price set at 8,300 won

KOSDAQ Esteem subscription, expected offering price 7,000-8,500 won

KOSDAQ Axvis subscription, final offering price set at 11,500 won

○Overseas

06:45 New Zealand Retail Sales (QoQ) (Q4)

14:00 Singapore Consumer Price Index (YoY) (January)

16:30 Switzerland Producer Price Index (MoM) (January)

18:00 Germany Current Assessment Index (February)

22:00 Speech by Fed Governor Waller

23:00 France 1-Year BTF Treasury Bill Auction

◇Lunchtime & commute weather

○Lowest temperature: 4℃ (▼13℃) ｜Highest temperature: 3℃ (▼7℃)
○Chance of precipitation: morning 0%｜afternoon 0%
○Fine dust: morning bad｜afternoon moderate

Three minutes is all it takes. Essential, time-efficient economic news. Published every day at 8 a.m.