Group 1: Market Overview - U.S. investors are facing challenges including high tech stock valuations, hawkish Federal Reserve commentary, and unpredictable tariff policies from the Trump administration [1] - Despite Nvidia's strong earnings, the market experienced a sell-off, indicating potential volatility ahead [2] - High-quality international stocks have emerged as a refuge from U.S. market fluctuations [2] Group 2: Shinhan Financial Group - Shinhan Financial Group, a South Korean banking conglomerate, has a market cap of $25.5 billion and reported strong growth in interest income and net interest margins in Q3 2025 [3][5] - The company is trading at a Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio of 7.94 and a Price-to-Book (P/B) value of 0.5, with a dividend yield exceeding 3% [5] Group 3: POSCO Holdings - POSCO Holdings, valued at $16 billion, is transitioning from traditional steel manufacturing to lithium battery production, which offers higher margins [6][8] - The company has secured deals for lithium extraction in the U.S. and mining operations in Australia and Argentina, yet it trades at 14 times forward earnings and 0.4 times book value [6] Group 4: PLDT Inc. - PLDT Inc., the largest telecommunications company in the Philippines, offers a range of services and has developed the popular PayMaya app, now rebranded as Maya [9] - The stock trades at 7.5 times forward earnings and 1.2 times sales, with a dividend yield over 7%, presenting a potential buying opportunity after a recent drop [11] Group 5: United Microelectronics Corp. - United Microelectronics Corp. is a key player in the semiconductor foundry market, with a market share of 5% and major clients including Texas Instruments and Intel [12][14] - The stock is trading at 14 times forward earnings and 2.4 times sales, below industry averages, and has shown improved earnings performance in Q3 2025 [14]

Corporate Governance & Market Impact - President Lee Jae Myung's initiative aims to enhance corporate governance [1] - The goal is to eliminate the "Korea Discount" [1]