EMERGING MARKETS

South Korea's KOSPI index rebounded slightly after a sharp selloff triggered by Samsung's shareholder return plan, amidst ongoing volatility influenced by semiconductor giants and global economic factors.

Grupo Cibest shares rose 9.89% due to strong first-half results and improving Colombian economic conditions, boosting investor confidence in the banking sector.

Grupo Aval shares rose 13.23% due to stabilising economic conditions in Colombia, boosting investor confidence in the financial sector. The company's diversified operations and strategic initiatives support its strong market position.

As per a leading cannabis research publisher, ArcView Market Research, North America’s legal cannabis market has posted a 30 per cent increase in revenue on 2015. The revenue figure in 2016 was US$9.3 billion (AU$12 billion). Considering a compound annual growth rate of 25 percent, the marijuana market may post US$20.2 billion (AU$27.9 billion) sales by 2021.