Oil Prices and Interest Rates Soaring, Will Interest Rate Hikes Actually Save the Market? | Lee Seon-yeop, CEO of AFW Partners

Oil Prices and Interest Rates Soaring, Will Interest Rate Hikes Actually Save the Market? | Lee Seon-yeop, CEO of AFW Partners [Global Interview]
Watch on YouTube ↗  |  September 10, 2026 at 22:58  |  32:54  |  3PRO TV (삼프로TV)
Speakers
Lee Seon-yeop — CEO, AFW Partners

Summary

Lee Seon-yeop, CEO of AFW Partners, discusses the impact of soaring oil prices and interest rates on markets. He argues the Federal Reserve should raise rates preemptively to control inflation, which could reduce volatility and lead to a better October. He also highlights the significance of new AI developments like Astra, which represent a shift toward AGI and will drive demand for AI hardware, while warning that a stronger Korean won could hurt cosmetics and luxury goods exporters.

  • Oil prices and rising interest rates are pressuring markets.
  • Lee Seon-yeop argues the Fed should hike rates now to preempt inflation.
  • A rate hike could reduce uncertainty and lead to a market rally in October.
  • The emergence of AI models like Astra signals a shift toward AGI, driving demand for AI hardware.
  • AI-related stocks have been resilient despite high rates.
  • A stronger Korean won may reduce earnings for cosmetics and luxury goods exporters.
  • Investors should focus on the changing learning methods in AI and the required hardware.
Ideas
Lee Seon-yeop CEO, AFW Partners 18:32
Fed hike to boost market in October.
The Federal Reserve should raise interest rates now to preemptively address inflation driven by oil prices. Although a rate hike may cause short-term market volatility, it would reduce long-term uncertainty, restore confidence in the Fed, and minimize the ultimate economic damage. If the market accepts the hike, volatility could decrease, and the market could rally, with October expected to be better.
Lee Seon-yeop CEO, AFW Partners 21:12
AI shift to AGI drives hardware demand.
The emergence of new AI models like Astra, representing a shift from generative AI to agentic AI and toward AGI, marks a significant transition that will drive demand for new hardware, particularly memory and GPUs, similar to how previous AI shifts boosted related stocks. Even with high interest rates, AI-related companies have shown resilience, and if rates stop rising, they could respond more positively. Investors should focus on how learning methods change and what hardware is needed, rather than just comparing model performance.
Lee Seon-yeop CEO, AFW Partners 29:08
Strong won hurts Korean cosmetics/luxury.
The Korean won has strengthened significantly (from 1500 to 1350 per dollar), which will reduce the earnings estimates for companies that benefited from a weak won, such as cosmetics and luxury goods. The weak won had made Korean luxury goods cheaper globally, driving demand, but with the won stronger, that price advantage diminishes and demand may fall. This is a short-term headwind, not a directional change, but it can cause volatility.
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This 3PRO TV (삼프로TV) video, published September 10, 2026, features Lee Seon-yeop discussing EWY, SMH, KORU, Korean luxury goods sector. 3 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Lee Seon-yeop  · Tickers: EWY, SMH, KORU, Korean luxury goods sector