Americas ETP News
If your looking for specific news, using the search function will narrow down the results
SPDR ETF SNAPSHOT: February 2011
March 15, 2011--Snapshot Overview
As of February 28, 2011, 985 Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)—with assets totaling approximately $1.0TN—were managed by 34 ETF managers.
ETF industry assets rose $34.9BN for the month—up 3.5%.
State Street launched the SPDR® S&P® Emerging Markets Dividend ETF [EDIV] and the SPDR Barclays Capital Emerging Markets Local Bond ETF [EBND] on February 24th.
EDIV seeks to track the performance of the S&P Emerging Markets Dividend Opportunities Index. The Index is comprised of 100 of the highest yielding emerging markets stocks, based on market capitalization, in the S&P Dividend Opportunities family of indices.
Constituents include publicly traded companies with market capitalizations of at least $1BN (float-adjusted market cap of $300MM). EDIV’s annual expense ratio is 0.59%.
EBND follows the Barclays Capital EM Local Currency Government Diversified Index. The Index includes government bonds issued by countries outside of the United States, in local currencies, that have a remaining maturity of one year or more and are rated B3/B-/B- or higher. Each of the index components is a constituent of the Barclays Capital EM Local Currency Government Diversified Index. EBND’s annual expense ratio is 0.50%.
ETF Industry Detail
ASSET CLASSES- OVERALL
The S&P 500® Index rose 3.4% while the MSCI EAFE® Index rose 3.3%. US bonds were mixed with the Barclays U.S. Treasury Index falling 0.1% and the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Index rising 0.3%. Gold rose 6.3%, to $1,411 per ounce.
Commodities led all categories, gaining $7.7BN. International – Developed asset gains, up $7.0BN, were driven by a combination of inflows and performance. Emerging Markets assets fell for the second consecutive month, down $5.5BN
U.S. Republicans mount first Dodd-Frank challenge
March 15, 2011--Congressional Republicans on Wednesday will stage their first outright challenge to 2010's Dodd-Frank financial regulation reforms with a fistful of bills favoring private equity firms, derivatives end-users and corporate CEOs.
After months of trying to defund and defang Dodd-Frank at the administrative level, Republicans are finally unveiling draft legislation that would repeal or amend parts of the laws approved after the severe 2007-2009 financial crisis.
Source: Reuters
Treasury International Capital Data for January
March 15, 2011-- The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for January 2011. The next release, which will report on data for February 2011, is scheduled for April 15, 2011.
Net foreign purchases of long-term securities were $51.5 billion.
Net foreign purchases of long-term U.S. securities were $74.3 billion. Of this, net purchases by private foreign investors were $46.2 billion, and net purchases by foreign official institutions were $28.1 billion.
U.S. residents purchased a net $22.8 billion of long-term foreign securities.
Net foreign acquisition of long-term securities, taking into account adjustments, is estimated to have been $32.1 billion.
Foreign holdings of dollar-denominated short-term U.S. securities, including Treasury bills, and other custody liabilities decreased $21.4 billion. Foreign holdings of Treasury bills decreased $31.3 billion.
Banks’ own net dollar-denominated liabilities to foreign residents increased $21.9 billion.
Monthly net TIC flows were $32.5 billion. Of this, net foreign private flows were $47.2 billion, and net foreign official flows were negative $14.7 billion.
view data
Source: US Department of the Treasury
Trading in CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) Options and Futures Sets New Records Today
ingle-Day Volume in VIX Options at CBOE Exceeds One Million Contracts for the First Time, In VIX Futures at CFE, Tuesday's All-Time High Tops Last Friday's Record
March 15, 2011--CBOE Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBOE) announced today that trading volume in options based on the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) at the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) and futures based on VIX at the CBOE Futures Exchange (CFE) both established new single-day volume records on Tuesday, March 15.
VIX Options at CBOE
Today marked the first time in CBOE's history that VIX options volume topped the one-million-contract benchmark in a single trading session, as a reported 1,038,002 contracts changed hands. Tuesday's volume surpassed the previous single-day high of 716,815 contracts traded on December 3, 2009, while Monday's trading volume of 700,826 contracts fell just shy of this previous record. The trading activity experienced on Tuesday and Monday rank as two of the top four most-active trading days for VIX options in CBOE history.
read more
Source: CBOE
ELX Announces Plans To List European Interest-Rate Futures Using Maker-Taker And Taker-Maker Pricing Models
March 15, 2011--ELX Futures, L.P. (ELX), a leading electronic futures exchange, announced today that it will move forward with launch plans to trade competitive interest-rate products from NYSE Liffe and Eurex using the maker-taker and taker-maker pricing models, bringing enhanced technology, competitive pricing and market structure innovation to challenge an expanding monopoly structure.
Neal Wolkoff, Chief Executive Officer of ELX Futures, said, “ELX was created to challenge monopolies, high prices and a lack of effective innovation in the futures industry. Our expansion into Europe is another bold move by ELX to launch competitive pricing, establish an additional European presence, and bring innovation to the global futures marketplace. In addition, ELX will introduce the maker-taker and taker-maker pricing models to give liquidity providers incentives to trade. This is a very exciting time at ELX and we look forward to implementing new initiatives to grow our business and provide market participants with more competition and alternatives."
ELX’s technology provider, BGC Partners, has a strong European presence, the technological infrastructure and well-developed connectivity in place in Europe for ELX to move forward with its plans and focus on a seamless and successful launch of trading these new interest-rate products.
Source: ELX Futures
US One Trust files with the SEC
March 15, 2011--US One Trust has filed a Fourth Amended and Restated Application for exemptive relief with the SEC.
view filing
Source: SEC.gov
AdvisorShares files with the SEC
March 15, 2011--AdvisorShares has filed a post-effective amendment, registration statement with the SEC for the Meidell Tactical Advantage ETF (NYSE Arca Ticker: MATH).
view filing
Source: SEC.gov
PowerShares files with the SEC
March 15, 2011--PowerShares has filed a post-effective amendment, registration statement with the SEC for the PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust.
view filing
Source: SEC.gov
CFTC Commissioner O'Malia to Host SEF Showcase: Current Technology & Market Direction
March 15, 2011--- Commissioner Scott D. O’Malia of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) will host an open public meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 31, 2011, to explore the attributes necessary to make swap execution facilities (SEFs) successful.
Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, amended the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) which added a definition for SEFs. The SEF definition created a venue for eligible contract participants to execute swaps on regulated platforms.
Market participants representing buy-side and sell-side interests including pension funds, asset management funds, end-users, and dealers have been invited to engage in a free-flowing dialogue regarding the attributes of a successful SEF. Thereafter, sixteen electronic execution facilities representing designated contract markets (DCMs), exempt commercial markets (ECMs), exempt boards of trade (EBOTs), and other types of electronic trade and execution facilities will demonstrate the current functionality they offer market participants in the swaps markets.
read more
Source: CFTC.gov
FOMC statement
March 15, 2011--Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in January suggests that the economic recovery is on a firmer footing, and overall conditions in the labor market appear to be improving gradually. Household spending and business investment in equipment and software continue to expand.
However, investment in nonresidential structures is still weak, and the housing sector continues to be depressed. Commodity prices have risen significantly since the summer, and concerns about global supplies of crude oil have contributed to a sharp run-up in oil prices in recent weeks. Nonetheless, longer-term inflation expectations have remained stable, and measures of underlying inflation have been subdued.
Consistent with its statutory mandate, the Committee seeks to foster maximum employment and price stability. Currently, the unemployment rate remains elevated, and measures of underlying inflation continue to be somewhat low, relative to levels that the Committee judges to be consistent, over the longer run, with its dual mandate. The recent increases in the prices of energy and other commodities are currently putting upward pressure on inflation. The Committee expects these effects to be transitory, but it will pay close attention to the evolution of inflation and inflation expectations. The Committee continues to anticipate a gradual return to higher levels of resource utilization in a context of price stability.
Source: Federal Open Market Committee
