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Latin America: Climate for Doing Business Improving in Most of the Region
November 4, 2010- Twelve of 20 economies in Latin America reformed business regulation to expand opportunity for local firms in the past year, according to Doing Business 2011: Making a Difference for Entrepreneurs, the eighth in a series of annual reports published by IFC and the World Bank.
Peru improved business regulation the most in the region, moving up 10 places in the global ranking on the overall ease of doing business, to 36 (among 183 economies). Peru was also among the world's 10 most active economies, improving in four of nine areas covered by the report. It created an online one-stop shop for business registration, improving the ease of business start-up more than any other economy. Peru also streamlined permits for construction, introduced fast-track procedures at the land registry, and eased trade with a new Web-based electronic data interchange system.
Economies in Latin America are improving regulation with faster, transparent, electronic systems. For example, Nicaragua improved electronic payment of taxes and expedited trade by migrating to an electronic data interchange system for customs. "New technology underpins regulatory best practice around the world," said Sylvia Solf, lead author of the report. "Technology makes compliance easier, less costly, and more transparent."
Chile, the region's runner-up regulatory reformer, moved up from 53 to 43 in the global ranking on the ease of doing business by introducing an online system for business registration and strengthening investor protections. Brazil eased business start-up by enhancing electronic synchronization between federal and state tax authorities. Colombia made it simpler to obtain permits for construction by improving the electronic verification of prebuilding certificates.
view Doing Business 2011 Fact Sheet – Summary of Reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean
Source: World Bank
NSX Releases October 2010 ETF Data Reports
November 3, 2010--Highlights from the October report include:
Assets in U.S. listed Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF) and Exchange-Traded Notes (ETN) reached a record of $940.4 billion at October 2010 month-end. This is an increase of approximately 33% over October 2009 month-end when assets totaled $707.4 billion.
ETF/ETN notional trading volume during October 2010 totaled $1.35 trillion, representing 28% of all U.S. equity trading volume.
Total Global/Int'l Equities and Total U.S. Equities led all product categories with approximately $8.3 billion and $2.1 billion, respectively, in net cash inflows.
ETF net cash flows for the month totaled over $13 billion, bringing the year to date total to approximately $88.7 billion.
At the end of October 2010, there were 1066 listed products.
Visit www.nsx.com for more info
Source: National Stock Exchange, Inc. (NSX)
Treasury Assistant Secretary for Financial Markets Mary Miller
November 3, 2010- The U.S. Department of the Treasury is offering $72 billion of Treasury securities to refund approximately $13.8 billion of privately held securities maturing on November 15, 2010. This will raise approximately $58.2 billion. The securities are:
A 3-year note in the amount of $32 billion, maturing November 15, 2013;
A 10-year note in the amount of $24 billion, maturing November 15, 2020; and
A 30-year bond in the amount of $16 billion, maturing November 15, 2040.
The 3-year note will be auctioned on a yield basis at 1:00 p.m. EST on Monday, November 8, 2010. The 10-year note will be auctioned on a yield basis at 1:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 9, 2010, and the 30-year bond will be auctioned on a yield basis at 1:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 10, 2010. All of these auctions will settle on Monday, November 15, 2010.
The balance of Treasury financing requirements will be met with the regular weekly bill auctions, the regular monthly nominal coupon security auctions, the November 10-year TIPS reopening auction and the January 10-year TIPS auction.
view Average Maturity of Treasury Marketable Securities--Total Outstanding (in months)
Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury
SEC Proposes New Whistleblower Program Under Dodd-Frank Act
November 3, 2010--The Securities and Exchange Commission today voted unanimously to propose a whistleblower program to reward individuals who provide the agency with high-quality tips that lead to successful enforcement actions.
The SEC’s proposed rule under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act maps out a simple, straightforward procedure for would-be whistleblowers to provide critical information to the agency. It conveys how would-be whistleblowers can qualify for an award through a transparent process that provides them a meaningful opportunity to assert their claim to an award.
view Proposed Rules for Implementing the Whistleblower Provisions of Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Source: SEC.gov
ELX Market Share Soars in Two-Year U.S. Treasury Futures Contract
November 3, 2010--ELX Futures, L.P. (ELX) announced today that it has set a new market share record in its two-year U.S. Treasury Futures contract, with market share soaring to 13.4% on Tuesday, November 2, 2010.
This milestone follows new records in open interest (OI) and volume for ELX's Eurodollar Futures contract, which exceeded 100,000 contracts in October, with OI more than doubling every month since its launch in June 2010.
Neal Wolkoff, Chief Executive Officer of ELX Futures, said, "ELX has seen a surge in momentum in our futures products, achieving several new milestones in recent weeks. The surge in volume in our two-year Treasury note and new records in our Eurodollar Futures contract is a testament to the great interest by market participants for an alternative futures marketplace."
Source: ELX Futures
SEC Proposes New Rule to Prevent Fraud in Connection with Security-Based Swaps
November 3, 2010--The Securities and Exchange Commission today voted unanimously to propose a new rule to help prevent fraud, manipulation, and deception in connection with security-based swaps.
The rule is proposed under Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which generally authorizes the SEC to regulate security-based swaps. The proposal would ensure that market conduct in connection with the offer, purchase or sale of any security-based swap is subject to the same general anti-fraud provisions that apply to all securities. And it also would explicitly reach misconduct in connection with ongoing payments and deliveries under a security-based swap.
“The proposed rule would be an important means to ensure that the security-based swap market operates with integrity, and that the SEC has the ability to respond through enforcement to a range of potentially fraudulent conduct,” said SEC Chairman Mary L. Schapiro.
view Prohibition Against Fraud, Manipulation, and Deception in Connection with Security-Based Swaps rule proposal
Source: SEC.gov
SEC Publishes Request for Comment on President's Working Group Report on Money Market Fund Reform Options
November 3, 2010--The Securities and Exchange Commission today published a request for public comment on the options discussed in the President's Working Group on Financial Markets report on possible money market fund reforms.
As contemplated by the President's Working Group report, the SEC is requesting public comment on the options described in the report, including the effectiveness of the options in mitigating any systemic risk or susceptibility to runs associated with money market funds, as well as their potential impact on money market fund investors, fund managers, issuers of short-term debt, and other stakeholders. Comment received will assist the SEC and the Financial Stability Oversight Council in their further analysis.
The public comment period will remain open for 60 days following publication of the comment request in the Federal Register.
view Request for Comment and PWG Report on Money Market Fund Reform
Source: SEC.gov
SEC Adopts New Rule Preventing Unfiltered Market Access
November 3, 2010-- The Securities and Exchange Commission today voted unanimously to adopt a new rule to require brokers and dealers to have risk controls in place before providing their customers with access to the market.
The new rule focuses on a practice in which broker-dealers hand their customer a special pass to access the markets called a market participant identifier. The customer then gains direct access to the applicable exchange or alternative trading system (ATS), also known as “sponsored access.”
The rule approved today prohibits broker-dealers from providing customers with “unfiltered” or “naked” access to an exchange or ATS. It also requires brokers with market access — including those who sponsor customers’ access to an exchange or ATS — to put in place risk management controls and supervisory procedures to help prevent erroneous orders, ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, and enforce pre-set credit or capital thresholds.
“I have previously likened unfiltered access to giving your car keys to a friend who doesn't have a license and letting him drive unaccompanied,” said SEC Chairman Mary L. Schapiro. “This rule requires that broker-dealers not only remain in the car, but also maintain control of it so we can all be assured the rules of the road will be observed before the car is ever put into drive.”
Through sponsored access —especially “unfiltered” or “naked” sponsored access arrangements — there is the potential that financial, regulatory and other risks associated with the placement of orders are not being appropriately managed. Of particular concern is the quality of broker-dealer risk controls in “unfiltered” access arrangements. In some cases, the broker may be relying on assurances from its customer that the customer has appropriate risk controls in place.
read more
Source: SEC.gov
FactorShares files with the SEC-FactorShares 2X: Gold Bull/S&P500 Bear
November 3, 2010---FactorShares have filed a pre-effective amendment No. 3 to Form S-1 for FactorShares 2X: Gold Bull/S&P500 Bear.
view filing
Source: SEC.gov
FactorShares files with the SEC-FactorShares 2X: Oil Bull/S&P500 Bear
November 3, 2010--FactorShares have filed a pre-effective amendment No. 3 to Form S-1 for FactorShares 2X: Oil Bull/S&P500 Bear.
view filing
Source: SEC.gov
