Americas ETP News
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Two Democrats try for long-shot financial transaction tax
February 22, 2013--Two congressional Democrats said on Tuesday they will revive a bill to tax financial transactions after 11 euro zone countries won approval for such a tax.
The two liberal Democrats, Senator Tom Harkin and Representative Peter DeFazio, said they would re-introduce their proposal to add a 3 cents tax on each $100 in financial transactions, which according to the congressional Joint Tax Committee could raise $352 billion over a decade
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Source: Reuters
New Vanguard Group CIO appoints equity index leader, others
February 22, 2013--Vanguard Group Inc on Friday named Joseph Brennan as the new leader of its Equity Index Group, overseeing more than 80 U.S. and international index funds and exchange-traded funds with roughly $1 trillion in assets.
Brennan's appointment and several other manager changes announced by Vanguard on Friday mark key early moves by Vanguard Chief Investment Officer Tim Buckley. He took over the job at the start of the year from long-time CIO Gus Sauter, who retired.
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Source: Reuters
Schwab ETFs(TM) Achieve New Milestone: $10 Billion in Assets Under Management
February 21, 2013--Investors searching for core, low-cost exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to use as the building blocks of their portfolios helped push Schwab ETFs to a new milestone: the suite of 15 equity and fixed income ETFs reached $10.02 billion in assets under management as of February 8, 2013.
Charles Schwab Investment Management (CSIM) reached this threshold just slightly more than three years after launching its first proprietary ETFs in November 2009.
“I want to thank investors for choosing Schwab ETFs as the right place for their hard-earned assets,” said Marie Chandoha, president of CSIM. “For Schwab ETFs, what matters most is that we continue evolving to meet client demand for quality ETFs in key asset classes at an incredible value. And, we think that crossing the $10 billion mark in such a short period of time is just the beginning.”
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Source: Charles Schwab
What to watch: Newest ETFs don't focus on stocks
February 21, 2013--The economic calendar Friday is the business equivalent of crickets chirping: There's really nothing much going on. But there's always something going on in the world of exchange traded funds-and lately, it's been anything but stocks.
ETFs are the hottest item out of the mutual fund industry. Unlike garden-variety funds, you can buy and sell ETFs throughout the trading day.
The ETF industry now has $1.4 trillion in assets in 1,194 funds, vs. nothing and none in 1992. More keep coming: 12 have launched this year. Despite the stock market's gains this year, just three are diversified stock funds.
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Source: USA Today
Bank loan ETFs: all the rage
February 21, 2013--Junk bonds are the hot investment vehicle-of 2012.
This year’s darling is leveraged loans, the low-rated corporate debt that sits atop bonds in a company’s capital structure (lenders are repaid before bondholders in bankruptcy). At 5.4 per cent on average in the US, according to Capital IQ, these investments pay an attractive yield. But their big selling point is their floating versus fixed interest rate. With Treasury yields rising off of all-time lows, floating-rate investments can provide a hedge.
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Source: Off Shore Corporate News
S&P Dow Jones Indices Announces Changes To The S&P/TSX Canadian Indices
February 21, 2013--S&P Canadian Index Services will make the following changes in the S&P/TSX Canadian Indices:
The shareholders of Celtic Exploration Ltd. (TSX:CLT) have voted to accept the terms of a Plan of Arrangement with ExxonMobil Canada Ltd.
whereby the shares of Celtic Exploration will be acquired for cash consideration of $CDN24.50 per share as well as one-half share of an exploration company to be named Kelt Exploration. Celtic Exploration will be removed from the S&P/TSX Composite and Capped Composite, the S&P/TSX Completion, the S&P/TSX Capped Energy, and the S&P/TSX Composite Equal Weight Indices after the close of trading on Thursday, February 28, 2013.
Source: S&P Canadian Index Services
Vanguard Will Introduce New Canadian ETPs to Boost Market Share
February 21, 2013--Vanguard Group Inc., the biggest U.S. mutual-fund company, plans to introduce as many as seven Canadian exchange-traded products this year in an effort to take market share from BlackRock Inc. (BLK)'s iShares.
The Valley Forge, Pennsylvania-based asset manager is considering adding four to seven new products to its current lineup of 11 Canadian ETFs, said Atul Tiwari, a managing director for the company’s Canadian operations. Vanguard plans to eventually boost its Canadian market share to 15 percent from 1 percent, according to James Norris, managing director of international operations.
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Source: Bloomberg
ISE Elects Hauke Stars as New Board Member
February 21, 2013--The International Securities Exchange (ISE) today announced that Hauke Stars was elected to ISE's Board of Directors, Mrs. Stars, who was recently named Member of the Executive Board and Chief Information Officer of Deutsche Boerse AG, will begin serving her term with the ISE Board of Directors effective immediately.
“It is my pleasure to welcome Hauke Stars to ISE’s Board,” said Gary Katz, President and Chief Executive Officer of ISE. “We look forward to working with Hauke both as an ISE board member and in her new role as Chief Information Officer of Deutsche Börse. Her experience and knowledge of strategic orientation and profitable execution will prove valuable for our business and in her capacity as a member of ISE’s Board of Directors.”
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Source: International Securities Exchange (ISE)
SEC Announces 2013 Examination Priorities
February 21, 2013--The Securities Exchange Commission today published its examination priorities for 2013, which cover a wide range of issues at financial institutions, including broker-dealers, clearing agencies, exchanges and self-regulatory organizations, investment companies, hedge funds and private equity funds, and transfer agents.
“We are publishing these priorities to promote compliance and communicate with investors and our registrants about areas that we perceive to have heightened risk,” said Carlo V. di Florio, Director of the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations, which is responsible for the national examination program. “Our examination program constantly seeks new ways to share our perspectives on key risks and regulatory issues so that registrants’ senior management, compliance and risk managers, among others, can take effective action. This document, as well as our Risk Alerts and other public statements, are windows through which we can increase transparency, strengthen compliance, and inform the public and the financial services industry about key risks that we are monitoring and examining.”
view the SEC Examination Priorities for 2013
Source: SEC.gov
State Street Unveils Low Volatility SPDR(R) Exchange Traded Funds Offering Targeted Exposure to Small and Large Cap Equities
February 21, 2013--State Street Global Advisors (SSgA)*, the asset management arm of State Street Corporation (NYSE: STT), today announced the availability of the SPDR Russell 2000(R) Low Volatility ETF (Symbol: SMLV) and the SPDR Russell 1000(R) Low Volatility ETF (Symbol: LGLV).
Designed to provide investors with exposure to small and large cap equities while managing risk, both funds began trading on the NYSE Arca on February 21, 2013.
“Our new low volatility SPDR ETFs were developed in response to increasing demand from investors looking to improve the risk adjusted returns of their portfolio, increase their equity allocation while maintaining downside protection, or tactically take a more defensive approach to the US large cap or small cap markets,” said James Ross, senior managing director and global head of SPDR Exchange Traded Funds at SSgA. “By helping investors and advisors better manage risk in their portfolios, the SPDR Russell 2000 Low Volatility ETF and SPDR Russell 1000 Low Volatility ETF are key additions to our growing family of SPDR ETFs.”
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Source: State Street Global Advisors
