Vietnam Bucks Asia's Weakening Growth Trend
September 6, 2022--Vietnam's upbeat growth outlook is bucking the slowing trend elsewhere in Asia, with relatively subdued inflation that's also an exception to the general rule in the region.
The first half of this year saw a swift economic rebound as Vietnam's pandemic restrictions eased following the adoption of a living-with-COVID strategy and a robust vaccination drive. Supportive policies such as low interest rates, strong credit growth, and the government's Program for Socioeconomic Recovery and Development have been accompanied by strong manufacturing output and a recovery in retail and tourism activity.
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Source: IMF.org
Active ETFs set to debut in Japan next year
September 5, 2022-The Tokyo Stock Exchange will allow the products for the first time, but some question investor appetite
Actively managed exchange traded funds are expected to debut in Japan next year, as the country attempts to reignite interest from investors who have had access to passive ETFs for more than two decades.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange will modify a current rule that only permits index-linked ETFs and will allow active ETFs from the middle of next year, an official at the exchange said.
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Source: ft.com
Singapore says retail investors 'irrationally oblivious' to crypto risks, plans tougher rules
August 29, 2022--Singapore is planning to roll out new regulations that will make it more difficult for retail investors to trade cryptocurrencies at a time when they seem to be "irrationally oblivious" about the risks, its central bank chief said.
Ravi Menon, managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), said at an event on Monday that despite warnings and measures, surveys show that consumers are increasingly trading in cryptocurrencies globally, not just in Singapore, attracted by the prospect of sharp price increases.
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Source: reuters.com
Regulator warns as South Korea investors pile into leveraged ETFs
August 29, 2022--Three of the of the most popular ETPs with investors were 3x leveraged and inverse overseas vehicles
South Korea's financial regulator has raised concerns over retail investors piling into risky leveraged overseas exchange traded funds in greater numbers as they seek profits in volatile markets.
The Financial Supervisory Service said that investors had been attracted to overseas ETFs that are designed to deliver three times the daily returns of the underlying index.
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Source: ft.com
Singapore's Economy Rebounded on Decisive Policy Action, But Challenges Lie Ahead
August 24, 2022--Risks include further supply-chain disruptions, higher commodity prices, and weaker trade
Singapore's impressive recovery from the pandemic is outperforming similar economies, with total output exceeding pre-crisis levels last year, but the rebound has also been uneven.
Decisive policy responses, like the Jobs Support Scheme, helped minimize economic scarring, while rapid vaccinations and long-standing robust economic fundamentals helped Singapore navigate global challenges. However, sectors like tourism, aviation, construction, and in-person services are still lagging.
Now, the war in Ukraine is confronting Singapore's policymakers with new challenges and uncertainty as Russia's invasion and resulting sanctions raise risks for slower growth and faster inflation.
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Source: imf.org
World Bank-Taking Stock, August 2022 : Educate to Grow
August 24, 2022--Vietnam's economy rebounded in the first half of 2022. The economy bounced back after the Q3-2021 COVID related lockdowns, growing by 5.2 percent in Q4-2021 and by 6.4 percent in the first semester of 2022.
The rebound was driven by a robust growth in manufacturing exports to Vietnam's main export markets (US, EU, and China). A strong recovery of domestic demand, especially for services, also contributed to the rebound. The reopening of the country in March 2022 is bringing with it the revival of the tourism sector.
Looking ahead, GDP is projected to grow 7.5 percent in 2022 and 6.7 percent in 2023. The services sector will continue a robust recovery as consumers satisfy pent-up demand and arrival of foreign tourists ramps up in the fall 2022/winter 2023 tourist season.
view the World Bank Taking Stock,August 2022: Educate to Grow report
Source: worldbank.org
Crypto is More in Step With Asia's Equities, Highlighting Need for Regulation
August 21, 2022--Crypto trading volume, and co-movement with equity markets, has surged in the region.
Few parts of the world have embraced crypto assets like Asia, where top adopters include individual and institutional investors from India to Vietnam and Thailand.
This raises the important issue of the extent of integration of crypto into the financial system in Asia.
While digitalization can aid in the transition to an environmentally-conscious payment system and also foster financial inclusion, crypto can pose financial stability risks.
Before the pandemic, crypto seemed insulated from the financial system. Bitcoin and other assets showed little correlation with Asian equity markets, which helped diffuse financial stability concerns.
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Source: blogs.imf.org
BetaShares Australian ETF Review: July 2022: Industry Returns to Growth, Highest Flows in 9 Months
August 17, 2022--Following 3 months of market declines, the Australian ETF Industry returned to its growth trajectory in July, assisted by the strongest net inflows in 9 months.
Market cap
Australian Exchange Traded Funds Market Cap: $130.2B
Market cap increase for month: 4.8%, $5.9B
Market cap growth for the last 12 months: 9.7%, + $11.5B
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Source: betashares.com.au
ETFGI reports BOJ reported owning US$289 billion or 63% of the assets in the ETFs industry in Japan at end of July 2022
August 11, 2022--ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm covering trends in the global ETFs/ETPs ecosystem, reported today that the BOJ reported owning US$289 billion US dollars or 63% of the assets in the ETFs industry in Japan at the end of July 2022. ETFs industry in Japan suffered net outflows of US$1.29 billion during July, bringing year-to-date net inflows to US$3.38 billion.
Assets invested in the Japanese ETFs/ETPs industry have increased by 2.6%, from US$447 billion at the end of June to US$459 billion, according to ETFGI's July 2022 Japanese ETFs and ETPs industry landscape insights report, an annual paid-for research subscription service. (All dollar values in USD unless otherwise noted.)
Highlights
BOJ reported owning US$289 billion or 63% of the assets in the ETFs industry in Japan at the end of July 2022.
Assets of $459 Bn invested in ETFs and ETPs listed in Japan at the end of July 2022.
Assets decreased 15.1% YTD in 2022, going from $541 Bn at end of 2021 to $459 Bn.
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Source: ETFGI
China ESG funds bleed $1.4bn in Q2 as Asian growth slows sharply
August 3, 2022-Decline in sustainable fund investment hits country harder than elsewhere in the region
Chinese funds focused on environmental, social and governance recorded net outflows of $1.4bn in the second quarter, marking an even sharper slowdown than sustainable funds elsewhere in the region.
ESG funds in the Asia-Pacific region, excluding Japan and China, suffered a second consecutive quarterly decline in net inflows, attracting just $929mn during April to June, down from $1.27bn in the first quarte,, Morningstar noted in its latest sustainable funds report.
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Source: ft.com