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DB Index Research -- Weekly ETF Market Review - Asia-Pacific
May 18, 2010--Highlights
Market Overview
There are 217 equity based ETFs in the Asia Pacific region with 304 listings across 12 countries and 15 exchanges. Japan has the largest market share by AUM accounting for 42.77% of the whole market, whilst China has the largest market share by turnover with 38.12%.
There was one new listing in the last week. Nikko Asset Management listed one new ETF which offers exposure to high dividend Japanese companies in Tokyo Stock Exchange. All new listings were primary listings.
Turnover
Monthly average daily turnover rose 9.7% in the last week. Turnover for the previous week was USD 1090m. The largest ETF by turnover was the China 50 ETF issued by China Asset Management with USD 228 m accounting for 21.0% of total turnover.
Assets Under Management
AUM declined 1.1% in the previous week. AUM as of May 14th were USD 60.3 bn. The largest ETF by AUM is the TOPIX ETF managed by Nomura Asset Management with AUM of USD 6.4bn.
To request a copy of the report
New Japanese Bond Income Tax Exemption Scheme
May 18, 2010--A new Japanese bond income tax exemption scheme (exempting tax on interest and profits from redemption of corporate bonds, etc. in book-entry form (issued on or before March 31, 2013) received by non-residents, etc., simplification of current procedures for tax exemption for interest, etc. on bonds in book-entry form, etc.) was developed in the fiscal 2010 tax system reform (related to the Act on Special Measures Concerning Taxation, Articles 5-2 and 5-3)
Considering that this system starts on June 1, 2010, we have now prepared and published an outline of the system.
view the New Japanese Bond Income Tax Exemption Scheme
Monetary Authority Of Singapore Consults On Proposed Amendments To The Code On Collective Investment Schemes
May 17, 2010--The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has released a consultation paper on proposed amendments to the Code on Collective Investment Schemes (Code).
The Code prescribes best practices in the management, operation and marketing of collective investment schemes (CIS) authorised under the Securities & Futures Act.
2. Since the issuance of the Code in May 2002, MAS has made various amendments in 2002, 2005 and 2006 in response to feedback from the fund management industry. With the increased pace of product development in recent years, MAS is of the view that it is now timely to undertake a comprehensive review of the Code. The current review focuses on investment guidelines and on ensuring that the regulatory regime for CIS keeps pace with product innovation and industry developments, as well as regulatory developments in major fund jurisdictions.
3. The proposed amendments aim to provide clarity and to increase the flexibility for managers in managing their funds, and enhance protection for investors. They include:
i. Introducing a list of permissible investments and accompanying criteria to enhance clarity in the application of the liquidity and diversification limits.
ii. Strengthening safeguards on the use of financial derivatives through prescription of counterparty limits and acceptable forms of collateral used to mitigate counterparty risks.
iii. Introducing additional guidelines on the use of the commitment approach and Value-at-Risk (VaR) method for calculating exposures to financial derivatives.
iv. Enhancing existing guidelines on funds’ securities lending activities through comprehensive requirements on the counterparty, custodian and the use of collateral. This is in the light of the heightened attention on counterparty and liquidity risks as a result of the recent global financial crisis.
v. Establishing new investment guidelines for funds seeking to track indices, introducing principles for the naming of funds and requirements to standardise the methods used for calculating performance fees where the fund manager decides to impose such fees.
vi. Modifying existing operational requirements, including allowing the sending of accounts and annual reports to unitholders by electronic means with certain exceptions as long as unitholders are notified and do not object to it.
4. In developing this set of proposals, MAS has considered the views and comments from market practitioners and industry associations. MAS has sought to balance the need to keep pace with international developments in fund management with that of ensuring that the guidelines continue to afford investors confidence in the regulatory framework for Singapore retail funds.
5. The proposed amendments will also apply to funds offered via an investment-linked life insurance policy (ILP). As a transitional measure, MAS proposes to give fund managers and approved trustees for CIS three months to comply with the revised Code.
6. MAS invites interested parties to give their views and comments on the proposals contained in the consultation paper by 25 June 2010.
Click here to view the consultation paper
India poised to halt rise of rupee
May 14, 2010--India’s finance ministry has shown its preference for currency intervention over new capital controls to check the rising value of the rupee.
Kaushik Basu, the finance ministry’s chief economic adviser, said on Friday that intervention by the Reserve Bank of India was necessary to curb the rupee’s appreciation against other main currencies.
IMF Says Asia Leading World Recovery, Cautions Against External Risks
May 12, 2010--Asia is leading the recovery of the world economy even though the region needs to remain attentive to downside risks, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said today in New Delhi in its presentation of the Regional Economic Outlook (REO) for Asia and the Pacific.
The IMF also said India is likely to maintain its strong growth momentum driven by the robust domestic demand. Higher corporate profitability and favorable financing conditions in the country will support its private investment while its consumption growth will also remain strong on the back of better employment prospects and lower uncertainty.
“One year after the deepest recession in recent history, Asia is leading the global recovery,” said Anoop Singh, Director of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, at a seminar presentation hosted by Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). “Key economic indicators are now growing at or above long-term trends not only in China, but also in emerging Asia’s other economies with a large domestic demand base, like India and Indonesia.” Underpinning Asia’s strong performance are two factors. First, the global and domestic inventory cycle is likely to boost Asia’s industrial production and exports further for most of 2010 as final demand recovers in advanced economies. Second, although macroeconomic policies may become less accommodative in the region, private domestic demand is expected to remain robust thanks to sustained consumer confidence, high asset values, and a return of capacity utilization to more normal levels.
Risks to the baseline forecasts, however, remain tilted to the downside, the REO cautioned. They include the still fragile global recovery and Asia’s strong dependence on external demand. The regional report also noted that a more immediate risk is that market concerns about sovereign liquidity and solvency in the euro zone periphery may turn into a potentially contagious sovereign debt crisis. While Greece’s sovereign debt situation has so far not had a major impact on flows to the region, “the increase in global risk aversion and renewed pressures to deleverage could pose particular risks to Asian corporates and banks” that face relatively higher refinancing needs than in other regions, the report noted.
India to set up $11bn growth fund
May 14, 2010--India on Friday said it would set up an $11bn fund to invest in infrastructure in an effort to overcome one of the biggest constraints to the country’s accelerated economic growth.
The government aims to attract at least $4.4bn – about 40 per cent – from international pension funds, insurance funds, sovereign wealth funds and multilateral agencies, while the rest of the money would come from domestic sources.
BSE trading session for gold ETF on Sunday
May 13, 2010--The Bombay Stock Exchange [ Images ] on Thursday said it will keep a special window open for trading in gold ETFs (exchange traded funds) on 'Akshaya Tritiya' day on May 16.
Historically, gold sales surge on 'Akshaya Tritiya', which is considered as an auspicious day for buying gold.
Keeping this in mind, the Bombay Stock Exchange will keep a special window open for trading in Gold ETFs May 16, the BSE said.
The exchange would keep the market open from 9 am to 3.30 pm on Sunday, for a special trading session in gold ETFs that are traded on the exchange's equity trading platform, a press release issued by BSE said.
DB Index Research -- Weekly ETF Market Review - Asia-Pacific
May 12, 2010--Highlights
New Listings and Delistings
There are 216 equity based ETFs in the Asia Pacific region with 303 listings across 12 countries and 15 exchanges. Japan has the largest market share by AUM accounting for 42.72% of the whole market, whilst China has the largest market share by turnover with 36.05%.
There was one new listing in the last week. Hyundai Investments listed one new sector ETF in Korea Stock Exchange.
Turnover
Monthly average daily turnover rose 14.2% in the last week. Turnover for the previous week was USD 993m. The largest ETF by turnover was the China 50 ETF issued by China Asset Management with USD 204m accounting for 20.5% of total turnover.
Assets Under Management
AUM declined 2.9% in the previous week. AUM as of May 7th were USD 61.0bn. The largest ETF by AUM is the TOPIX ETF managed by Nomura Asset Management with AUM of USD 6.5bn.
To request a copy of the report
April gold ETF volumes cross 10 tonnes
May 11, 2010--India's gold collection under exchange-traded funds more-than-doubled to cross the 10-tonne mark in April, when the yellow metal gained more than 5 percent, data from the funds showed.
Volumes crossed the 10-tonne mark for the first time since 2007, when Benchmark Mutual Fund launched its first gold ETF. Though gold collections under ETFs are growing, they remain miniscule against India's imports of about 400-700 tonnes.
Ping An of China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Company Limited Launches PAragon CSI RAFI 50 ETF
May 10, 2010--Ping An of China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Company Limited (Ping An of China Asset Management or the Company), a subsidiary of Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (SEHK: 2318) (Ping An Group), is pleased to announce that the PAragon CSI RAFI 50 ETF (SEHK: 2818) (the Fund) has today commenced trading on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (SEHK). PAragon CSI RAFI 50 ETF is the first ETF in Hong Kong to adopt the fundamental approach to stock weighting to track China A Shares market. The Fund is also Ping An of China Asset Management's first ETF in Hong Kong.
Benchmarked against the CSI RAFI 50 Index, PAragon CSI RAFI 50 ETF aims to achieve its investment objective by investing in a basket of securities that track the performance of the CSI RAFI 50 Index. Developed jointly by China Securities Index Co., Ltd (CSI) and Research Affiliates, the CSI RAFI 50 Index tracks the performance of the top 50 stocks on the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses based on the economic scale of individual stocks as measured by their revenue, book value, cash flow and dividends.
