DOD Report Details Chinese Efforts to Build Military Power
October 20, 2023--The People's Republic of China is continuing its efforts to overturn the international rules-based order and is building an increasingly effective military to further these aims, said a senior defense official speaking on background.
Spotlight: 2023 China Military Power Report
The official gave reporters a preview of the 2023 China Military Power Report that DOD delivered to Congress today. The annual report to Congress is based on the National Defense Strategy's premise that China is the only competitor with the intent, will and capability to reshape the international order, said the official.
view the 2023 Report on Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China
Source: defense.gov
Australian ETF 'underdog' is taking on Vanguard and BlackRock
October 19, 2023--Sydney-based Betashares has recently expanded into New Zealand and the superannuation industry
Three fund firms have emerged as leaders in Australia's exchange traded fund industry, which has become one of the fastest growing in the world. Battling alongside two global ETF giants is a local "underdog" with a different origin story and challenges for ensuring longer-term growth.
Alex Vynokur, a Ukrainian national who had emigrated to Australia 15 years earlier, set up a new Sydney-based Betashares in 2009, sensing changing market trends and investor needs.
view more
Source: ft.com
UBS and Barclays buck trend with substantial China ETF bets
October 19, 2023--Both banks are top backers of a China-domiciled financials exchange traded funds launch
Barclays Bank and UBS have been named among the biggest investors in two newly launched exchange traded funds in China, at a time when many foreign investors continue to shun Chinese stocks.
China Asset Management, one of the country's largest public fund houses, announced on October 11 that its new ChinaAMC CSI Hong Kong Connect Mainland Financials ETF listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange after raising Rmb209mn ($28.6mn) in initial assets.
view more
Source: ft.com
China's economy grows 4.9% in Q3, beating expectations but slowing from previous quarter
October 18, 2023--China's economy slowed in the summer as global demand for its exports faltered and the ailing property sector sank deeper into crisis, the government said Wednesday.
The world's second-largest economy expanded at a 4.9% annual pace in July-September, beating analysts' forecasts of about 4.5%, official data show.
But that was much slower than the 6.3% annual growth rate of the previous quarter.
The Chinese government has acted to help the economy with various policies, raising spending on building ports and other infrastructure, cutting interest rates and easing curbs on home-buying. But economists say wider reforms are needed to address long-term problems that are stifling growth.
view more
Source: apnews.com
Solactive Collaborates with BT Funds Management (BTNZ) on a Range of International Equity Indices against which c.3 Billion NZD are to be Benchmarked
October 16, 2023--Solactive and BT Funds Management (BTNZ) have joined forces to introduce a suite of indices derived from Solactive's flagship Global Benchmark Series (GBS). Some of them incorporate a customized strategy to align with the investment manager's sustainability principles, adhering to the exclusion list of companies identified and maintained by BTNZ.
The new indices serve as benchmarks for active funds and mandates managed by five different asset managers acting on behalf of BTNZ and their members.
This collaboration represents an additional c. 3 billion NZD of assets linked to Solactive's indices, as of October 2023.
The Solactive GBS Global Markets ex Oceania Large & Mid Cap NZD Index NTR (SOGLMCZN), the Solactive GBS Developed Markets ex Oceania Large & Mid Cap NZD Index NTR (ticker: SODLMCZN), and the Solactive GBS Emerging Markets Large & Mid Cap NZD Index NTR (SEMLMCZN) provide exposure to companies in various segments of global, developed, and emerging markets respectively.
The first two exclude Australia and New Zealand from their selection, clearly separating the exposure from other strategies to further strengthen investment diversification.
view more
Source: Solactive AG
BIS Working Papers-To lend or not to lend: the Bank of Japan's ETF purchase program and securities lending
October 16, 2023--August 2, 2023-Summary
Focus-We study the effects of the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) ETF purchasing programme on stock returns, focusing particularly on the role of the stock lending market. In 2010, the BOJ established a programme to conduct outright purchases of various financial assets to stimulate the economy. This policy is unique as a monetary policy because equity index-tracking exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were included in those assets.
The BOJ has continuously increased its purchasing amounts and its market presence has provoked discussions on how it has affected the market's structure.
Contribution
While some previous studies show that the programme significantly affected Japanese stock prices, these arguments relied solely on demand and supply in the spot market, almost completely ignoring the role of the stock lending market. To fill this gap, this study investigates the effects of the ETF purchasing programme by focusing on both spot and stock lending markets.
view more
Source: bis.org
Asia Continues to Fuel Global Growth, but Economic Momentum is Slowing
October 13, 2023--The region is likely to see faster disinflation, but prospects for growth in coming years are dimming
Strong consumer spending has supported growth in Asia's three largest economies this year, but there are already signs that the region's recovery may be running out of steam.
We expect growth in Asia and the Pacific to accelerate from 3.9 percent in 2022 to 4.6 percent this year, unchanged from the projection from last April.
This is largely explained by the post-reopening recovery in China and stronger-than-expected growth in the first half of the year in Japan and India. With pandemic restrictions lifted, demand in these economies was bolstered by consumers running down savings accumulated during the pandemic, leading to notable strength in the services sector.
While Asia is still set to contribute about two-thirds of all global growth this year, it is important to note that growth is significantly lower than what was projected before the pandemic and output has been set back by a series of global shocks.
We have lowered our estimate for growth next year to 4.2 percent, from the 4.4 percent projected in April.
view more
Source: imf.org
AllianzGI unrattled by surge in ETF popularity in Taiwan
October 11, 2023--German manager reaffirms confidence in its actively managed mutual fund strategies
Many established global managers in Taiwan have been left on the sidelines of an explosion in appetite for exchange traded funds, which have driven the onshore market to new highs and swept up new hordes of younger investors via online channels.
But the largest foreign asset management firm in Taiwan has said it is still confident in the future of the domestic actively managed equities funds market.
view more
Source: ft.com
Korean degens have gone nuts for leveraged ETFs
October 10, 2023--Autocallables are so passé
Forget Mrs Watanabe and her carry trades in Turkey, Indonesia or Brazil; it turns out that South Koreans are the true trading degens of Asia.
MainFT's Song Jung-a has written a fascinating piece on how South Korean retail investors' love of leverage and volatility are now even freaking out local financial regulators.
South Korea's financial regulators have vowed to curb short-term speculation by retail investors, as their bets on tech stocks fuel fears of a market bubble.
view more
Source: ft.com
World Bank Expects Solid Growth but Risky Outlook for South Asia
October 3, 2023--South Asia is expected to grow by 5.8% this year-higher than any other developing country region in the world, but slower than its pre-pandemic pace and not fast enough to meet its development goals, says the World Bank in its twice-a-year regional outlook.
Released today, the latest South Asia Development Update, Toward Faster, Cleaner Growth forecasts growth to slow to 5.6% in 2024 and 2025, as post-pandemic rebounds fade and a combination of monetary tightening, fiscal consolidation, and reduced global demand weigh on economic activity.
Growth prospects are subject to downside risks, including due to fragile fiscal positions. Government debt in South Asian countries averaged 86% of GDP in 2022, increasing the risks of defaults, raising borrowing costs, and diverting credit away from the private sector.
Growth prospects are subject to downside risks, including due to fragile fiscal positions. Government debt in South Asian countries averaged 86% of GDP in 2022, increasing the risks of defaults, raising borrowing costs, and diverting credit away from the private sector. The region could also be affected by a further slowdown in China's economic growth and natural disasters made more frequent and intense by climate change.
view more
Source: worldbank.org
If you are looking for a particuliar article and can not find it, please feel free to contact us for assistace.