Watchdog eyes 'guidance' websites
May 9, 2014--The UK's financial watchdog is set to launch a consultation next month addressing "concerns" over the lack of distinction between online investment services offering advice and those claiming to provide "guidance".
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) plans to release a paper in June on the clarification of boundaries between investment products sold with advice and those sold without.
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Source: FT.com
Lyxor sees 6% increase in ETF assets
May 9, 2014--Lyxor Asset Management, the Paris-based asset manager owned by Societe Generale, has increased its exchange-traded fund (ETF) assets by 6% and overall assets by 4% since the end of 2013.
Europe's third largest ETF provider, Lyxor saw net inflows of $1.6 billion (€1.1 billion) during the first quarter of the year into its ETF business.
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Source: Funds Europe
IMF Survey: Baltic Countries See Strong Growth, but Pitfalls Remain
May 8, 2014--Credit revival essential to sustained growth
Design of appropriate policies can help secure export growth
Reducing high unemployment requires structural changes
The Baltic economies performed well in the last two decades relative to other transition and emerging market economies, but they face common obstacles to continued strong economic growth.
The IMF's latest report on the economies of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania calls for policy measures to help resuscitate credit growth, maintain strong export growth, and address certain issues in the labor market. According to the report, coordinated national and regional policy responses will help the countries sustain economic growth going forward, particularly in light of their membership (or prospective membership) in the euro area.
According to ETFGI: European listed ETFs and ETPs gathered a record level of US$9.2 billion in monthly net inflows in April which helped push assets to US$449.7 billion, a new record high, at the end of April 2014
May 8, 2014--ETFs and ETPs listed in Europe gathered a record level of US$9.2 billion in monthly net new assets in April which, when combined with a small positive market performance in the month, pushed assets in the European ETF/ETP industry to a new record high of US$449.7 billion, according to preliminary data from ETFGI’s April 2014 ETF and ETP industry insights report.
At the end of April 2014, the European ETF/ETP industry had 2,015 ETFs/ETPs, with 6,130 listings, from 50 providers listed on 25 exchanges across Europe.
The ETF/ETP industry globally hit a record high of US$2.49 trillion in assets at the end of April 2014.
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Source: ETFGI
ESMA informs European Commission of its intention to ease certain frontloading requirements under EMIR
May 8, 2014--The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has today sent a letter to the European Commission advancing its intention to ease certain frontloading requirement under the European Markets Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR). Frontloading is a term that refers to the clearing obligation under EMIR, which will oblige counterparties to centrally clear certain derivative trades through clearing houses (CCP).
ESMA believes that the frontloading procedure creates uncertainties for derivatives end-users while the exact terms of the clearing obligation has not been defined which could have adverse impacts on risk hedging and financial stability. Therefore, ESMA informs the European Commission that it intends to establish the frontloading requirement in a manner that will minimise uncertainty.
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Source: ESMA
DB-Synthetic Equity & Index Strategy-Europe-ETF Research-Europe Monthly ETF Market Review -ETF Investors Positioning in EM
May 8, 2014--European ETP Highlights
As of the end of April 2014, global ETP
assets approached $2.36 trillion (€1.7 trillion) where European ETPs experienced +€6.4bn of cash inflows. Equity exposed ETFs benefitted most by gathering +€3.6bn, while fixed income products continued their steady rise from the start of the year by accumulating a further +€2.4bn. Commodity based ETFs listed in Europe saw modest inflows
of +€0.3bn.
European ETFs with EM exposure attracted significant flows
Investors trading European ETFs focused their investments outside of Europe,
particularly in global Emerging Markets. Our analysis suggests that +€1.2bn
flowed into EM despite the on-going political turmoil in Russia and Ukraine.
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF (IEEM LN) commanded the top
spot for the month for net inflows gathering +€342mn.
Investors channelling money into equity yield
The dividend theme was also a highlight for ETF investors in April as it gained
+€450mn of cash inflow. Investors showed a preference for US and Global
dividend indices as indicated by the top dividend ETFs attracting flows. The
S&P US Dividend Aristocrats and STOXX Global Select Dividend 100 were
popular benchmark choices with investors.
UK the preferred investment in Europe
The UK equity market was the main driver for the strong European equity
market performance in April. The FTSE 100 was up over 3% and MSCI UK was
up over 4% on the month. This was supported by flows into ETFs tracking the
FTSE 100 and MSCI UK. UBS ETFs tracking MSCI UK experienced significant
inflows where investors also chose to invest in currency hedged versions of
the ETFs. This demonstrates investor caution on the strength of Sterling. Inside
we highlight the ETFs concerned.
Steady flows into Sovereigns, Gold ETPs in Europe countering trend in US
The flow into fixed income products have been steadily increasing since the
start of 2014. April saw another stellar month for fixed income ETFs where
Sovereign based ETFs received over +€1.4bn of inflows.
In spite of over -$1bn of outflows from US based ETPs tracking gold, investors
trading European ETPs sought safety by pilling in over +€170mn (+$239mn) in gold products.
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Source: Deutsche Bank-Synthetic Equity & Index Strategy-Europe
EU to get financial transaction tax despite strong opposition
May 6, 2014--The EU finance ministers backing a controversial financial transaction tax agreed Tuesday to introduce it from 2016 despite strong opposition led by Britain which promised to challenge the levy if it harms its interests.
The tax was needed, they said, to remedy the failings of the financial markets which plunged the world into crisis in 2008 but sceptics have charged them with political grandstanding ahead of European elections May 22-25.
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Source: EUbusiness
iShares unveils Qatar and UAE ETFs
May 6, 2014--iShares, the exchange-traded funds business of investment giant BlackRock, has launched two new ETFs providing exposure to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Listed on Nasdaq, the iShares MSCI Qatar Capped ETF (QAT) and iShares MSCI UAE Capped ETF (UAE) are the first ETFs to provide single country exposure to two countries that MSCI will graduate from frontier markets to emerging markets status at the end of May.
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Source: ETF Strategy
European Commission-Spring 2014 forecast: Growth becoming broader-based
May 5, 2014--The European Commission's spring forecast points to a continuing economic recovery in the European Union following its emergence from recession one year ago. Real GDP growth is set to reach 1.6% in the EU and 1.2% in the euro area in 2014, and to improve further in 2015 to 2.0% and 1.7% respectively.
The forecast rests on the assumption that the agreed policy measures will be implemented by Member States and the EU, taking forward the necessary adjustment.
Siim Kallas, Commission Vice-President said: "The recovery has now taken hold. Deficits have declined, investment is rebounding and, importantly, the employment situation has started improving. Continued reform efforts by Member States and the EU itself are paying off. This ongoing structural change reminds me of the profound adjustment that the central and eastern European economies undertook in the 1990s and in subsequent years, linked to their joining the EU exactly 10 years ago. Their experience shows how important it is to embrace structural reforms early on and to stay the course, whatever challenges may be faced along the way. In this spirit, we must not lessen our efforts to create more jobs for Europeans and strengthen growth potential."
view the European Economic Forecast Spring 2014
Source: European Commission
EU Regulators to Focus on Asset Management
May 5, 2014--Sharon Bowles, chair of the committee on economic and monetary affairs in the European Parliament said the systemic risk from asset managers will be a heavy focus for regulators.
Bowles has chaired the committee, which is responsible for financial services, competition and tax, since 2009 and led its negotiations on the final text of the revised Markets in Financial Instruments Directive. She is stepping down next month after the European elections.
She said at the MarketAxess European Capital Markets Forum in London: "Going forward a huge focus for European regulators will be the global systemic risks from asset management."
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Source: Markets Media
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