Expansion of the German equity option product suite
February 13, 2012--The international derivatives market Eurex Exchange introduced new equity options on 17 shares last Friday, 10 February 2012. 14 of the new options are based on shares which belong to the German mid-cap index MDAX. This latest offering completes Eurex's lineup of equity options on MDAX companies. In a further move, an additional 17 equity options based on individual shares in the TecDAX index will be introduced on 24 February.
This expansion will allow Eurex Exchange to offer equity options on all constituents of the German blue-chip indices DAX®, MDAX and TecDAX for the first time.
All of the newly listed derivatives are American-style options with a contract size of 100 shares. The minimum tick size is €0.01. Maturities of up to 60 months are available and consistent with all other German equity options. Trading hours are from 8:51 – 5:31 p.m. CET. In order to facilitate order book trading, market makers will continuously quote prices in the order book. In addition, bilateral trading is also possible for the new products until 7:00 p.m. CET every trading day via Eurex Exchange's OTC trade entry facility. The minimum transaction size is one contract per trade.
Source: Eurex
LCH.Clearnet Nearing Decision On LSE Deal
February 11, 2012-- LCH.Clearnet is expected to make an announcement "shortly" on talks with the London Stock Exchange Group PLC (LSE.LN) that could give the U.K. bourse a controlling stake, the clearing house's chief executive said, according to the Financial Times Saturday.
"We hope to announce something shortly," LCH.Clearnet CEO Ian Axe said Friday when asked about the state of talks, the paper said.
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Source: Wall Street Journal
DB - Equity Research-Weekly & Monthly European ETF Market Monitors: European ETF industry gets a fresh start in January
February 10, 2012--ETF month in perspective
2012: A fresh start for the European ETF industry
January brought a very strong start to the year for the global (US, Europe and Asia) ETF industry. ETF assets grew by 8.1% over January 2012, a growth rate that surpassed the overall 2011 year growth rate of 3.1%. Global ETF assets reached $1.4 trillion as of the end of January 2011, up from $1.3 trillion at the end of 2011.
Both the US as well as the European ETF industries grew by 8.2% and 6.5%, reaching asset levels of $1.0 trillion and €221.3 billion respectively. Most of the growth came from rebounding equity markets, however, flows accounted for 2.9% of the growth in the US market and for 1.1% of the growth in the European market (US$ terms). Cash flows for the US market totaled $27.1 billion and €2.4 billion for the European market, for the month of January.
The performance of the European ETF market in the first month of 2012 was sharply different from how it ended the previous year. European ETFs registered outflows of €2.2 billion over December 2011, a decline that was largely driven by equity outflows (€1.8 billion). This situation was reversed in January 2012, with equities contributing €1.5 of net inflows towards the new money that flowed into the European ETF industry.
The January 2012 European ETF industry fresh start was mainly driven by two factors. First, overall market conditions improved somewhat, with the Euro Stoxx 50 delivering gains of 4.3%. Better market conditions helped bring ETF investors out of their shell and allocate money back in the equity market. Second, the European Securities and Markets Authority, ESMA, issued its second consultation on ETFs. ESMA’s publication of its views provided comfort to investors as it gave an indication both about the regulatory body’s future intentions as well as its views with regards to perceived ETF risks.
Overall, the ESMA consultation was deemed to be balanced, avoiding any dramatic changes in the European ETF market, especially those that would put it at odds with how mutual funds operate under UCITS. The consultation provided further evidence that ESMA, through ETFs, which are perceived to be the golden standard in the fund industry, is looking to 'tidy-up' a number of wider fund management industry issues, such as tracking capacity and fund construction, primarily pertaining to total return swaps and securities lending practices .
ETF Industry: The month’s investment trends
The US Market: Flows across the board, from domestic to emerging markets
The US ETF industry registered strong cash flows in the first month of the year totaling $27 billion. Investors favor for risky assets continued in January with equities having the lion’s share in cash inflows ($19.3 billion).
US ETF equity flows were quite diversified, with both domestic as well as emerging markets benefiting. US domestic benchmarked equity ETFs brought inflows of $11.5 billion, while emerging market benchmarked equity ETFs saw inflows of $5.7 billion. Sectors also did well, attracting new money totaling $3.2 billion.
Fixed Income ETFs collected a healthy $7.7 billion in cash inflows; a healthy increase over the $6 billion inflows received in December. Commodity ETVs had a positive month, receiving cash inflows in excess of $1.5 billion which is in sharp contrast to last month’s pattern where commodities registered outflows of $2.7 billion.
For more information about analysis and trends in the US ETF market please refer to our US ETF Market Monthly Review.
The European Market: Emerging Markets main flow growth driver
Equity markets across Europe had a very positive run over the month registering advances across the board: DAX (↑ 9.5%), CAC (↑ 4.4%), Euro Stoxx 50 (↑ 4.3%) and the FTSE 100 Index (↑ 2.0%). Gold and silver spot prices (US$/oz), also appreciated by 9.8% and 17.6% respectively.
The European ETF industry improved on its poor run in December (outflows of €2.1 billion) and received cash inflows of €2.4 billion in January. Most of the flows went into ETFs tracking equity benchmarks (€1.5 billion) with healthy contributions by other asset classes; Fixed Income ETFs (€412 million), commodities (€331 million) and alternatives (€159 million).
Within equities, emerging markets (EM) benchmarks were back in vogue, collecting cash inflows of €904 million in January. The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India & China) collectively pocketed cash inflows of €365 million while ETFs tracking broad benchmarks like the MSCI EM collected €385 million over the same period. Within ETFs tracking developed markets (DM) benchmarks, a clear divergence was visible: ETFs focused on North American region which includes US & Canada received cash inflows of €672 million while ETFs tracking European benchmarks registered outflows of €663 million. ETFs tracking broader DM benchmarks such as MSCI World received net cash inflows of €107 million over the month of January.
ETFs tracking European sectors registered cash inflows of €171 million in January as compared to outflows of €166 million in the month of December.
Despite the positive equity markets and healthy flows, a hint of bearishness continues to persist as evident from the flows into leveraged and inverse products. ETFs providing inverse and leveraged inverse exposure pocketed inflows of €272 million and €282 million in January respectively. On the other hand ETFs providing leveraged exposure registered cash outflows of €332 million.
Fixed Income ETFs registered cash inflows of €412 million over January as compared to outflows of €404 million in December 2011. ETFs tracking corporate debt issuances and sub-sovereigns collected inflows of €588 million and €117 million respectively. Money market & sovereign ETFs registered outflows of €249 million and €144 million respectively.
Commodity ETPs received cash inflows totaling €498 million in January which is marginally higher than the €198 million received in December 2011. Most of the inflows were into products tracking crude oil (€211 million) and diversified commodity indices (€131 million).
ETP investors approached gold products with caution in January, evident from the inflows totaling €56 million which is significantly lower than the €623 million received in December 2011.
ETF comparatives: Mutual Funds, cash equity turnover
European ETF turnover is 8.0% of the region’s cash equities turnover as of the end of January 2012. The equivalent number for the US market stands at 24.5%.
European ETFs comprised 2.8% of the continent’s mutual fund industry, yet ETF cash flows, €17.7 billion from Jan-Nov 2011, was over 1.4x higher than the corresponding unlisted fund flows (- €44 billion). European unlisted mutual funds registered outflows of close to €138 billion in the months of Aug-Nov 2011. Mutual fund industry data as per the European Fund Management Association (EFAMA).
US ETFs comprised 8.1% of the its mutual fund industry, yet ETF cash flows, $113 billion for 2011, was over 4.7x higher than the corresponding unlisted fund flows ($24 billion). Mutual fund industry data as per the Investment Company Institute (ICI).
To request a copy of the report
Source: Christos Costandinides, European Head of ETF Research & Strategy, Deutsche Bank
ETF Stat January 2011 --Borsa Italiana
February 10, 2012--The ETF Statistics of the ETF Plus Market for the month of January 2011 are now available.
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Source: Borsa Italiana
New BlackRock service to slash ETF costs
February 10, 2012--BlackRock is to launch a best execution service designed to lower the costs of owning exchange traded funds (ETFs) at a time when fees and charges are coming under increasing scrutiny.
Leland Clemons, previously head of iShares’ ETF capital markets based in the US, will head the service in the newly created role of head of capital markets, covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
‘We will help clients lower the costs of ownership by more efficient trading and lowering the costs of entry,’ said Leland. ‘If you buy something cheaper, this helps save eating into returns over time.’
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Source: City Wire
Eurozone dismisses Greek budget deal
February 10, 2012--Eurozone finance ministers dismissed as incomplete a reputed €3.3 billion package of Greek budget cuts presented to them in hopes of securing a new €130 billion bailout; lenders are demanding €325 million in further cuts to this year’s budget, parliamentary approval
of a sweeping reform package and a pledge from the country’s political leaders to ensure that they will maintain their commitment after April elections.
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Source: FT.com
S&P Downgrades 34 Italian Banks After Reducing Nation’s Rating
February 10, 2012--UniCredit SpA (UCG), Intesa Sanpaolo SpA and Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA (BMPS) were among 34 Italian financial firms downgraded by Standard & Poor’s, after the credit-ratings company reduced the nation’s grade last month.
UniCredit, Italy’s biggest bank, and No. 2 Intesa had their long-term ratings lowered to BBB+ from A, S&P said yesterday in a statement. Monte dei Paschi, the No. 3 bank, was reduced to BBB from BBB+. All three have a negative outlook, S&P said.
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Source: Bloomberg
EU agrees new rules to police derivatives market
February 9, 2012-- EU government and parliament negotiators struck a deal Thursday to impose new rules on the multi-trillion-euro derivatives market, an obscure instrument maligned for helping cause the global financial crisis.
After months of wrangling, the two sides reached an agreement to increase transparency in derivatives trading, forcing all deals to be cleared by a central counterparty standing between buyer and seller.
"The era of opacity and shady deals is over," EU internal markets commissioner Michel Barnier said in a statement.
"With this agreement, we are making a big step for financial stability. And we are substantially reducing the risk of a future financial crisis, with all its consequences on the real economy, growth, jobs and public budgets," he said.
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Source: EUbuisness
Euro area securities issues statistics
February 9, 2012--The annual growth rate of the outstanding amount of debt securities issued by euro area residents increased from 2.5% in November 2011 to 3.9% in December. For the outstanding amount of quoted shares issued by euro area residents, the annual growth rate was 1.6% in December 2011, compared with 1.5% in November.
New issuance of debt securities by euro area residents totalled EUR 1,169 billion in December 2011.
Redemptions stood at EUR 1,108 billion and net issues amounted to EUR 49 billion.1 The annual growth
rate of outstanding debt securities issued by euro area residents increased from 2.5% in November 2011
to 3.9% in December (see Table 1 and Charts 1 and 3).
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Source: ECB
European banks offer new capital proposals
February 9, 2012--European banks are proposing capital-raising measures that go beyond regulators’ demands and would cut only a small amount of lending to the real economy, according to a preliminary assessment of the plans by the European Banking Authority
In December the EBA identified a capital shortfall of €115bn at 30 banks and told the institutions to come up with plans to raise their core tier one capital ratios to 9 per cent of their risk-weighted assets by July.
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Source: FT.com
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