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MEPs call for the introduction of a tax on financial transactions
March 8, 2011--The EU should promote the introduction of a financial transaction tax, even if it is alone in doing so "as a first step", says Parliament in a resolution on innovative financing voted in plenary on Tuesday. A second resolution, also voted in plenary on Tuesday, calls for more EU tax-related assistance and clamp downs on tax evasion and tax fraud to boost revenue and efficiency in the developing countries.
Together, the Economic Affairs Committee resolution on "innovative financing", and the Development Committee one on "tax and development" set out Parliament's ideas on how best to generate new revenues, reform tax governance and maximise revenue from traditional sources.
The innovative financing resolution, drafted by Anni Podimata (S&D, GR), argues that the tools proposed can yield a "double dividend" by not only generating more funds, but also making the financial sector safer and society greener.
The tax and development resolution, drafted by Development Committee Chair Eva Joly (Greens/EFA, FR), says that EU and developing countries should seek to boost their tax revenues by combating tax evasion and harmful tax practices. This, it says, will not only reduce poverty but also eventually lead to a "governance dividend".
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Source: European Parliament
New Lyxor ETF launched on Xetra
March 8. 2011--A new exchange-traded fund (ETF) issued by Lyxor has been tradable on Xetra since Tuesday.
ETF name: Lyxor ETF iBoxx € Liquid High Yield 30
Asset class: bond index ETF
ISIN: FR0010975771
Total expense ratio: 0.45 percent
Distribution policy: non-distributing
Benchmark: Markit iBoxx EUR Liquid High Yield 30
Lyxor ETF iBoxx € Liquid High Yield 30 enables investors to participate in the performance of 30 corporate bonds denominated in euros with a rating below invest grade. The selected bonds are strong performers with terms longer than 15 months. The underlying index contains solely bonds with an outstanding volume of a minimum of €500 million.
The product offering in Deutsche Börse’s XTF segment currently comprises a total of 798 exchange-listed ETFs, making it the largest offering of all European stock exchanges. This selection, together with an average monthly trading volume of around €13 billion, makes Xetra Europe’s leading trading venue for ETFs.
Source: Deutsche Börse
EDHEC-Risk Institute Warns the European Parliament of the Dangers of Banning Naked Sales of Credit Default Swaps
March 8, 2011--In an open letter of March 8, 2011 addressed to the Chair of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, Sharon Bowles, and Pascal Canfin, the Committee’s Rapporteur on the draft EU regulation on short selling and credit default swaps, EDHEC-Risk Institute has warned of the dangers of prohibiting "naked" sales of sovereign credit default swaps.
Besides the fact that the lack of convergence on these issues with the US authorities leaves little hope of the measures being effective, EDHEC-Risk Institute thinks that this ban would pose numerous problems and run up against legal and practical obstacles that would make it inapplicable or even counterproductive:
It will be impossible for intermediaries and ultimately for regulators to verify investors’ holdings of the securities representative of the risk the credit default swaps are assumed to cover.
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Source: EDHEC-Risk Institute
Euro-MPs back tax on financial transactions in vote
March 8, 2011-European lawmakers backed Tuesday the introduction of a tax on financial transactions they said could raise 200 billion euros per year to finance EU projects.
Euro MPs voted 360 for and 299 against a call for the European Union to encourage such a tax at a global level, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said finance ministers from the 17-nation eurozone should examine ways to implement one.
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Source: EUbusiness
STOXX announces new composition of Sustainability, Select Dividend, Style and Grand Prix Indices
STOXX ANNOUNCES NEW COMPOSITION OF SUSTAINABILITY, SELECT DIVIDEND, STYLE AND GRAND PRIX INDICES
Results of the Review to be Effective on March 21, 2011
March 7, 2011--STOXX Limited, the market-moving provider of innovative, substantial and global index concepts, today announced the results of the annual review of the STOXX Select Dividend Index series and the STOXX Global Grand Prix Index; as well as the result of the semi-annual review of the STOXX TMI Growth and STOXX TMI Value indices, its respective large, mid- and small sub-indices and the respective indices for the euro zone.
Furthermore, the results of an extraordinary review of the STOXX Sustainability Indices are being announced as Bank Sarasin & Co. Ltd. took over the research and analysis for the indices earlier this year. All changes will be effective on March 21, 2011.
STOXX Sustainability Indices
The STOXX Sustainability Indices have been reviewed extraordinarily as Bank Sarasin took over the research and analysis of the index components earlier this year. While the methodology of the indices remains unchanged, components are now selected from the STOXX Europe 600 Index according to Bank Sarasin’s rating. In order to be included in the STOXX Sustainability Indices, a company must reach a “positive overall sustainability rating” according to Bank Sarasin’s Sustainability Matrix. The rating is composed of “industry rating” and “company rating.”
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Source: STOXX
Eurex KOSPI Product hits important milestone
More than 500,000 contracts traded since the launch of the Eurex/KRX Link
March 7, 2011--The Eurex KOSPI Product exceeded 500,000 traded contracts last Friday for the first time since its launch on 30 August 2010. Average daily volume has been increasing steadily, reaching more than 11,000 contracts in March 2011. On 18 January, Eurex achieved a new daily record of more than 64,000 traded contracts.
“Our Eurex KOSPI Product has been very successful since its introduction,” said Michael Peters, Eurex Executive Board member. “This is due to our close partnership with the Korea Exchange to offer our customers access to the most widely traded index derivative contract in the world. Our participants do not only trade via the order book but also use our block trading functionality, which allows members to place OTC transactions directly and efficiently into the Eurex clearing system.” Currently, block trades of this product can only be executed on Eurex.
“The Eurex KOSPI Product is a linked derivative product that provides more convenient access to KOSPI 200 Options for European customers,” said In-Soo Kim, KRX executive director. “This milestone reflects the high acceptance of the Eurex KOSPI Product as an investment tool for global investors. KRX and Eurex will continue to work closely together with market participants to develop ways to further increase liquidity in the Eurex KOSPI Product.”
Volumes are expected to rise as KRX and Eurex further develop the after-hours market for the world’s most widely traded derivatives contract. Bid-ask spreads for the Eurex KOSPI Product have narrowed considerably, and the number of active end-customers as well as Eurex and KRX members continues to expand rapidly. Currently, eleven KRX and Eurex members are active in the Eurex KOSPI Product, among them two market makers. There are 12 additional KRX and Eurex members who are preparing to participate in the Eurex/KRX Link.
The Eurex KOSPI Product is a daily futures contract based on the KOSPI 200 options available on the Korea Exchange (KRX). The futures contracts expire at the end of each trading day and any open positions are transferred to KRX to establish a position in the KOPSI 200 option. This product cooperation between Eurex and KRX enables market participants to trade KOSPI 200 options during European and North American trading hours.
Source: Eurex
Curbs on ‘naked’ short selling closer after EU vote
March 7, 2011--A ban on uncovered credit default swaps on sovereign debt and an effective prohibition of “naked” short selling of securities in Europe moved closer on Monday night after winning the backing of European Union lawmakers.
The vote, in the European Parliament on Monday evening, was greeted with dismay by sections of the financial services industry, with hedge funds warning that it would make sovereign debt markets less efficient, liquid and transparent, and push up the cost of borrowing.
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Source: FT.com
NASDAQ OMX introduces indexes for Swedish credit bond market
March 7, 2011--NASDAQ OMX (NASDAQ:NDAQ) today introduces a new index series for the Swedish credit bond market. The NASDAQ OMX Credit SEK Index series is uniquely designed to provide exposure to a portfolio of corporate and municipality investment-grade bonds denominated in Swedish Krona (SEK). Calculation of the indexes and index analytical values are based on daily end-of-day market mid valuations supplied to NASDAQ OMX by SEB.
Magdalena Hartman, Vice President NASDAQ OMX Global Index Group said: "Until today there has been a lack of means to measure the performance of the Swedish credit market. With this new index series investors, asset managers and analysts will for the first time gain access to a reliable benchmark for SEK denominated credit bonds to support research and development of new financial products."
Europe to toughen banks ' stress tests: report Recognising the shortcomings of last year's exercise, EBA chairman Andrea Enria told the FT he was determined to make the exercise more credible and to use it as a trigger for a thorough recapitalisation of Europe's weakest banks.
read more 07 Mar 2011 Inclusion of aviation in the EU ETS: Commission publishes historical emissions data on which allocations will be based read more If you are looking for a particuliar article and can not find it, please feel free to contact us for assistace.
Source: NASDAQ OMX
March 7, 2011--European banking regulators are to toughen stress tests on banks after last year's results failed to uncover the extent of financial turmoil at some Irish lenders, the Financial Times reported Monday.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) is preparing to introduce a 'near fail' category as part of a mechanism to force recapitalisations on weaker banks, the FT said.
Source: EUbusiness
March 7, 2011--The European Commission has, today, taken an important step in preparing for the full inclusion of aviation in the EU's emissions trading system (EU ETS) from 1 January next year. The European Commission has decided on the historical aviation emissions which will be used to calculate the number of aviation allowances to be available from 2012.
Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action, said: ''Emissions from aviation are growing faster than from any other sector, and all forecasts indicate they will continue to do so under business as usual conditions. Firm action is needed. By publishing the data on which allocations will be based, we prepare for the full inclusion of aviation in the emissions trading system.''
Source: European Commission
