Exchange-traded bond funds crash through $1tn in assets
April 23, 2019--The amount of assets held in exchange-traded bond funds has pushed past $1tn, capping a near fivefold increase since the financial crisis, and underscoring a radical reshaping of the world's debt markets.
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Bonds to Save the Planet
April 23, 2019--Eco-friendly fixed-income funds can help create a stronger market for securities that back environmental projects.
Green bonds could be a key tool to finance the fight against climate change. But good luck getting your hands on one, or figuring out exactly what it's worth.
The securities are just like regular bonds, except their proceeds are earmarked to fund projects that have positive benefits for the environment or climate. Countries including Poland and France have issued them to support renewable energy. Companies may use bond proceeds on projects that reduce emissions or enable funding for electric vehicles.
IEA statement on global oil markets
April 23, 2019--The International Energy Agency is monitoring developments in global oil markets, and notes that markets are now adequately supplied, and that global spare production capacity remains at comfortable levels.
Further tightening of sanctions on Iran will have an impact on its export capacity. Iranian shipments of crude and condensates are running around 1.1 million barrels a day (mb/d) in April, 300 000 barrels a day lower than March, and 1.7 mb/d lower than May 2018.
As a result of OPEC's high compliance rate with the agreed supply cuts in the OPEC+ group, global spare production capacity has risen to 3.3 mb/d, with 2.2 mb/d held by Saudi Arabia and around 1 mb/d by the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Kuwait.
First Bridge Data-ETF Worldwide Snapshot-Apr 2019
April 22, 2019--In the latest monthly report:
On April 8, 2019 the US SEC issued a notice that it intends to approve the application from Precidian Funds to launch non-transparent actively managed ETFs.
This is a significant industry development since ETFs listed in the US have always had to disclose their holdings daily.
Global ETF assets increased by 1.5% in March 2019 to $5.5T
There were 19 new ETF listings in the US and 105 outside the US (including crosslistings)
in March 2019.
China ‘A share’ small caps, marijuana and semiconductor stocks were among the
best performing ETF categories this year through April 18, 2019. VIX, shipping and wheat futures were among the worst performing categories in the same time period.
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Deloitte-Finance 2025: Digital transformation in finance
April 22, 2019-Our eight predictions about digital technology for CFOs
Coming off the success of our previous "Crunch time" reports, we're now looking towards the future with eight predictions for the finance function of 2025.
The technologies needed to reimagine finance are here and they will only get better. It's crunch time.
Preparing for the future
None of us knows for certain what the future will hold, but we all have a responsibility to be thinking about what's likely to happen, and to prepare for it. In the finance function, that means working now to get the right people and technology in place to take advantage of the inevitable disruption ahead. That's not likely to happen without a clear vision and strategy for finance in a digital world. Now is the time to step back and make sure your roadmap to that future is clear.
With that in mind...
view the Crunch time V Finance 2025 report
Stoplight system could spot imminent meltdowns-study
April 22, 2019--Proposed traffic light system sifts through transaction data for signs of trouble
A traffic light system of risk indicators for financial market infrastructure could use transaction data to detect threats to financial stability in almost real time, according to research due to be published later this year.
Ron Berndsen, chairman of LCH's risk committee, and Ronald Heijmans, a senior data scientist and policy adviser at De Nederlandsche Bank, argue in their upcoming paper that monthly or quarterly monitoring of market infrastructures such as payment and settlement systems.
IEA-Key Oil Trends 2018
April 19, 2019--Oil production
Total OECD annual production of crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGL), and refinery feedstocks increased by 10.3% in 2018 compared to 2017, reaching a record total monthly production of over 100 million tons at the beginning of the year and remaining above this for almost all of 2018.
This trend was observed across all OECD regions with the OECD Americas seeing the largest growth (+12.2%), followed by OECD Europe (+0.6%) and OECD Asia Oceania (+2.5%) in absolute terms.
Production from the United States rose to a record high in the third quarter of 2018, and increased by 17.1% or 105 Mt in 2018 compared to 2017. Canadian production also increased on an annual basis (+8.1%), due to robust production of crude oil, while Mexico’s production continued to fall (-6.3%).
NGFS A call for action Climate change as a source of financial risk First comprehensive report
Executive summary
April 17, 2019--NGFS CALL FOR ACTION REPORT4In the October 2018 progress report, NGFS members acknowledged that "climate-related risks are a source of financial risk. It is therefore within the mandates of central banks and supervisors to ensure the financial system is resilient to these risks."
The legal mandates of central banks and financial supervisors vary throughout the NGFS membership, but they typically include responsibility for price stability, financial stability and the safety and soundness of financial institutions.
Even though the prime responsibility for ensuring the success of the Paris Agreement rests with governments, it is up to central banks and supervisors to shape and deliver on their substantial role in addressing climate-related risks within the remit of their mandates. Understanding how structural changes affect the financial system and the economy is core to fulfilling these responsibilities.
CryptoCompare Publishes Exchange Review for March 2019
April 17, 2019--March saw a 70% increase in volume from crypto to crypto exchanges compared to February, while those that offer fiat pairs decreased 8%.
CryptoCompare published its March 2019 Exchange Review today, offering institutional and retail investors insights into key developments in the cryptocurrency exchange market and its participants.
As with previous reviews, it covers exchange rankings by volume; country analysis and predominant fee type model; derivatives and institutional products; fiat, bitcoin and stablecoin volumes. It is also focused on how volumes have developed historically for the top trans-fee mining and decentralised exchanges.
view the CryptoCompare Exchange Review March 2019
The Eurekahedge Report-April 2019
April 17, 2019--In our April issue of The Eurekahedge Report, we feature the US$188.8 billion Asian hedge fund industry and its infographic, along with the US$2,315.0 billion global hedge fund industry and its infographic.
Our regular coverage of monthly returns, performance and asset flows is accompanied by the latest strategy report tracking some of the top performing hedge funds focusing on Asia Pacific via the Eurekahedge Custom Asia Top Gainer Composite.
The report also features commentaries and insights provided by representatives of some of these exceptional hedge funds which outperformed their benchmarks in 2018: ANDA Cruise, FengHe Asia Fund, Golden Pine Fund-Class P, KS Asia Absolute Return Fund, Realm High Income Fund and Segantii Asia-Pacific Equity Multi-Strategy Fund.