Global ETF News Older than One Year
Bassanese Bites: Global slowdown
March 11, 2019--Week in Review
Last week saw the first decent pull back in global equity markets since the impressive V-shaped recovery began just after Christmas. Growing uncertainty over when and if the US and China will actually conclude a trade deal weighted on sentiment, as did more concerns over slowing global economic growth.
Despite Trump's ongoing optimistic tweets, US negotiators appear to be downplaying the chances of any near-term deal with China being finalised, while the Chinese appear to have put off the talked about end-March "Mar-a-Lago" meeting with the US President. With Trump having already postponed the March 1 deadline for higher tariffs, China may well have decided to call Trump's bluff-and is hardening its resolve against making major trade concessions.
Source: BetaShares
Stability heightens flash crash risks-research
March 11, 2019--Liquidity breaks down when latent orders are revealed too slowly, quant firm says
Flash crashes are most likely to occur in stable markets when latent liquidity converts to real orders too slowly, new research from quants at Capital Fund Management suggests.
The firm's research is based on the idea that live prices in an order book represent only a fraction of the liquidity in markets. A much larger layer of latent liquidity- potential bids and offers...
Source: Risk.net
Despite Brexit, investors still believe in the UK real economy
March 8, 2019--In the latest and largest infrastructure investor survey ever undertaken, the UK ranks third for countries with the most potential in the next five years despite looming Brexit.
The 2019 edition of the EDHEC Infrastructure Institute survey, conducted on behalf of the G20, shows that Brexit has barely impacted the UK's top investment destination status for infrastructure investors.
Source: EDHEC Infrastructure Institute
Global regulators launch inquiry into leveraged loans
March 7, 2019-The Financial Stability Board, a top global rulemaker, has launched an examination of parts of the $1.4tn leveraged loan market, as officials intensify scrutiny into potential financial stability risks surrounding corporate debt.
Source: FT.com
World Gold Council-Global gold-backed ETF holdings retreated in February
March 7, 2019--After four straight months of inflows, holdings in global gold-backed ETFs and similar products fell in February by 33 tonnes(t) to 2,479t, equivalent to US$1.3bn in outflows. Global assets under management (AUM) fell by 2% in US dollars to US$105bn over the month.
However, global gold-backed ETF flows remain positive on the year (US$1.7bn, 2% AUM) on the back of strong inflows in January.
Regional flows
North American funds had outflows of 29t (US$1.2bn, 2.3%AUM)
Holdings in European funds were flat (tonnage loss but fund inflows) -0.3t (+US$37mn, 0.1%) **
Funds listed in Asia decreased by 3t (US$147mn, 4.6%) Other regions were virtually flat, falling by 0.1t (US$2.5mn, 0.2%)
Source: World Gold Council
OECD sees global growth slowing, as Europe weakens and risks persist
March 6, 2019--The global economy is slowing and major risks persist, with growth weakening much more than expected in Europe, according to the OECD's latest Interim Economic Outlook.
Economic prospects are now weaker in nearly all G20 countries than previously anticipated. Vulnerabilities stemming from China and the weakening European economy, combined with a slowdown in trade and global manufacturing, high policy uncertainty and risks in financial markets, could undermine strong and sustainable medium-term growth worldwide.
The OECD projects that the global economy will grow by 3.3 per cent in 2019 and 3.4 per cent in 2020.
view the OECD Economic Outlook and Interim Economic Outlook
Source: OECD
Winthrop Capital Management-2019 1Q Investment Strategy-Fixed Income
March 6, 2019--Domestic economic growth continues to slow into 1Q 2019, and there are three key factors impacting the economy in the first quarter: the government shutdown, the threat of increased tariffs with China and Europe, and Brexit.
While we expect the growth rate of corporate earnings to slow through the year, the bright spot remains job growth as the economy consistently creates over 230,000 jobs a month. The threat of increased tariffs with China has had a disastrous effect on China’s economy, and trade balance with both imports and exports fell dramatically in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Source: Winthrop Capital Management
IMF Working Papers-Do Fiscal Rules Cause Better Fiscal Balances? A New Instrumental Variable Strategy
March 5, 2019--Summary:
This paper estimates the causal effect of fiscal rules on fiscal balances in a panel of 142 countries over the period 1985-2015. Our instrumental variable strategy exploits the geographical diffusion of fiscal rules across countries.
The intuition is that reforms in neighboring countries may affect the adoption of domestic reforms through peer pressure and imitational effects. We find that fiscal rules correlate with lower deficits, but the positive link disappears when endogeneity is correctly addressed. However, when considering an index of fiscal rules' design, we show that well-designed rules have a statistically significant impact on fiscal balances. We conduct several robustness tests and show that our results are not affected by weak instrument problems.
Source: IMF
BIS-Markets retreat and rebound: BIS Quarterly Review
March 5, 2019--Shifting macroeconomic prospects in major economies, and their implications for monetary policy, dominated market developments at the end of 2018 and in the early months of 2019.
Market commentary suggested that concerns that monetary policy would remain on a tightening course, despite a softening economic outlook, pushed US stock prices sharply lower in December. Investors grew increasingly uncertain of future corporate earnings growth. Financial markets found firmer footing in the new year after central banks reaffirmed that policy would respond to global economic risks.
view the BIS Quarterly Review, March 2019
Source: BIS
BCBS/IOSCO statement on the final implementation phases of the Margin requirements for non-centrally cleared derivatives
March 5, 2019--Significant progress has been made to implement the framework for margin requirements for non-centrally-cleared derivatives. Based on monitoring of the implementation of the framework across products, jurisdictions and market participants, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) today provide the following guidance to support timely and smooth implementation of the framework and clarify its requirements.
The Basel Committee and IOSCO realise that market participants may need to amend derivatives contracts in response to interest rate benchmark reforms. Amendments to legacy derivative contracts pursued solely for the purpose of addressing interest rate benchmark reforms do not require the application of the margin requirements for the purposes of the BCBS/IOSCO framework, although the position may be different under relevant implementing laws
Source: BIS
