66% of pension fund managers cite passive investments as established part of portfolio
June 12, 2018--A total of 66 per cent of pension fund managers regard passive investments as an established, mature part of their portfolio, DWS has reported.
According to a DWS-sponsored report, Passive Investing: reshaping the global investment landscape, the majority of pension funds now view passive investments as a "mature" part of their portfolio.
The analysis, which looked at over 150 pension plans globally found that the average pension fund holds 32 per cent of investments in passives or solutions in the form of either index funds, passive funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Markets turn down the volumes when the World Cup starts
June 12, 2018--The World Cup kicks off in Russia on Thursday and investors should be warned that financial markets tend to act like any emotional soccer fan during the matches-they go quiet and nervy and don't like losing.
More than two-thirds (43) of the 64 games in this year's tournament will be played during European or Latin American trading hours which has been shown to significantly change market behaviour.
Thomson Reuters-New Constructs: How To Find the Best Sector ETFs 2Q18
June 12, 2018--Don't Trust ETF Labels
There are at least 44 different Technology ETFs and at least 225 ETFs across eleven sectors. Do investors need 20+ choices on average per sector? How different can the ETFs be?
Those 44 Technology ETFs are very different. With anywhere from 25 to 358 holdings, many of these Technology ETFs have drastically different portfolios, creating drastically different investment implications.
The same is true for the ETFs in any other sector, as each offers a very different mix of good and bad stocks. Consumer Non-cyclicals ranks first for stock selection. Energy ranks last. Details on the Best & Worst ETFs in each sector are here.
An Imbalance in Global Banks' Dollar Funding
June 12, 2018--For companies and investors outside the United States, the dollar is often the currency of choice. Surprisingly, though, US banks play only a limited role in lending dollars to international borrowers.
Most of the $7 trillion in banks' dollar lending outside the United States is handled by banks based in Europe, Japan and elsewhere.
This is significant because these banks can't easily tap the dollars deposited at their US subsidiaries to finance dollar lending outside of the country.
ETf Securities Weekly Flows Analysis: Likely supply disruptions lead to industrial metals rally
June 11, 2018-- Industrial metal basket ETPs see largest inflows since February. Industrial metals gained a strong tail-wind last week, rising 2.9%, as trade-wars....
view more
IMF-Fiscal Affairs Department How-To Notes-How to Manage the Fiscal Costs of Natural Disasters
June 11, 2018--Summary:
This how-to note focuses on the management of the fiscal costs associated with natural disaster risks. Unlike other types of fiscal risks (for example, unexpected macroeconomic changes or materialization of contingent liabilities), a natural disaster presents a unique challenge to fiscal risk-management and budget processes because of its exogenous nature and potentially overwhelming scale.
This note discusses how governments can build fiscal resilience against natural hazards and strengthen fiscal management after a disaster, including through budgeting frameworks and other fiscal policies. The note aims to answer three central questions: How large should fiscal buffers be? How should fiscal buffers be built up? How should fiscal buffers be used efficiently and transparently once a natural disaster has struck? These three questions directly relate to fiscal policy, fiscal risk management, and the budget process-all core areas of IMF expertise. To address them, the note focuses on fiscal strategies for financing recovery efforts and considers approaches to mitigate disaster impact. The note also provides guidance on how to conduct regular risk analyses of natural disasters’ potential fiscal consequences and outlines best practices for defining and accounting for the contingent liabilities associated with natural disasters in budgeting frameworks. Finally, the note touches on approaches for risk reduction, disaster risk financing strategies, and risk transfer mechanisms, such as various insurance instruments.
DECPG Global Weekly
June 8, 2018--TAKING STOCK
The World Bank projects global growth to remain steady in 2018, but to slow over the next two years
U.S. trade deficit fell to a 7-month low in April; non-manufacturing growth picked up in May
Euro Area Q1 GDP growth slowdown confirmed; investor confidence tumbled in June.
Japan Q1 GDP growth revised down; services PMI fell in May
China's export growth edged down in May; foreign reserves fell
The World Bank projects global growth to remain steady in 2018, but to slow over the next two years. According to the World Bank's June 2018 Global Economic Prospects report, released on Tuesday, the global economy will expand by 3.1 percent in 2018, the same pace as in 2017, before gradually slowing down over the next two years. Activity in advanced economies is expected to grow 2.2 percent in 2018, and 2 percent in 2019.
Bitcoin trading rules leave Plus500 to make an educated guess
June 7, 2018--ew trading limits may prove tough test for would-be 'professionals'
Attention all bitcoin traders with Plus500 and CMC Markets! A new study from Warwick Business School has found that:
"Cryptocurrency prices are not influenced by any economic factors and instead are driven purely by the mood swing of investors...research studying the weekly trading patterns of 14 of the largest cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin...found no correlation with any economic indicators
ESG Water Risk Index launched by Thomas Schumann Capital
June 7, 2018--Thomas Schumann Capital LLC (TSC) has launched a Water Risk Index, a smart beta solution for asset allocation, based on its own proprietary models.
view more
Exchange traded fund boom increases operational challenges for asset servicers
June 6, 2018---Latest Temenos Multifonds Every Fund Survey finds:
78% of the asset management industry believe ETFs will sustain current growth rates
62% predict increasing convergence between ETFs and mutual funds
Operational systems seen as the top challenge and risk
1 in 4 feel asset servicers are not keeping pace with ETF growth and complexity
Temenos (SIX: TEMN), the banking software company, today announces the launch of its 2018 Every Fund Survey: ETF challenges and opportunities. With ETFs breaking through the US$5 trillion mark at the beginning of this year, the increasing complexity of products is ratcheting up the technical and operational pressures on asset servicers, such as fund administrators, according to the findings of the latest Temenos Multifonds Every Fund Survey.
view the ETF challenges and opportunities -The Temenos Multifonds Every Fund Survey 2018-Part 1