Prolonged Slump in Bond Liquidity Rattles Markets
July 22, 2018--Investors are finding it harder to buy and sell bonds
Many bonds around the globe are becoming harder to trade, prompting some investors to shift to other markets and raising concerns about a broad decline in liquidity.
The median gap between the price at which traders offer to buy and sell, a proxy for the ability to move in and out of markets quickly, has widened this year across European corporate debt and emerging-market government and corporate bonds, according to data from trading platform MarketAxess.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Bitcoin Rises to U.S.$7,400 As Crypto Markets Hit U.S.$297 Billion
July 21, 2018--Bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency has traded above $7,400, posting an 11 per cent jump just as the digital currency market added $25 billion to reach a market valuation of $297 billion. With the good news of growing institutional involvement in the crypto space, Bitcoin was trading at $7455.46 as at press time according to the data on CoinMarketCap.
Source: allafrica.com
First Bridge Data-ETF Global Snapshot-July 2018
July 20, 2018--Key Highlights
Our monthly 'ETF 20/20' report briefly summarizes recent Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)
trends globally. It uses data from the First Bridge ETF database that includes all global ETPs.
Global ETF assets were $T5.037 as of June 30, 2018.
On June 28, 2018 the US SEC proposed rule 6c-11 that will allow sponsors to bring
many ETFs to market more quickly, without requiring 'exemptive relief'.
Vanguard announced that it was eliminating online transaction fees for most ETFs bought and sold on its brokerage platform, including those of its competitors.
There were 20 new ETF listings in the US in June 2018, and another 76 listings outside the US.
US small cap healthcare, Internet and online retail stocks were among the best performing ETF categories this year (based on YTD total return through July 17, 2018). Turkish and Philippines equities and sugar futures were among the worst performing categories in the same time period.
US large caps ('SPY'; 1.6%) outperformed five other major asset classes in the trailing 1-month through July 18, 2018.
Source: First Bridge Data
DECPG Global Weekly
July 20, 2018--TAKING STOCK
U.S. industrial production rebounded in June; retail sales growth remained solid; new housing construction fell
Euro Area headline inflation edged up in June
Japan's inflation was steady in June; trade surplus widened in June
China GDP growth slowed slightly in 2018Q2; industrial production and investment growth eased; retail sales rose
Crude oil prices tumbled on rising supplies
Taking Stock
U.S. industrial production rebounded in June; retail sales growth remained solid; new housing construction fell.
U.S. industrial production rose 0.6 percent (m/m, sa) in June, after contracting 0.5 percent in May (Figure 1), boosted by a rebound in manufacturing and further gains in mining output. Headline retail sales rose 0.5 percent (m/m) in June, following
an upwardly revised 1.3 percent increase in May, led by motor vehicle sales and higher gasoline prices.
Source: World Bank
Derivatives veteran and market makers combine to launch cryptocurrency reference rates
July 20, 2018--Bitcoin and Ether reference rates and indices launched by cryptocurrency liquidity providers and trueDigital Holdings.
A new set of Bitcoin and Ether reference rates and indices have been launched by trueDigital and 10 market makers including Genesis Global Trading, Circle and Hehmeyer.
Digital currency trading firm trueDigital was launched by Sunil Hirani, a capital markets veteran most recently known for founding swaps execution facility trueEx, a platform which took on some of the major players in the OTC derivatives world.
Source: thetradenews.com
IMF-2018 External Sector Report: Tackling Global Imbalances amid Rising Trade Tensions
July 19, 2018--HIGHLIGHTS
The IMF's 2018 ESR shows that global current account balances stand at about 3¼ percent of global GDP. Of this, 40-50 percent are now deemed excessive, i.e. some countries are saving too much, and others are borrowing too much. And while global imbalances remain broadly unchanged in recent years, they have become increasingly concentrated in advanced economies.
From a global perspective, excess surpluses have been especially large and persistent in a small group of countries, most prominently in Germany and China, and to a lesser extent, in Korea, Netherlands, Sweden and Singapore. Excess deficits remain mainly in the United States and the United Kingdom, some euro area debtor countries, and a few vulnerable emerging market and developing economies (e.g. Argentina, Turkey).
This finding matters because persistent excess imbalances may become unsustainable, putting the global economy at risk and aggravating trade tensions.
view the IMF External Sector Report-Tackling Global Imbalances amid Rising Trade Tensions
Source: IMF
Tradeweb Sees Another Record Month and Quarter to Close Out the First Half of 2018
July 19, 2018--Global trading activity has continued to remain robust in 2018, with trading volumes on Tradeweb setting a new record in June at USD590bn ADV, a 45% increase from June 2017.
verage daily trading volume for Q2 was USD540bn, an increase of USD6bn per day compared to Q1's previous record. The increase in trading activity on the platform has been driven not only by a rise in overall market activity, but by the regulatory environment, continued electrification of markets and Tradeweb's expansion into new products and markets.
Source: Tradeweb
More than half of hedge funds now using AI technology
July 19, 2018--Hedge funds are using AI and machine learning for investment decisions, but only a quarter are using it for trade execution.
Over half of hedge funds are currently using artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning technology to inform investment decisions and generate trading ideas, according to a survey.
Research services provider BarclayHedge found that hedge funds are now leaning towards AI technology for the investment process. Fifty-eight percent of hedge funds are now claiming it has been used for more than three years.
Source: Thetradenews.com
More than half of hedge funds now using AI technology
July 19, 2018--Hedge funds are using AI and machine learning for investment decisions, but only a quarter are using it for trade execution.
Over half of hedge funds are currently using artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning technology to inform investment decisions and generate trading ideas, according to a survey.
Research services provider BarclayHedge found that hedge funds are now leaning towards AI technology for the investment process. Fifty-eight percent of hedge funds are now claiming it has been used for more than three years.
Source: thetradenews.com
Buy-side research usage after MiFID II
July 18, 2018--Analysis of buy-side research consumption in the six months since MiFID II has revealed some interesting trends as large and medium-sized firms adapt to the new unbundling rules in the European directive.
Thomson Reuters has analyzed research readership and entitlements data from 50 large and medium-sized buy-side firms to help identify changes in usage.
The number of research providers used by buy-side firms in the UK has fallen dramatically since January, but less so in continental Europe.
In the U.S. and Asia, the decline in research providers used is far more subdued, but there is evidence to suggest that firms are adopting MiFID II research unbundling.
The buy-side research market entered a new era in January when MiFID II came into force across the EU, requiring buy-side firms to separate payments for research from trading commissions.
Source: JDSpura