Global ETF News Older than One Year
OPEC admits United States shale may crash oil price
March 15, 2018--The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has admitted for the first time that the growing crude oil output from the United States (U.S.) may threaten the price of crude oil despite efforts to rebalance the market.
OPEC, in its monthly report yesterday, upgraded expected supply from non-members, saying that the output was surging beyond expectations.
Source: theguardian.com
FSB launches survey on infrastructure financing as part of its efforts to evaluate the impact of G20 regulatory reforms
March 15, 2018--The Financial Stability Board (FSB) launches a voluntary survey on the trends, drivers, and potential effects of regulatory reforms on infrastructure financing, and invites relevant institutions to participate.
The survey is an important part of the FSB's ongoing work to evaluate the effects of the G20 regulatory reforms on infrastructure financing. This evaluation is part of the FSB's examination of the effects of the G20 regulatory reforms on financial intermediation, carried out under the FSB's evaluation framework.
The survey seeks feedback from firms and institutions that are actively involved in infrastructure financing by providing investments and sponsorship, insurance against financial and non-financial risks and advice on transactions.
Source: Financial Stability Board (FSB)
Google bans cryptocurrency advertising, bitcoin price slumps
March 14, 2018--Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google said on Wednesday it was banning advertisements for cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings, the latest internet company to clamp down on the sector amid growing concerns about scams.
Google's action, which takes effect in June and follows a similar move by Facebook earlier this year, sent the price of the best-known cryptocurrency, bitcoin, down more than 10 percent to its lowest in a month.
Source: Reuters
BlackRock Global ETP Landscape Industry Highlights-February 2018
March 14, 2018--Summary
BlackRock ETP Research
Global ETP flows resilient in February despite outflows for U.S.
equities
Global ETP inflows slowed to $6.8bn in February amid a continued rise in U.S.
interest rates and a correction for the S&P 500
Funds with exposure to non-U.S. equities maintained momentum despite the global selloff by bringing in $24.2bn, led by Japan with $7.1bn, broad EM with $3.3bn and EAFE with $2.4bn
Fixed income generated $3.4bn, with healthy inflows for less risky categories such as U.S. Treasuries, U.S. broad market debt and TIPS offset by outflows for investment grade corporate, high yield corporate and EM debt
Redemptions for U.S. equities reached ($23.3bn), though this followed cumulative inflows of $122.5bn over the prior four months
Source: BlackRock
OPEC-Monthly Oil Market Report-February 2018
March 14, 2018--Oil Market Highlights
Crude Oil Price Movements
In February, the ORB dropped 5% m-o-m, lower for the first time in six months, to average $63.48/b, but
remains above levels seen in more than two years.
Year-to-date, the ORB was 23.4%, or $12.37, higher than seen in the same period a year earlier, at $65.25/b. Similarly, Dated Brent dropped by $3.97 m-o-m to average $65.16/b and spot WTI declined by $1.55 to average $62.15/b. Oil futures also ended lower, but by varying amounts. The sell-off in crude oil futures started early in the month with oil prices pulled lower, as major US stock markets declined sharply and the dollar firmed.
Source: OPEC
IMF Working Papers-The Long-Run Decoupling of Emissions and Output: Evidence from the Largest Emitters
March 14, 2018--Summary:
For the world's 20 largest emitters, we use a simple trend/cycle decomposition to provide evidence of decoupling between greenhouse gas emissions and output in richer nations, particularly in European countries, but not yet in emerging markets.
If consumption-based emissions—measures that account for countries' net emissions embodied in cross-border trade-are used, the evidence for decoupling in the richer economies gets weaker. Countries with underlying policy frameworks more supportive of renewable energy and climate change mitigation efforts tend to show greater decoupling between trend emissions and trend GDP, and for both production- and consumption-based emissions. The relationship between trend emissions and trend GDP has also become much weaker in the last two decades than in preceding decades.
Source: IMF
WEF-Global Energy Transition Must Accelerate to Thwart Climate Change
March 14, 2018--The World Economic Forum launched today the Fostering Effective Energy Transition report, which ranks 114 countries on how well they are able to balance energy security and access with environmental sustainability and affordability.
The report finds that worldwide progress towards environmental sustainability has stalled, while energy prices have risen in real terms in more than half of the countries surveyed despite an overall fall in fuel prices
Sweden, Norway and Switzerland lead the rankings table; France and UK lead the way among the G7 countries; and the world’s two largest economies, the United States and China, score highly on their readiness for energy transition.
Source: WEF (World Economic Forum)
6 out of 10 people would consider cryptocurrency investment
March 13, 2018--Six out of 10 people with currently no exposure to cryptocurrencies would consider including cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin into their investment portfolios, reveals a new global poll.
Meanwhile, seven out of 10 people who do hold cryptocurrencies are planning to increase their exposure in the next 12 months.
In a survey carried out by deVere Group, one of the world's largest independent financial services organisations, 62 per cent of those who do not have any cryptocurrency said 'yes', 26 per cent 'no', and 12 per cent 'do not know' when asked: "Would you consider, or are you considering, including at least one cryptocurrency into your investment portfolio?"
71 per cent of investors who do currently have cryptocurrencies as part of their portfolio said that they are looking to increase this exposure over the next year, 25 per cent said that they would not, and 4 per cent cited that they did not know.
Source: devere-group.com
ThinkMarkets launches multiple assets blockchain-based exchange
March 13, 2018--The ThinkMarkets Group, will launch in April what looks to be potentially a market disruptive multi-asset blockchain-based exchange. TradeConnect will allow investors to trade a wide range of financial products such as FX, commodities, precious metals, equities and cryptocurrencies, says the group.
The stakes for the exchange segment are high. In the first half of 2017 the value of FX markets, stock, futures, commodities and OTC derivatives markets stood at over $542trn. As blockchain has evolved and been increasingly inserted into day to day market operations, it consistently represents an opportunity to disrupt traditional markets. Trading markets, already a segment that has undergone massive change since 2003, is no different.P>view more
Source: ftseglobalmarkets.com
Addressing the Dark Side of the Crypto World
March 13, 2018--Whether Bitcoin's value goes up or Bitcoin's value goes down, people around the world are asking the same question: What exactly is the potential of crypto-assets?
The technology behind these assets-including blockchain-is an exciting advancement that could help revolutionize fields beyond finance.
It could, for example, power financial inclusion by providing new, low-cost payment methods to those who lack bank accounts and in the process empower millions in low-income countries.
The possible benefits have even led some central banks to consider the idea of issuing central bank digital currencies.
Source: IMF
