Global ETF News Older than One Year
Global dividends hit record $1.3tn in 2017
February 19, 2018--Global dividends reached record levels in 2017, bolstered by strong global economic growth and a revival in US payouts as business confidence returned following political uncertainty in 2016.
Source: FT.com
ETF Securities Weekly Flows Analysis-Profit-taking leads to outflows in Gold ETPs
February 19, 2018--Agricultural basket ETPs received the largest inflows since inception.
Inflows into industrial metal basket ETPs rebound, reversing the prior week's trend of outflows.
Gold ETPs suffer US$103.5mn redemptions on the back of profit-taking.
Agricultural basket ETPs received the largest inflows since inception, totalling US$54.7mn surpassing the previous high achieved only four weeks ago. After a lacklustre performance over the prior year with the exception of cotton, a majority of agricultural commodities are trading higher in 2018 owing to severe weather conditions. Wheat prices have been benefiting from the ongoing dry spell in key US growing areas that is hampering the development of the dormant winter wheat. While the severe dry conditions in Argentina are supporting soybean and soybean meal prices higher.
Source: etfsecurities.com
Sound Practices: implications of fintech developments for banks and supervisors issued by the Basel Committee
February 19, 2018--The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision today published its Sound Practices on the implications of fintech developments for banks and bank supervisors.
The paper assesses how technology-driven innovation in financial services, or "fintech", may affect the banking industry and the activities of supervisors in the near to medium term.
The paper is based on the analysis of various potential future scenarios and draws on surveys with bank supervisors. Five stylised scenarios describing the potential impact of fintech on banks were identified as part of an industry-wide scenario analysis:
The better bank: modernisation and digitisation of incumbent players
The new bank: replacement of incumbents by challenger banks
Source: BIS
US CFTC and UK FCA Sign Arrangement to Collaborate on FinTech Innovation
February 19, 2018--The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have today signed an arrangement that commits the regulators to collaborating and supporting innovative firms through each other's financial technology (FinTech) initiatives-LabCFTC and FCA Innovate.
"The FCA's Project Innovate is the gold standard for thoughtful regulatory engagement with emerging technological innovation," said CFTC Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo.
Source: CFTC.gov
BlackRock bulks up research into artificial intelligence
February 19, 2018--BlackRock is setting up a new centre dedicated to research in artificial intelligence, underscoring the heightened interest among asset managers in how machine learning can revolutionise many facets of the investment industry. The world's biggest investment group, with $6.3tn of assets under...
Source: FT.com
Thomson Reuters-Investors Pad the Coffers of Equity Funds for the First Month in 11, While Equity ETFs Make It 20 in a Row
February 16, 2018--For the first month in 11 conventional mutual fund investors padded the coffers of equity funds, while being net purchasers of fixed income funds for the thirteenth month in a row. Authorized participants (APs-those investors that actually create and redeem ETF shares) remained fully engaged, injecting a whopping $58.6 billion into equity ETFs, with U.S. Diversified Equity (USDE) ETFs (+$27.4 billion) outdrawing their World Equity ETF counterparts (+$20.0 billion).
Despite strong January returns, mutual fund investors continued to turn their backs on USDE Funds, redeeming some $21.7 billion for the month, while they padded the coffers of World Equity Funds, injecting $17.4 billion. On the fixed income side of the equation the focus of mutual fund investors and APs continued to be aligned, with conventional bond funds attracting $46.9 billion net for January and bond ETFs drawing in $9.8 billion.
Source: Thomson Reuters
ETF Securities Investment Insights Silver outlook-Not second fiddle in a growth cycle
February 16, 2018--Summary
Silver's discount to gold may spark investor bargain buying.
Continued strength in the industrial cycle and a constrained mine supply may keep the metal in a supply deficit.
Silver prices may reach $19-20/ounce (oz) range by year-end.
More upside potential than gold
Silver tends to get lost in gold's shadow, and this year appears no different. Silver continues to underperform gold prices, but silver may be setting up to be a leader this year. Many of silver's key drivers remain bullish for the white metal, including rising global manufacturing and industrial production. Inflation is also on the rise as evidenced by increasing inflation expectations, rising fiscal spending, a tighter labor market with rising wages, and a weaker US dollar.
Source: etfsecurities.com
DECPG Global Weekly
February 16, 2018--TAKING STOCK
U.S. consumer price inflation exceeded expectations in January; retail sales and industrial production fell
Euro Area industrial production rose in December; GDP growth reached a 10-year high in 2017
Japan's GDP growth slowed in the fourth quarter of 2017
Inflation among large oil producers in Sub-Saharan Africa slowed in January
Oil prices rebounded
U.S. consumer price inflation exceeded expectations in January; retail sales and industrial production fell. The U.S. headline consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.1 percent (y/y) in January (Figure 1), the same as in December, but above the market expectations of a 1.9 percent increase. The 1.8 percent (y/y) increase in core CPI-which excludes food and energy prices-was also unchanged from December, and stronger than the market expectations of a 1.7 percent increase.
Meanwhile, retail sales fell 0.3 percent (m/m sa) in January, the largest monthly drop since February 2017, as consumers cut back on purchases of cars and building materials.
Source: World Bank
Change of Urban Population in Europe and Central Asia
February 14, 2018--The urbanization experience of countries across Eastern Europe and Central Asia is profoundly affected by demographic transition over the last 25 years. By 1990, about 68% of the population in the region lived in urban areas.
Source: World Bank
IOSCO consults on proposed policy measures to protect investors of OTC leveraged products
February 13, 2018--The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) has issued today a consultation report proposing policy measures for its members to consider when addressing the risks arising from the offer and sale of OTC leveraged products to retail clients.
The Report on Retail OTC Leveraged Products identifies various regulatory approaches aimed at enhancing the protection of retail investors who are offered OTC leveraged products, often on a cross-border basis. The report covers the offer and sale by intermediaries of rolling-spot forex contracts, contracts for differences (CFDs), and binary options. Intermediaries market and sell these products to retail investors in most IOSCO member jurisdictions.
view the Report on Retail OTC Leveraged Products Consultation Report
Source: IOSCO
