World Gold Council-Gold-backed ETFs increased by 9.1t in November to 2,357t in global holdings
December 6, 2017--Regional fund flows
Europe led inflows in November*, as investors added 15.8t (US$622mn, 1.5% AUM) of gold through funds listed in the region
There were outflows for a second month in a row in North America of 5.4t (US$198mn, 0.38% AUM)
Individual fund flows
iShares Physical Gold ETC added 7.0t (US$292mn, 3.1% AUM)
db Physical Gold Euro Hedged ETC added 5.3t (US$195mn, 14% AUM)
UBS ETF CH-Gold CHF hedged added 4.2t (US$163mn, 19% AUM).
db Physical Gold ETC EUR added 2.3t (US$95mn, 18% AUM).
SPDR(R) Gold Shares led outflows worldwide and in North America with 11.2t (US$451mn, 1.3% AUM) coming out of the fund
Source: World Gold Council (WGC)
Hong Kong risks losing listings crown to New York
December 6, 2017--The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is on track to lose out to the New York Stock Exchange as the venue of choice for companies undertaking initial public offerings in 2017, after two consecutive years in the top spot.
Data from Dealogic, a data and analytics firm, show that the amount raised by companies...
Source: FT.com
ETF Securities-Precious Metals Monitor--November 2017
December 6, 2017--Key Highlight
Gold: Even more relevant today as a risk management tool and store of value
Against the current backdrop of stretched valuations, rising uncertainty, asset correlations, and record low volatility globally, gold demand as a risk overlay may continue to rise into 2018.
In our opinion, gold's role as a core risk management tool by providing diversification and a store of value is ever pertinent in this environment. Historically, gold has worn many hats on the risk management front including a hedge against market drawdowns, geopolitical volatility, systemic risk, inflation, and currency devaluation. Gold's potential to serve as a dynamic, multi-faceted, and cost-effective portfolio hedge against many known and unknown risks may be a powerful tool for long term investors.
Source: etfsecurities.com
Bitcoin Exchanges Are Buckling While the Price Surges Past $16,000
December 6, 2017--Largest exchange Coinbase tweets of service interruptions
Demand surging before futures contracts begin trading
Bitcoin surged past $16,000 for the first time on Thursday, with frenzied demand to trade the cryptocurrency buckling one of the largest exchanges just days before the first U.S. futures contracts begin trading.
Source: Bloomberg
Bitcoin extends gains, rises above $12,000 to record high
December 5, 2017--Bitcoin retained its overnight momentum and rose to a record high of $12,205.46 on Wednesday, continuing its rally from below $1,000 at the year's start.
The cryptocurrency was last up 4.35 percent at $12,185.70 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange BTC=BTSP.
Source: Reuters
Pensions reforms have slowed in OECD countries but need to continue
December 5, 2017--Further reforms are needed across OECD countries to mitigate the impact of population ageing, increasing inequality among the elderly and the changing nature of work, according to a new OECD report.
Pensions at a Glance 2017 says that public spending on pensions for the OECD as a whole has risen by about 1.5% of GDP since 2000. However, the pace of spending growth is projected to slow substantially.
At the same time, recent reforms will lower the incomes of many future pensioners. People will live longer and to ensure a decent pension would have to postpone the age of retirement.
Source: OECD
ETF providers better bet than products they sell
December 5, 2017--BlackRock, State Street and Invesco have all outperformed the market.
Vast amounts of energy has been spent debating the merits of active stock picking versus low-cost tracker funds. The big news is that both sides have won, although possibly not quite in the way their advocates had envisaged.
Source: FT.com
World Gold Council-Market update: Technology-a brighter outlook?
December 5, 2017--Changes are afoot in the technology sector. Smartphones are becoming increasingly powerful, electric and self-driving vehicles could revolutionise the automotive industry, and emerging nanotechnology could transform solar energy. All of this could have a positive impact on gold demand.
It may often go unnoticed, but gold is firmly embedded in everyday life. From smartphones to medical diagnostics, people rely on it day in, day out. The volume of gold used in technology, however, has dwindled in recent years, primarily because of thrifting and substitution in the electronics sector.
Source: World Gold Council (WGC)
ETF Securities Weekly Flows Analysis-Record inflows into Robotics ETPs
December 4, 2017--Robotics-related ETPs saw inflows of US$51mn last week, the largest weekly inflow on record
US dollar long positions have seen outflows of US$40mn over the last two months
Agricultural ETPs saw outflows of US$40mn last week, focused on wheat and corn
Robotics-related ETPs saw inflows of US$ 51mn last week, the largest weekly inflow on record, bringing assets under management to over US$1bn for the first time. This follows a successful earnings season, and now that 92% have reported, we have seen earnings and sales break their 2015 highs after a period of weakness. From a quarter-on-quarter perspective the 3D printing sub-sector has been weak but this impact has been minimal with overall earnings having grown 17.7%, beating expectations by 12%. Valuations have remained static at 29x P/E, in-line with its long-term average relative to the MSCI World Tech sector.
Source: etfsecurities.com
Morgan Stanley Undercuts Rivals With Robo
December 4, 2017-The wirehouse launches Access Investing service with a fee of 0.35% per year and a $5,000 account minimum
Targeting younger investors, Morgan Stanley has launched its online platform, Access Investing, with an annual fee below those of its wirehouse rivals.
At 0.35% of assets under management per year, the program fee comes in below the Merrill Edge Guided Investing robo service, which charges 0.45%, and Wells Fargo's Intuitive Investor offering, which has a 0.50% fee.
Source: thinkadvisor.com