Prices for success
August 18, 2017--As the global financial industry moves to more rigid regulations, investors are now required to provide daily (or more frequent) values for all fixed income securities.
This market dynamic has been further propelled by the rise of risk-based management tools, such as Value at Risk (VaR), which are based on constantly updating the prices of the individual components of investment portfolios, some of which include securities that are illiquid and rarely traded.
Source: Bloomberg
Ark Invest-The Robots Are Coming...To Help You
August 17, 2017--Based on our analysis, the robotics industry will be much larger than most experts anticipate, but it will not drive the unemployment rate up.
Collaborative robots have become a disruptive force in the traditional industrial robots industry, and will turbocharge the demand for robots to levels far beyond current expectations. Historically, and to the surprise of many, robots have not limited employment in industries that have automated. ARK anticipates that the introduction of collaborative robots, which have a lower sticker price and are easier to train, will expand the market for robots significantly, without destroying jobs.
Source: Harvest.com
The Finance Franchise paper
August 17, 2017--The finance franchise. A new paper busts the myth of private money.
Written By: Robert C. Hockett & Saule T. Omarova
ULTUMUS-Global ETF Monitor-Rise of the Robots-Artificial Intelligence ETFs that track more than the FAANGs
August 16, 2017--The rise of AI always draws strong reactions.
To some, it summons the apocalypse imagined in Terminator, where humanity fails to be modest and is superseded by machines.
To others, it promises a post-work paradise where computers toil while humanity idles, as in Wall-E.
But for ETFs and their issuers the concern is a lot more mundane: how do investors make money from it?
For most asset managers the answer has been simple: invest in the FAANGs (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google)...
Source: ULTUMUS-Financial Data Management
Goldman expands algorithmic corporate bond trading
August 16, 2017--Focus on automating smaller-size trades to cut costs and free up dealers for bigger transactions
Source: FT.com
Emerging-market assets "increasingly influenced" by ETF investors-Citi
August 16, 2017--Investors in exchange-traded funds have garnered increasing sway over emerging-market stocks and bonds, Citigroup said this week, underscoring the swelling importance to global markets of passive instruments.
ETFs that track EM assets now have almost $250bn dollars under management, with $196bn in equities and $48bn in fixed income, according to the US bank's calculations.
Source: FT.com
New York listing for Saudi Aramco will set seal on 'new dawn' in Saudi-US ties-exec
August 15, 2017--It is an exciting but unpredictable time for US-Saudi Arabia relations, and Edward Burton is at the heart of it.
"I think one can say the reset button has been officially and earnestly pushed by both sides," he said.
Source: arabnews.com
You've heard of Bitcoin, but what about Ethereum?
August 15, 2017--You've just got to grips with Bitcoin-maybe you've even used it. Well, it has a new challenger on the scene that's got the support of some major businesses.
Ethereum is gaining popularity and its value is rising. In June, its currency reached its highest price so far, of $322.28. While this is approximately a tenth of Bitcoin's current value, according to Cryptocompare, some of Ethereum's unique features have got investors excited.
Source: WEF (World Economic Forum)
Gulf boycott of Qatar spreads to banks
August 15, 2017--Companies with business ties to Arab Gulf states have found themselves in an uncomfortable position as a result of a trade boycott of Qatar by four regional Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Now it appears that global banks are feeling the impact.
Source: FT.com
IOSCO consults on recommendations to improve transparency of corporate bond markets
August 14, 2017--Corporate bond markets are a significant part of the global capital markets and a critical source of financing for economic growth.
Since 2004, various developments have impacted corporate bond markets. These include changes in regulation as well as the market structure; the entrance of new participants; a shift from the traditional dealer-based principal model to an agency based model; and the increasing use of technology. In response to these significant changes, the Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) agreed to examine the liquidity of secondary bond markets and published its findings in March 2017.
,a href="http://www.iosco.org/news/pdf/IOSCONEWS472.pdf" TARGET="_blank">view more
Source: IOSCO