ETF Securities Investment Insights Solar remains a bright spot for silver demand
February 23, 2017--Key points
Silver demand for solar panels is a growing segment of its industrial demand with record levels expected in 2018.
Economies of scale and falling costs may make economics a key driver for growing US solar market beyond policy.
International solar usage may spur growth amid climate controls and growing energy needs in India and China.
Source: etfsecurities.com
Statement on Variation Margin Implementation
February 23, 2017--The Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) acknowledges the challenges facing some market participants working to complete the necessary documentation and processes to be in full compliance with variation margin requirements, which are scheduled to take effect by 1 March 2017 in accordance with minimum standards established by IOSCO and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) and implemented under domestic laws in various jurisdictions.
While reaffirming its commitment to implementation of the margin requirements by 1 March 2017, the Board believes that relevant IOSCO members, to the extent permitted by their relevant legal and supervisory frameworks, also should consider taking appropriate measures available to them to ensure fair and orderly markets during the introduction and application of such variation margin requirements.
Source: IOSCO
Infographic-The $74 Trillion Global Economy in One Chart
February 22, 2017--The latest GDP numbers from the World Bank were released earlier this month, and today's visualization from HowMuch.net breaks them down to show the relative share of the global economy for each country.
The full circle, known as a Voronoi Diagram, represents the entirety of the $74 trillion global economy in nominal terms. Meanwhile, each country's segment is sized accordingly to their percentage of global GDP output. Continents are also grouped together and sorted by color.
Source: visualcapitalist.com
Bullish Trump trade dominates S&L markets in January says Wisdom Tree
February 22,2017--Markets are backing Donald Trump. Investors piled into leveraged long US equities at the expense of short positions in January amidst mounting expectations that President Trump would unveil a series of pro-growth policies following his inauguration, the latest figures from WisdomTree show.
Per trading figures on WisdomTree's Boost range of short and leveraged (S&L) products, this is a sharp reversal from the end of 2016, whereby investors bought short ETPs tracking US equities whilst redeeming long positions.
Source: ftseglobalmarkets.com
Investors Are Charging Into Emerging Market ETFs
February 21, 2017--More than $7 billion has flowed into EM funds in 2017
Buyers attracted to sector's strong fundamentals, cheap assets
U.S. President Donald Trump has supported many policies that could harm emerging market economies. But investors are betting that his bark will turn out to be worse than his bite.
Source: Bloomberg
First Bridge-'ETF 20/20'-Global ETF Snapshot Report
February 21, 2017--In our latest monthly report:
There was a record $42.2B of net inflows into ETFs listed in the US in January 2017.
Global ETF assets grew by a robust 3.8% in January 2017 to end the month at $3.723T
The US Department of Labor is expected to seek a 180 day delay in the April 10 applicability deadline of the new fiduciary rule.view more
Source: First Bridge Data
Policy Uncertainty Weighs on World Trade
New evidence links policy uncertainties in developed countries to anemic trade in 2016
February 21, 2017--Global trade growth continued to be slow for the fifth consecutive year, with 2016 showing the weakest trade performance since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.
According to a new paper, preliminary data suggest that world merchandise trade grew by a little more than 1 percent in 2016 compared to 2 percent in 2015 and 2.7 percent in 2014.
view the Trade developments in 2016 : policy uncertainty weighs on world trade
Source: World Bank
New Report Outlines Actions to Leverage Islamic Finance for Development
February 21, 2017--The World Bank Group and the Islamic Development Bank published the first Global Report on Islamic Finance, which details the prospects for the global Islamic finance industry and its potential to help reduce worldwide income inequality, enhance sharing prosperity, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Subtitled "A Catalyst for Shared Prosperity?", the report provides an overview of trends in Islamic finance, identifies major challenges hindering the industry's growth, and recommends policy interventions to leverage Islamic finance for promoting shared prosperity.
view the Global Report on Islamic Finance : Islamic Finance-A Catalyst for Shared Prosperity?
Source: World Bank
Regulators urged to close share trade loophole
February 21, 2017--Fears that new rule will backfire to promote dark pools instead of public exchanges
Source: FT.com
IMF-Ensuring Financial Stability in Countries with Islamic Banking
February 21, 2017--Islamic banking (IB) continues to grow rapidly, in size and complexity, posing a challenge to supervisory authorities and central banks. While accounting for a small share of global financial assets, IB has established a presence in more than 60 countries and has become systemically important in 14 jurisdictions.
Islamic Finance (IF) principles underpin IB and involve operations, balance sheet structures, and risks that differ from their conventional banking counterparts. The current framework governing IB contains many gaps that need to be closed through the development of a more comprehensive enabling environment that ensures IB financial stability and sound development.
view the IMF-Ensuring Financial Stability in Countries with Islamic Banking policy paper
Source: IMF