A weak yuan is a bigger threat to the global economy than Brexit
August 27, 2016--Investors are ignoring a steadily weakening Chinese yuan. But they might be making a dangerous mistake, according to a top strategist at State Street Global Advisors.
The managers of the world's second-largest economy have taken advantage of the frenzied media coverage of Brexit, and other news events like the Rio Olympics and the U.S. election to slowly guide their currency, the yuan, lower against both the dollar and a trade-weighted basket of currencies without triggering a global financial panic.
Source: MarketWatch
FTSE announces 'eligible' list of Qatari companies
August 27, 2016--FTSE Russell has published an indicative list of Qatari stocks which will be eligible for addition to FTSE's Secondary Emerging Market Index, in conjunction with the September 2016 Review.
FTSE Russell client products, scheduled to be released on August 31, 2016 will confirm the final list of Qatari additions, it announced on Thursday.
Source: thepeninsulaqatar.com
World's biggest pension fund hit by $52bn loss
August 26, 2016--Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) has posted a loss of $52 billion for April to June, following the tumbling Tokyo stock market and the yen's surge.
The value of the fund's assets dropped $1.3 trillion last quarter, wiping out all the gains GPIF made since October 2014, when it revised its investment strategy and put more money into stocks and foreign bonds.
Source: rt.com
Pensions and ageing populations: the problem explained
August 26, 2016--If demographics are destiny, as academics are fond of saying, then large parts of the developed world are facing a challenging fate.
Source: FT.com
Chart: Which Countries Are Damaged Most by Low Oil Prices?
August 26, 2016--This week's chart looks at costs per barrel, exports, and total oil production.
The Chart of the Week is a weekly Visual Capitalist feature on Fridays.
Oil is by far the world's most-traded commodity, with $786.3 billion of crude changing hands in international trade in 2015.
While low commodity prices can hurt any major producer, oil prices can have a particularly detrimental effect on oil-rich economies.
Source: visualcapitalist.com
Exchanges call for regulatory clarity over blockchain use
August 25, 2016--A lack of clarity over regulation is holding back the development of blockchain technology for cutting the cost of share trading, the world's trade body for exchanges said on Thursday.
The World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) asked its members about their plans to use blockchain, a tamper-proof shared ledger that can automatically process and settle transactions using computer algorithms, with no need for third party verification.
Source: Reuters
IOSCO Good Practice for CIS Fees and Expenses seeks to enhance market efficiency
August 25, 2016--The Board of the International Organization of Securities Commission today published the final report on Good Practice for Fees and Expenses of Collective Investment Schemes (CIS), which aims to identify common international examples of good practice that can be applied to CIS fees and expenses.
Regulators have long been concerned about the impact of CIS fees and expenses on the investment decisions taken by investors. Fee arrangements, even when fully disclosed, can give rise to conflicts of interest that are best addressed by rules of conduct.
view the Good Practice for Fees and Expenses of Collective Investment Schemes-Final Report
Source: IOSCO
FSB publishes progress report to G20 on action plan to assess and address the decline in correspondent banking
August 25, 2016--The Financial Stability Board (FSB) today published its Progress report to the G20 on the FSB action plan to assess and address the decline in corresponding banking.
The progress report is being submitted to the G20 Leaders' Summit in Hangzhou on 4-5 September 2016, as requested by G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in their communique following their July 2016 meeting in Chengdu.
Source: FSB
DMS-Investing In Cotton: A Tale Not Well Spun
August 24, 2016--This is absolutely fascinating. Just a short news item on a website led me to do research that ended up spanning four continents. The Americas, Asia, Europe, and Africa.
It started with the Indian company Welspun, whose stock plummeted nearly 50% in about three days when the U.S. company Target severed its relationship with them due to a concerted effort, they say, to mislabel products as Egyptian cotton.
Source: Peter Kohli, CEO, DMS Funds
4 key challenges for the global economy this autumn
August 24, 2016--Summer will soon be over; autumn is coming. The global economy and financial markets will have to face some of the gathering political storm clouds.
While the global economy is weak, the macroeconomic risk assessment is more balanced than it has been for some time. At the same time, however, political risks have become more pronounced.
In America, Donald Trump has stirred angry voters in a bitter presidential election; in Europe, rising populism, increased security risks and the ongoing refugee crisis is setting the tone; in Ukraine, there is a risk that Putin will escalate conflict ahead of Russia's parliamentary election in September; in China, a difficult political situation could pose long-term uncertainty for Asia; globally, turbulent oil prices are returning to centre stage. Political risks will dominate the autumn and the winter is getting closer: it is time to get ready.
Source: World Economic Forum