Global ETF News Older than One Year
Structural Reforms in Advanced Economies: Pressing Ahead and Doing them Right
April 6, 2016--Product and labor market reforms raise output and employment in the medium term
Complementary macroeconomic policies required to maximize short-term benefits
Need for careful prioritization and sequencing of reforms
In the current environment of persistent weak economic activity in many advanced economies, there is a strong case for product and labor market reforms to boost jobs and growth, a new IMF study finds.
Source: IMF
Bond ETFs Attracted Record U.S., Global Inflows in First Quarter
April 6, 2016--BlackRock says the funds pulled in $43.7 billion worldwide
Money shifted toward riskier assets as the quarter progressed
Exchange-traded funds that invest in fixed income attracted record deposits in the first quarter.
Bond ETFs had inflows of $43.7 billion globally and $31.8 billion in the U.S. in the first three months of the year, according to a report Wednesday from BlackRock Inc. BlackRock's iShares unit is the world's leading provider of ETFs, funds that trade throughout the day like stocks.
Source: Bloomberg
London Remains on Top and Singapore Climbs to Third Place.
April 6, 2016--Today Z/Yen publishes the nineteenth Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI 19) The Index rates 86 financial centres.
London remains just ahead of New York to retain the number one position. Both cities gained four points in the ratings and London remains eight points ahead of New York.
Source: The Z/Yen Group of Companies
IOSCO Issues Study of Regulatory Approaches and Tools to Deal with Cyber Risk
April 6, 2016--The Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) today published a report that brings together insights and perspectives from IOSCO's various policy, stakeholder and regional committees on the topic of cyber resilience.
The cyber risk constitutes a growing and significant risk to the integrity, efficiency and soundness of financial markets worldwide.In fact, as the report indicates, the cyber risk is not "just another risk," but rather it is a unique, highly complex and rapidly evolving phenomenon. The human element of cyber risk, combined with rapidly evolving technologies in securities markets, suggests that this topic requires swift and sustained attention by regulators and market participants.
Source: IOSCO
Ten Steps to build the Cities of the Future
April 6, 2016--The "business of running cities" is changing rapidly due to the emergence of new business models and technologies, which cover a wide range of urban services, such as mobility, infrastructure, energy, water, waste management, health, safety, security, welfare, the environment,knowledge, skills and culture.
It also requires the involvement of a large number of stakeholders in the planning and administrative process, including governments, citizens, the private sector and NGOs.
Source: WEF (World Economic Forum)
Seven essential guiding principles to boost financial inclusion laid out in new report
April 5, 2016--Seven guiding principles to help countries increase financial inclusion were set out in a report released today by the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) and the World Bank Group.
The Payment aspects of financial inclusion report builds on a document that underwent public consultation in late 2015 and seeks to tackle barriers to the adoption and usage of transaction accounts, which sit at the heart of retail payment services.
A transaction account is an essential financial service that can serve as a gateway to other financial services such as savings, credit and insurance. However, nearly 40% of the world’s adult population-about 2 billion people -still have no account with a bank or authorised non-bank servicer provider.
Source: World Bank
WEF-Can We Predict Real Estate Bubbles?
April 5, 2016--The World Economic Forum's Shaping the Future of Real Estate initiative defines real estate asset ecosystems and how real estate bubbles could be limited through innovative solutions
Behavioural decision-making is key to understanding asset price dynamics, asset cycles and the macroeconomic interdependencies. The most destructive cycles are those in which asset price leverage and credits are intertwined, causing the greatest systemic effects. Asset-pricing dynamics impact economies from the local to the global level.
view the WEF Commercial Real Estate Investment Ecosystem
Source: WEF (World Economic Forum)
IMF-Emerging Economies Affect Global Financial Changes
April 4, 2016--Changes in global asset prices increasingly reflect financial developments in emerging economies
Financial integration main force for changes
Policymakers must take into account emerging economies' economic, policy developments
Changes in emerging market asset prices explain over a third of the rise and fall in global equity prices and exchange rates, according to new research from the International Monetary Fund.
The IMF analysis, part of the Global Financial Stability Report, finds that rising financial integration, more than emerging economies' growing share of global GDP and trade, is the key factor behind their increasing financial impact on other countries.
Source: IMF
Insurance Sector Contributes More Risk to Financial System since Crisis
April 4, 2016--Life insurers' role more important in financial system
Insurers more exposed to economy-wide risks
Monitoring common risk exposures key for supervision
Life insurers in major advanced economies have contributed more risk to the financial system as a whole since the global financial crisis, according to new research by the International Monetary Fund.
Insurers are large institutional investors holding over $24 trillion in global assets and longer-term liabilities, and they have become more exposed to swings in asset prices in recent years.
Source: IMF
Giant Leak of Offshore Financial Records Exposes Global Array of Crime and Corruption
Millions of documents show heads of state, criminals and celebrities using secret hideaways in tax havens
April 3, 2016--A massive leak of documents exposes the offshore holdings of 12 current and former world leaders and reveals how associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin secretly shuffled as much as $2 billion through banks and shadow companies.
The leak also provides details of the hidden financial dealings of 128 more politicians and public officials around the world.
Source: ICIJ
