Global ETF News Older than One Year
IMF-Global Housing Watch Quarterly Update-January 2016
January 29, 2016--If we aggregate real house prices across countries and look at the big picture, we see that global house prices continue to march slowly upward.
This is what we observe in the latest update of the Global House Price Index. The index has continued to edge higher for the past sixteen quarters.
This upward trend in the Global House Price Index is consistent with the pattern we see when we look at real house price growth across countries.
Source: IMF
Infographic-Commodities: To Short, or Not to Short?
January 29, 2016--Comparing "Dogs of the Dow" inspired strategies over the last decade.
Source: visualcapitalist.com
ETF Assets Hit Record $2.2 Trillion in 2015, According to Broadridge Financial Solutions
Growth of ETFs drives increased allocation of passive products in retail distribution channels
January 28, 2016--Total exchange-traded fund (ETF) assets hit an all-time high of $2.2 trillion in 2015, driven by the continued growth in popularity of passive investment vehicles, according to quarterly data released today by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR) via its Fund Distribution Intelligence.
Comparatively, total long-term mutual fund assets held by financial intermediaries decreased by $161 billion to $7.29 trillion in the full year of 2015, while ETF assets increased by $124 billion in the same period.
Source: Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc
ESMA Consultation paper-Draft Guidelines on the Market Abuse Regulation
January 28, 2016--The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has opened today a public consultation on draft guidelines clarifying the implementation of the Market Abuse Regulation (MAR). MAR strengthens the existing market abuse framework by extending its scope to new markets, platforms and trading behaviours.
view the ESMA Consultation Paper-Draft guidelines on the Market Abuse Regulation
Source: ESMA
Corruption Perceptions Index 2015: Corruption still rife but 2015 saw pockets of hope
January 27, 2016--Transparency International calls on people everywhere to speak out against corruption
2015 showed that people working together can succeed in the battle against corruption.
Although corruption is still rife globally, more countries improved their scores in the 2015 edition of Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index than declined.
Overall, two-thirds of the 168 countries on the 2015 index scored below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean).
view the 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index
Source: Transparency International
Exchange traded funds (ETFs): Understanding the future opportunities and challenges
January 26, 2016-The ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) market is growing at a rapid pace. Growing far beyond their initial function of tracking large liquid indices in developed markets, ETFs now hold over $2.6 trillion of assets globally.
ETFs are no longer a niche product, and their impact will continue to be felt much more widely than imagined. As such, all financial services firms should consider developing an ETF strategy.
In this report, we have surveyed asset managers, service providers and other industry participants around the world in an effort to better understand regional developments in ETFs and use their expertise as a sounding board for our own perspectives.
view the pwc ETF 2020 Preparing for a new horizon report
Source: PwC
Foreign Direct Investment stocks at the end of 2014-The EU, a net investor in the rest of the world
Main FDI partner: by far the United States
January 26, 2016--At the end of 2014, the European Union (EU) held Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) stocks of €5 749 billion in the rest of the world (+7.6% compared with the end of 2013),
while stocks held by the rest of the world in the EU amounted to €4 583 bn (+9.6%), meaning that the EU held a net investment position of €1 166 bn vis-a-vis the rest of the world.
Source: Eurostat
IMF Working Paper A First Look at Sectoral Balance Sheet Data
January 26, 2016--Summary: This paper analyzes the nonfinancial corporation (NFC) sector's financial balance sheets using data available from the OECD.
In our sample of 20 advanced economies, corporate debt in percent of GDP-a frequently used indicator in the context of corporate balance sheet adjustments-has remained high since the global financial crisis, with significant differences in the level and the trend between the high-debt and low-debt groups. Looking at financial balance sheets more broadly, including net financial wealth, the NFC sector's balance sheet conditions have improved recently, particularly reflecting accumulation of corporate cash and valuation gains on financial assets. Longer time series and more granular data for Japan, which has been experiencing a prolonged period of balance sheet adjustments, indicate that a continued strengthening of balance sheets might occur even after debt levels are reduced.
view the IMF Working Paper A First Look at Sectoral Balance Sheet Data
Source: IMF
Infographic-Three Major Reasons for Gold in 2016
January 26, 2016--This year looks to be another one of increased volatility as the market see-saws in different directions.
Here are three compelling reasons why 2016 may be the perfect time to add gold to your portfolio.
Source: visualcapitalist.com
ETF Securities Equity Research: Gold miners caught in a value trap
January 26, 2016--Summary
Gold miners are historically very cheap but at this juncture are likely to be a value trap due to profitability concerns.
Gold miners are facing deteriorating ore grades despite the CAPEX splurges from 2007 to 2013 and recent mine closures haven’t improved margins.
The recent slide in energy prices and the depreciation of currencies in jurisdictions where local miners operate, has had minimal positive impact on cash costs.
We prefer gold relative to gold miners until the fundamentals improve.
Source: ETF Securities
