Global ETF News Older than One Year
BlackRock Boosts China Debt Holdings With Focus on Quality Bonds
June 24, 2015--BlackRock Inc., the world's biggest money manager,said it's been raising its stake in China's bond market as policy makers tackle corruption, runaway debt and an economic slowdown.
"We've been increasing over the course of this year," Neeraj Seth, the Singapore-based head of Asian credit, said at a briefing Wednesday.
Source: Bloomberg
Low interest rates threaten solvency of pension funds and insurers
June 24, 2015--The current low interest rate environment poses a significant risk for the long-term financial viability of pension funds and insurance companies, as they seek to generate sufficient returns to meet promises, according to a new OECD report.
The inaugural edition of the OECD Business and Finance Outlook says the main concern is that pension funds and life insurance companies might become involved in the "search for yield" in order to match the levels of returns promised to policyholders and beneficiaries when interest rate were higher. This poses risks including insolvency.
view the OECD Business and Finance Outlook 2015
Source: OECD
Foreign direct investment into developed countries falls for third successive year, UN Report says
June 24, 2015--​Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to developed countries lost ground for the third year running, falling by 28 per cent to $499 billion -their lowest level since 2004-UNCTAD's World Investment Report 20151 says.
Meanwhile, FDI outflows from developed economies held steady at $823 billion.
Within individual economies, FDI flows fluctuated widely year on year as multinational enterprises engaged in mergers and acquisitions (M&As).
view the UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2015
Source: UNCTAD
Most in finance industry against action to correct gender imbalance, CISI survey shows
June 24, 2015--Should the financial services industry do more to improve career opportunities for women? Not according to the majority of financial services professionals who took part in a CISI survey
Of 931 respondents, 57% disagreed that action was required to correct a gender imbalance (33% strongly disagreeing and 24% tending to disagree).
Among the 43% who felt change was needed, 28% strongly agreed and 15% tended to disagree.
The survey was conducted in the light of the Financial Conduct Authority's January 2015 Data Bulletin which showed that of the 125,000 approved persons working in customer function positions, 82% are male and 18% are female. The Government target is for 30% of board members to be women.
Source: cisi.org
More asset managers lend directly to European; US firms
June 23, 2015--Asset managers that conduct direct lending in the US and Europe have increased significantly during the past two years,
prompting shadow-banking concerns.
Source: SmartBrief
Investors in smart beta ETFs satisfied, but..
June 23, 2015--In a survey of investment professionals conducted as part of the Amundi ETF & Indexing research chair at EDHEC-Risk Institute on "ETF and Passive Investment Strategies," EDHEC-Risk Institute has solicited the specific views of European ETF investors on "smart beta" exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
This questionnaire has given rise to a study entitled "Investor Interest in and Requirements for Smart Beta ETFs." There are three key findings:
Those who have invested in smart beta ETFs are pleased overall: about three-quarters (74%) of smart beta ETF users declare that they are satisfied with them
In addition, when asked about their list of top priorities for future product development in the ETF space, smart beta ETFs dominate the list of top items mentioned by investors. In fact, among investors' six biggest priorities, four concern indices relating to smart beta approaches, namely smart beta equity (37%), equity factor (31%), equity style (29%), and smart beta bond (25%).
view the EDHEC-Risk Publication Investor Interest in and Requirements for Smart Beta ETFs
Source: EDHEC-Risk Institute
DMS-Emerging Markets: A Personal Journey
June 23, 2015--As today is somewhat of a celebration, it's my umpteenth birthday, I thought I would take the liberty, I hope you don't mind, of expanding on my usual article to include some personal insights.
I left India for the West many decades ago when it was still considered the backwater of humanity and you had to be brave to admit that it was the country of your birth.
Source: Peter Kohli of DMS for Nasdaq.com
DECPG Global Monthly-June 2015
June 23, 2015--Monthly Highlights: Global Economy in Transition
Global growth: further disappointments. The global economy hit a soft patch at the start of the year, with slowing activity in the United States and China, outright contractions in Russia and Brazil, and broad-based weakness across other major commodity exporters. On the positive side, growth strengthened in the Euro Area, Japan and India.
In its bi-annual Global Economic Prospects report, released on June 10, the World Bank predicts that global growth will average 2.8 percent this year, slightly lower than the 3 percent anticipated in January. With conditions expected to gradually improve, global growth should pick up to an average of 3.2 percent in 2016-17, broadly in line with previous expectations.
High-income countries: divergence narrowing. Despite setbacks in the first quarter, the U.S. economy is expected to grow above potential through the remainder of 2015, averaging 2.7 percent for the year as a whole.
Source: World Bank
RENMINBI ASCENDING: How China's Currency Impacts Global Markets,Foreign Policy, and Transatlantic Financial Regulation
June 22, 2015--How will the rise of China's currency impact global markets, foreign policy, and transatlantic financial regulation?
A new report by the Atlantic Council, the City of London Corporation, Standard Chartered and Thomson Reuters launched today in Hong Kong, Asia, continues the highly respected Danger of Divergence series of publications examining transatlantic cooperation and takes us a crucial step closer to understanding the impact RMB internationalization will have on the global financial system and explains how different parts of the evolving Chinese financial infrastructure interact in a changing geostrategic context.
Source: Atlantic Council
Gross's Pimco Exit Shows Fund Risk Not Systemic, IOSCO Head Says
June 22, 2015--Pimco's ability to cope with a stampede of investor withdrawals after Bill Gross's departure gives credence to arguments that mutual funds don't threaten the broader financial system, the chairman of a global group of market regulators said Monday.
The lack of market turmoil when Pacific Investment Management Co. and the famed bond investor parted ways last year also shows regulators should refrain from treating asset managers like big banks, said Greg Medcraft, chairman of the International Organization of Securities Commissions.
Source: Bloomberg
