Global ETF News Older than One Year
Can We Prevent Financial Crises?
February 26, 2014--To answer that question, the World Bank in February held a panel discussion led by authors of three books examining lessons learned from financial crises. Mahmoud Mohieldin, World Bank Group president's special envoy, said the three books can help policy makers examine the current turmoil affecting emerging markets, along with the hypothetical diagnoses proposed by some commentators: distorted asset prices, questionable growth foundations, human behavior, and overborrowing by households and the private sector.
"The underlying cause is the structural problem in the financial system, which distorts incentives to rational human behavior, generates excessive credit growth, distorts prices, and results in overstretched balance sheets," said Asli Demirguc-Kunt, the World Bank's research director and co-author of a report, the Global Financial Development Report 2013: Rethinking the Role of the State in Finance.
Source: World Bank
World Bank-Infographic: Tapping the Market-Expanding Access to Sanitation to the Poor Through the Domestic Private Sector
February 26, 2014--The World Bank-Infographic: Tapping the Market-Expanding Access to Sanitation to the Poor Through the Domestic Private Sector is now available.
Source: World Bank
UPDATE 2-Barclays pulls down shutters on European, U.S. power trading desks
February 25, 2014-Britain's Barclays Plc said on Tuesday it has closed its power trading desks in London and New York, joining a string of global investment banks that are paring down their commodity market activities as increased regulations bite.
Barclays, a top-five banking player in commodities trading which is in the process of shrinking its investment banking activities, said its "core commodities franchise continues to operate business as usual".
Source: Reuters
DAX has been licensed to Nikko Asset Management to underlie passive mutual fund in Japan
February 25, 2014--Deutsche Börse today announced that the DAX index has been licensed to Nikko Asset Management Co. Ltd., a leading independent investment management firm based in Tokyo, to serve as the basis for a passive mutual fund that will be available on March 10.
"DAX is the most trusted and reliable measure of Germany's leading companies and serves as one of the top underlyings for financial products worldwide. The new fund by Nikko Asset Management will allow Japanese investors to access the index's performance," said Hartmut Graf, chief executive officer, STOXX Limited. STOXX Ltd. is also the marketing agent for the indices of Deutsche Börse AG and SIX, including amongst others the DAX index. "This also is a major step in the growth strategy, as Asia continues to be an important market."
Source: Deutsche Börse
BNY Mellon to Acquire Full Ownership of HedgeMark International, LLC
Integrates with and complements the company's Global Risk Solutions capabilities; Meets demand for more transparency and control from institutions investing in hedge funds
February 24, 2014-- BNY Mellon, a global leader in investment management and investment services, announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire the remaining 65% interest of HedgeMark International, LLC, a current affiliate and a provider of hedge fund managed account and risk analytic services.
The deal is expected to close in the second quarter, subject to regulatory approval. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. BNY Mellon has held a 35% ownership stake in HedgeMark since 2011.
Founded in 2009 and headquartered New York, HedgeMark assists in the structuring, oversight, and risk monitoring of hedge funds, specifically dedicated managed accounts. More and more, institutional investors globally are using dedicated managed accounts – single investor funds-as a way to invest in hedge funds that allow for greater customization, transparency, liquidity and control.
Source: BNY Mellon
ETF Securities-Precious Metals Weekly-Silver ETPs see Strong Demand as Price Rally Gains Momentum
February 24, 2014--Silver ETPs see strong demand as price rally gains momentum. The silver price has
rallied 12% so far this year, ahead of gold's 10% increase over the same period. Silver is
viewed by some investors as a leveraged version of gold. Since 2000 on average during
months the gold price has increased silver has gained about 1.4 times the gold price
increase.
In 2013 the silver price declined about 1.3 times more in percentage terms than the gold price. This may explain why investors have been building their positions in silver ETPs this year. Silver ETP holdings this year are up about 0.5% to 625 million ounces compared to a year-to-date decline of 1.5% for total gold ETF holdings (though inflows have resumed in recent weeks). Total silver ETF holdings are only 3% below the all-time peak of October of 2013,compared to the 34% decline in total gold ETF holdings (see chart on page 2). While this may be viewed as a potential vulnerability to the silver price rally and should be watched carefully,as long as the silver price holds up,more silver ETP buying is likely. Platinum price supported as platinum stocks run down on extended South Africa labor strike. We are now 23 working days into the strike and producers now only have a few weeks of stocks left. So far 230,000 ounces of production have been taken off the market,equivalent to almost 4% of 2013 global platinum supply. Should the strikes persist for a few more weeks,the price of platinum could react strongly.
Source: ETF Securities
HSBC Private Bank appoints investment co-heads
February 24, 2014--The firm has named global co-heads for its private bank investment group, one based in Hong Kong and the other in London. They replace a London-based CIO, who has retired.
HSBC Private Bank has appointed new co-heads for its global investment group, one based in Hong Kong and the other in London, AsianInvestor has learned. It comes after the retirement of Nigel Webber at the end of last year after 15 years with the firm.
Source: Asian Investor
Regulators stalk secretive financial giants
February 23, 2014--The secretive giants of the hedge fund industry face making unprecedented disclosures about their trading positions to global regulators, which are considering whether to classify these companies as systemically important financial institutions (Sifis).
Driven by concerns that significant disruption to the global financial system could be caused by the failure or distress of a large or highly leveraged hedge fund...
Source: FT.com
New Brunswick trumps Alberta as world's No. 1 spot for mining investment; Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec slip in global rankings
February 23, 2014--New Brunswick is the world's most attractive jurisdiction for mineral exploration and development in the view of the international mining industry, according to the Survey of Mining Companies: 2011/2012, released today by the Fraser Institute, Canada's leading public policy think-tank.
"New Brunswick shot to the top of the rankings as miners lauded the province for its fair, transparent, and efficient legal system and consistency in the enforcement and interpretation of existing environmental regulations," said Fred McMahon, Fraser Institute vice-president of international policy research and coordinator of the survey.
"Combine that with a competitive taxation regime and minimal uncertainty around disputed land claims and New Brunswick has emerged as a superstar in the view of the global mining community."
view the Survey of Mining Companies: 2011-2012 Mining Survey 2011-2012 Data
Source: Fraser Institute
IOSCO Focuses on Deeper Markets, Stronger Regulatory Capacity to Enhance Emerging Market Resilience
January 21, 2014--The Board of the International Organization of Securities Committees (IOSCO) met in Kuala Lumpur this week to drive its work on key issues facing global financial markets and securities regulators. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who delivered a special address at the IOSCO Board dinner, emphasized the key role IOSCO plays in shaping long term architecture of global capital markets.
The meeting intensified IOSCO's commitment to regulators in growth and emerging markets in building resilient capital markets to withstand volatility in global markets while supporting sustained economic growth.
Source: IOSCO
