Global ETF News Older than One Year
Will Water Constrain Our Energy Future?
January 16, 2014--STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The world's energy systems are inextricably linked with water systems.
With demand rising for both resources, water scarcity can threaten the long-term viability of energy projects and hinder development.
To mitigate the risks of the challenge, the World Bank has launched Thirsty Energy, a global initiative to help countries prepare for an uncertain future now by quantifying tradeoffs and identifying synergies between water and energy resource management.
Energy and water security are crucial to human and economic development. The two resources are now more interconnected than ever--significant amounts of water are needed in almost all energy generation processes, from generating hydropower, to cooling and other purposes in thermal power plants, to extracting and processing fuels. Conversely, the water sector needs energy- mainly in the form of electricity -to extract, treat and transport water. Both energy and water are used in the production of crops, including those used to generate energy through biofuels.
The Infographic: Thirsty Energy--Energy and Water's Interdependence is now available.
Source: World Bank
Worsening Wealth Gap Seen as Biggest Risk Facing the World in 2014
The World Economic Forum's Global Risks 2014 report finds income disparity the most likely risk to cause an impact on a global scale in the next decade
Other risks of significant concern include extreme weather events, unemployment and fiscal crises
The report analyses 31 global risks and includes special in-depth investigations into youth unemployment, digital disintegration and geopolitical risks
January 16, 2014--The chronic gap between the incomes of the richest and poorest citizens is seen as the risk that is most likely to cause serious damage globally in the coming decade, according to over 700 global experts that contributed to the World Economic Forum's Global Risks 2014 report, released today.
Taking a 10-year outlook, the report assesses 31 risks that are global in nature and have the potential to cause significant negative impact across entire countries and industries if they take place. The risks are grouped under five classifications - economic, environmental, geopolitical, societal and technological -and measured in terms of their likelihood and potential impact.
view the WEF Global Risks 2014
Source: WEF (World Economic Forum)
Infographic-Investing in a Low Carbon Future
January 15, 2014-The infographic-Infographic-Investing in a Low Carbon Future-Meeting Fiduciary Responsibility in Three Steps is available for viewing.
Source: United Nations
BP Energy Outlook 2035 Shows Global Energy Demand Growth Slowing, Despite Increases Driven by Emerging Economies
January 15, 2014-- Outlook focuses on supply sufficiency, security and sustainability.
Global energy demand continues to grow but that growth is slowing and mainly driven by emerging economies- led by China and India- according to the BP Energy Outlook 2035, which is published today.
This is the fourth annual edition of the Outlook, and for the first time it sets out BP's view of the most likely developments in global energy markets further beyond 2030 to 2035, based on up-to-date analysis.
The Outlook reveals that global energy consumption is expected to rise by 41 per cent from 2012 to 2035-compared to 55 per cent over the last 23 years (52 per cent over the last twenty) and 30% over the last ten. Ninety five per cent of that growth in demand is expected to come from the emerging economies, while energy use in the advanced economies of North America, Europe and Asia as a group is expected to grow only very slowly - and begin to decline in the later years of the forecast period.
Source: BP
Investing in the Clean Trillion: Closing The Clean Energy Investment Gap Executive Summary
January 15, 2014--In 2010 world governments agreed to limit the increase in global temperature to two degrees Celsius (2 °C) above pre-industrial levels to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. To have an 80 percent chance of maintaining this 2 °C limit, the IEA estimates an additional $36 trillion in clean energy investment is needed through 2050-or an average of $1 trillion more per year compared to a "business as usual" scenario over the next 36 years.
These new investments in clean energy-including renewable energy such as solar, wind and geothermal, energy efficiency and energy smart technologies such as power storage, fuel cells and carbon capture and storage-will provide multiple benefits. In addition to cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050, such investment will yield significant returns in the form of reduced fuel costs. Total fuel savings are an estimated $100 trillion between 2010 and 2050. Moreover, the greater job-creation potential of energy efficiency and renewable energy relative to fossil fuels makes clear that quadrupling annual global investment in clean energy will create millions of new jobs worldwide.
Source: Ceres
Safeguarding Future Retirement Funds-Time for Investors to Move Out of High-Carbon Assets Says UN's Top Climate Official
Call Comes in Advance of UN Secretary-General's Climate Summit in Late 2014
January 15, 2014--The UN's top climate change official Christiana Figueres today urged
investors to accelerate the greening of their portfolios as one crucial step towards a low-carbon economy
that can better cope with the threats and seize the opportunities from climate change.
She specifically called on investors to move out of high-carbon assets and into assets built on renewable energy, energy efficiency and more sustainable ways of business that green global supply chains.
Source: UN
Risk management guidelines related to anti-money laundering and terrorist financing issued by the Basel Committee
January 15, 2014--The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision has today issued a set of guidelines to describe how banks should include the management of risks related to money laundering and financing of terrorism within their overall risk management framework.
Prudent management of these risks together with effective supervisory oversight is critical in protecting the safety and soundness of banks as well as the integrity of the financial system. Failure to manage these vulnerabilities exposes banks to serious reputational, operational, compliance and other risks.
view the BIS report-Sound management of risks related to money laundering and financing of terrorism
Source: BIS
Trust in Government Plunges to Historic Low
Business Trust Stabilizes, Creating Largest Gap Ever Between Trust in Government and Business
January 15, 2014--The 2014 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals the largest ever gap (14 points) between trust in government and business. Driven by the decimation of trust in government and not an increase in business trust, the gap was 20 points or greater
in nearly half of the 27 countries surveyed, including the U.S. (21 points), India (26 points) and Brazil (36 points). Trust in business has stabilized at 58 percent due to the perception that it has made demonstrable change in the form of better products and new leadership.
Trust in government fell globally four points to an historic low (44 percent) making it the least trusted institution for the third consecutive year. The drop in government trust among informed publics was even more dramatic on a country level, plummeting in the U.S. (16 points to 37 percent), France (17 points to 32 percent) and Hong Kong (18 points to 45 percent). Populist sentiment is evident in the fact that among the general population trust in government is below 50 percent in 22 of the 27 countries surveyed, with strikingly low levels in Western Europe, particularly in Spain (14 percent), Italy (18 percent) and France (20 percent).
view the 2014 Edelman Trust Barometer
Source: Edelman
DB-Synthetic Equity & Index Strategy-Global-ETF Annual Review & Outlook -Eyeing $3 trillion Assets Milestone in 2014
January 15, 2014--Data in this report is as of 31st December 2013
Global ETF assets up by 28% and beyond the $2.2 trillion mark in 2013
Global ETF assets grew to $2.25 trillion during 2013 registering over 28% YoY growth. Out of the total growth,new cash flows contributed 14.7% (+$259bn),while the remaining 13.5% came from asset price increases. Global growth was led by the US ETF market that saw record inflows of $214bn in 2013.
The US,Europe,Asia-Pac,and RoW regional ETF assets closed the year at $1.61 trillion (+33%),$397bn (+19%),$167bn (+24%),and $75bn (+2%),respectively. Global ETP assets grew by 22% to $2.34 trillion last year.
ETF trading activity up 10% in 2013 reaching $15.7 trillion globally
Trading activity picked up in 2013 with ETF turnover levels registering a rise of 9.5% over 2012. Overall,annual ETF turnover in 2013 and 2012 have been $15.7 trillion and $14.3 trillion respectively. In 2013,Asian ETFs recorded the highest increase of 103% in trading volumes ($654bn),surpassing European on-exchange volumes ($601bn,up 9.5%). US ETFs continue to dominate the global ETF trading activity ($14 trillion,up 7.7%).
ETP flows suggest investors feel confident with risky assets
The observed global ETP flow trends in 2013 suggest that investors preferred risky assets. Among these,Developed Market (DM) equities were the largest beneficiary as many DM countries started showing signs of recovery. Within the equity asset class,the US (+$144.6bn),DM Broad (+$53.3bn),Japan (+$37.4bn),Domestic Cyclicals (+$31.2bn),and Financials (+$13.3bn) were favored by investors while in the fixed income space,Corporates (+$15.4bn) dominated ETF flows. The commodity asset class remained challenged as we saw continued outflows from Gold ETPs (-$40.5bn) in 2013.
We expect many of the 2013 investment trends to continue into 2014. More specifically, we anticipate equities to attract the bulk of the inflows; while fixed income should have another year of mild inflows. For commodities we expect another weak year,but with smaller outflows than last year. Within equities,DM should remain more popular than EM (except China); but with some reshuffling in terms of geographic allocations (e.g. US and Japan becoming less attractive,and Europe becoming more). Fixed Income allocations should remain focused on the High Yield and the Short Duration space.
ETF markets continue to grow fast globally
In the US,ETFs beat Mutual Funds in the race for assets in their home turf. In a year with low volatility levels and lower pair wise correlations which are supposed to benefit active management,ETFs grew faster and gathered more new net assets than Mutual Funds both within equity and fixed income products. As a result many traditional asset managers are implementing or fine-tuning their entry strategies into the ETF industry.
Source: Deutsche Bank-Synthetic Equity & Index Strategy-Global
Global Economy at Turning Point, Says World Bank
January 14, 2014-- The world economy is projected to strengthen this year, with growth picking up in developing countries and high-income economies appearing to be finally turning the corner five years after the global financial crisis, says the World Bank's newly-released Global Economic Prospects (GEP) report.
The firming of growth in developing countries is being bolstered by an acceleration in high-income countries and continued strong growth in China.
However, growth prospects remain vulnerable to headwinds from rising global interest rates and potential volatility in capital flows, as the United States Federal Reserve Bank begins withdrawing its massive monetary stimulus.
Source: World Bank
