Global ETF News Older than One Year
STOXX introduces Emerging Markets Exposed index for Europe
December 10, 2013--STOXX Limited, a leading provider of innovative, tradable and global index concepts, today introduced the STOXX Europe 600 EM Exposed Index. The new index represents those companies within the STOXX Europe 600 Index that derive a substantial part of their revenues from Emerging Markets countries, thus providing exposure to these growing markets through liquid securities.
The STOXX Europe 600 EM Exposed Index is designed to act both as a proper benchmark for actively managed funds, and as an underlying to exchange-traded funds and other investable products.
"With the launch of the STOXX Europe 600 EM Exposed Index we are applying our innovative EM exposed index concept to our flagship benchmark index," said Hartmut Graf, chief executive officer, STOXX Limited. "The STOXX EM Exposed Indices offer market participants a new way to include Emerging Markets exposure in their portfolios, through an investment into highly liquid Developed Market companies."
Source: STOXX
World Gold Council-Changes in World Gold Official Reserves
December 10, 2013--Shows month by month, how countries' reported gold holdings have changed since January 2002 and reasons where known. Updated quarterly.
Source: World Gold Council
World Gold Council-Latest World Official Gold Reserves
December 10, 2013--Information on each country's gold reserves and the proportion this represents of their total external reserves. Updated quarterly.
Source: World Gold Council
The Extra-territorial Impact of EMIR on Non-EU Swap Counterparties
December 10, 2013--On November 18, 2013, the European Securities and Markets Authority ("ESMA") published its final report on technical standards detailing how the regulation of over-the-counter ("OTC") derivative contracts in the European Union ("EU") will apply to contracts that are entered into or performed outside the EU or involve at least one counterparty that is not organised under the law of an EU Member State (the "November RTS").[1]
Given that derivatives markets are global in nature, firms that use OTC derivative contracts have been continuing to monitor the potential extra-territorial impact of the European Markets Infrastructure Regulations ("EMIR").[2] The November RTS provides international OTC derivative market participants with guidance regarding the circumstances in which OTC derivative contracts outside the EU will be considered to have a "direct, substantial and foreseeable effect" in the EU and thus be subject to EMIR.
Source: K&L Gates
BNY Mellon Launches AIFMD Regulatory Reporting Service
December 10, 2013--BNY Mellon reports that it has launched a new service for fund managers to help them identify, aggregate and manage the regulatory reporting requirements of the Alternative Investment Fund Manager's Directive (AIFMD).
Under AIFMD, Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFMs) must file a specifically formatted report with their home member state's supervisory authority, or national competent authority (NCA). The report requirements are extensive and cover aspects of both the fund manager and the fund, such as investment strategies, exposures, portfolio concentration, total value of assets under management, principal markets and instruments in which investments are made, plus detailed information on the funds' risk profile.
Source: globalcustody.net
Vanguard to reign in ETF market?
December 10, 2013--Vanguard has always been something of a category killer. It changed the industry with its index funds way back when. Now, it is bent on shaking up the ETF industry.
Its "category-killing attributes" make it "the Wal-Mart of exchange-traded funds," pronounces Bloomberg.
"Since 2010, its market share has grown from about 15 percent to 20 percent, while that of its big rivals, BlackRock's iShares and State Street's SPDRs, has slightly declined," the article states. "And while all three have gained new assets this year, Vanguard leads with $51 billion, or 32 cents out of every dollar invested in an ETF, up from 28 cents last year.
Source: Fierce Finance
JPMorgan May Create a Virtual Currency That Rivals Bitcoin
The megabank tries to get in on the virtual cash craze
December 10, 2013--JPMorgan Chase has filed a U.S. patent application for a computerized payment system that resembles the virtual currency Bitcoin, the Financial Times reports.
As more people make their purchases online, banks, credit card companies and tech companies are all hoping to capitalize on the quickly expanding business of mobile and online payments.
Bitcoin rose this year as the most prominent virtual cash system, storing its users' cash in computer files.
The price of Bitcoin shares soared to over $1,240 the day after Thanksgiving (a 9,000% gain for the year), and its new virtual currency may one day challenge the traditional payment systems of big credit card companies and banks.
Source: TIME
World's biggest investor BlackRock says US rally nearing exhaustion
December 9, 2013--BlackRock, the world's biggest investor, has warned that central banks are poised to tighten monetary policy in the Anglo-Saxon countries and China, advising clients to be ready to pull out of global stock markets at any sign of serious trouble.
"2014 is the year to squeeze more juice out of risk assets. But investors should be ready to discard the fruit when it starts running dry," said Ewen Cameron Watt, chief strategist for the BlackRock Investment Institute.
Source: The Telegraph
Mutual funds look to gain ETF foothold
December 9, 2013--"To know your enemy, you must become your enemy" is an oft-quoted dictum for military and corporate strategists.
Mutual funds providers trying to grab a slice of the fast-expanding market for exchange-traded products are taking the tactic to heart.
Source: FT.com
SIX Swiss Exchange lures India to the Alps
December 9, 2013--SIX Swiss Exchange, Switzerland's principal stock exchange, is vying with Indian companies and investment bankers to raise capital through its platform.
Source: Business Standard
