ETF Securities-Precious Metals Weekly: ECB Rate Cut Buoys Precious Metals Prices but Improving US Jobs Cap Gains
May 6. 2013--The ECB cut interest rates for the first time since July 2012 and left the door open for more action including imposing negative rates on commercial banks.
The cut from 0.75% to 0.50% sent precious metals higher as some investors looked to hedge against on-going economic uncertainty. The US dollar rose against the Euro as more investors expect the Fed has less easing potential than the ECB. Better-than-expected US payrolls numbers (including large upward revisions to past numbers) released at the end of last week consolidated that view, but capped some of the gains in precious metals seen earlier in the week. The gold price rise was somewhat more muted compared to when the ECB cut rates in July 2012, as the bearish tone for gold lingers. Despite obvious risks to the global recovery, investors are shunning gold, believing that the extremely accommodative central bank policy can circumvent another crisis and at the same time avoid generating inflationary pressures. Recent indicators for the global cyclical picture have been mixed with the US ISM coming in a touch higher than expected, but the Chinese PMI falling from last month and the Euro area PMI remaining below 50 (indicating a manufacturing contraction). Silver, the most industrial of the precious metals fell on the back of the Chinese PMI numbers.
Source: ETF Securities
IMF Working paper-Monetary Policy in Emerging Markets: Taming the Cycle
May 3, 2013--Summary: In contrast to advanced markets (AMs), procyclical monetary policy has been a problem for emerging markets (EMs), with macroeconomic policies amplifying economic upswings and deepening downturns.
The stark difference in policy has not been subject to extensive study and this paper attempts to address the gap. Key findings, using a large sample of EMs over the past 50 years, are: (i) EMs have adopted increasingly countercyclical monetary policy over time, although large differences remain among EMs and policies became more procyclical during the recent crisis. (ii) Inflation targeting and better institutions have been key factors behind the move to countercyclicality. (iii) Only deep financial markets allow EMs with flexible exchange rate regimes turn countercyclical. (iv) More countercyclical policy is associated with far less volatile output. The economically meaningful impact of IT on monetary policy countercyclicality and output variability is another reason in its favor, over and above better inflation outcomes.
view the IMF Working paper-Monetary Policy in Emerging Markets: Taming the Cycle
Source: IMF
Bond and Sector Funds soak up fresh money ahead of Fed and ECB meetings
May 3, 2013--Bond Funds pulled in over $7 billion for the second week running and 10 of the 11 major Sector Fund groups tracked by EPFR Global posted inflows going into May as investors responded to some uninspiring macroeconomic data and positioned themselves ahead of policy meetings by the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank.
Overall, flows into Bond Funds during the week ending May 1 totaled a record setting $10.3 billion-although $2 billion of that was tied to a single fund launch – versus net inflows of $2.24 billion for Equity Funds. Outflows from Money Market Funds exceeded $21 billion as they extended their longest outflow streak since a 17 week run ended in mid-2Q10. But Japan Money Market Funds continue to swim against this tide, pulling in another $1.4 billion.
Source: EPFR
IOSCO Publishes Principles for CIS Valuation
May 3, 2013--The Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions published today the final report on Principles for the Valuation of Collective Investment Schemes, containing a list of Principles intended to serve as a basis for both industry practitioners and regulators to assess the quality of regulation and industry practices regarding the valuation of collective investment schemes (CIS).
The final report revises IOSCO’s Principles for CIS Valuation, originally developed in 1999, to take into account subsequent regulatory, industry and market developments. Many complex and hard-to-value assets are now eligible for CIS portfolios, including some that did not exist a decade ago. The value of such assets cannot be determined by using quoted prices (so- called mark-to-market), but instead CIS may rely on internal techniques which imply management’s judgment (so-called mark-to-model). The difficulty and subjectivity needed for certain valuations increases regulatory risks and calls for a set of principles to guide the identification of policies and procedures designed to ascertain the proper valuation of CIS assets.
view the Principles for the Valuation of Collective Investment Schemes-Final Report
Source: IOSCO
BATS Global Markets U.S. Equities Market Share Rose In April- Europe Depository Receipts Trading Reached Monthly Record
Overall European Market Share 22.4%-U.S. Equities 10.9%; U.S. Options 4.0%
May 3, 2013--BATS Global Markets (BATS) today reported increased market share for its U.S. equities segment in April, finishing at 10.9% vs 10.6% in March. BATS Options rose to 4.0% from 3.8%.
Also in April, BATS Chi-X Europe set a new monthly market share record in Depository Receipt (DR) trading, with BATS Chi-X Europe earning 7.1% market share, exceeding its previous record of 5.9% set in March 2013. BATS Chi-X Europe also matched last month's market share record in Spain's IBEX 35 of 12.8%.
BATS Chi-X Europe, the largest pan-European equities exchange, offers trading in more than 50 DRs from 12 markets including Russia, India and South Korea. The average daily notional value traded of DRs on BATS Chi-X Europe has increased 50% to €41.5 million in April from €27.6 million in January.
Source: BATS
NASDAQ OMX Index Monthly Performance Report
May 2, 2013--Access one-month, three-month, six-month, one-, three-, five- and ten-year returns, as well as one-year volatility, as of April 30, 2013.
view the NASDAQ Index Monthly report
For more info contact NASDAQLICENSING@NASDAQOMX.COM
Source: NASDAQ OMX
Manufacturing Future Economic Growth and Job Creation
World Economic Forum report highlights the manufacturing sector as a critical driver of growth, prosperity and innovation
Input from more than 70 CEOs and senior executives from the manufacturing sector; case studies from developed and emerging economy countries
May 2, 2013--The manufacturing sector has a fundamental role to play in global economic growth and job creation for emerging economies and developed markets, says a new report released today by the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited.
According to Manufacturing for Growth – Strategies for Driving Growth and Employment , key drivers behind a successful advanced manufacturing strategy include a competitive tax system, free and fair trade, education and talent development, energy efficiency, and technology and innovation.
view the Manufacturing for Growth report
Source: World Economic Forum (WEF)
Average daily volume of 9.8 million contracts at Eurex Group in April
May 2, 2013--In April 2013, the international derivatives exchanges of Eurex Group recorded an average daily volume of 9.8 million contracts (April 2012: 10.9 million). Of those, 7.1 million were Eurex Exchange contracts (April 2012: 8.3 million), and 2.7 million contracts (April 2012: 2.6 million) were traded at the U.S.-based International Securities Exchange (ISE).
In its largest segment – equity index derivatives – Eurex Exchange achieved 54.3 million contracts (April 2012: 64.6 million). Futures on the EURO STOXX 50® Index stood at 22.2 million contracts and 19.7 million on the index options. Futures on the DAX index totaled 2.7 million contracts while the DAX options reached another 3.9 million contracts. The Eurex KOSPI Product recorded approximately 1.6 million contracts.
Source: Eurex
Program Trading Averaged 24.5 Percent of NYSE Volume during Apr. 22-26
May 2, 2013-- The New York Stock Exchange, a subsidiary of NYSE Euronext (NYX), today released its weekly program-trading data compiled from member firms' executed volume from NYSE’s orders database. The report includes trading on the NYSE for Apr. 22-26.
The data indicated that during Apr. 22-26, program trading amounted to 24.5 percent of NYSE average daily volume of 1,461.7 million shares1, or 358.1 million program shares traded per day.
Source: NYSE Euronext
April ETF Flows Show Rising Caution: BlackRock
May 1, 2013--As the appetite for riskier investments dwindled last month, investors moved money into global stock exchange-traded funds at the slowest pace since October but stepped up their buying of bond ETFs, according to data from BlackRock Inc.
The more cautious tone was evident in demand for U.S. government bond ETFs, which took in $2.2 billion despite dwindling bond yields, the biggest inflow since November. Overall, bond ETFs attracted $9.5 billion, the most since May 2012.
Source: Wall Street Journal