Global ETF News Older than One Year
Global Experts Poll: Economic Confidence Up Significantly in Second Quarter
Economic Confidence Index rises to 0.48 from 0.43 last quarter, closer to optimistic territory above 0.5
Indices tracking confidence in global governance and global cooperation make similar gains
Eighth quarterly Global Confidence Index polled 304 experts from business, government, international organizations and academia who are members of the Forum's Network of Global Agenda Councils
April 15, 2013--Confidence in the world economy has increased significantly over the past three months, according to experts polled by the World Economic Forum.
The Economic Confidence Index rose to 0.48 from 0.43 on a scale of 0 to 1 during the first three months of the year, amid an easing of the Eurozone crisis and belief that the world economy may had avoided a double-dip recession. The score puts the index back in neutral territory for the first time since it fell into low-confidence territory in the third quarter of 2012; it marks a return to its most recent peak during the second quarter of 2012. However, the index did not break into positive territory above 0.5.
“It looks as though the worst is over and experts are not too worried about a double-dip recession of the world economy, as a whole,” said Martina Gmür, Senior Director of the Forum’s Global Agenda Council, of the poll of 304 global experts. “But, while the economic index has seen an improvement over three consecutive quarters and is now back at its peak from one year ago, it is worth remembering that, back then, the Eurozone crisis was already in full swing; and the index has so far not crossed over into positive territory.”
Source: WEF (World Economic Forum)
IEA Cuts Oil-Demand Forecast Because of European Demand
April 11, 2013--The International Energy Agency reduced its forecasts for global oil demand in 2013 for a third consecutive month, predicting the weakest consumption in Europe in almost three decades.
The IEA cut its estimate by 45,000 barrels a day, predicting that world consumption will increase by a “subdued” 795,000 barrels a day, or 0.9 percent, to 90.58 million barrels a day this year. European demand will slump by 330,000 barrels a day. Still, an imminent recovery in refinery operations after maintenance and political threats to supply mean “it may be too early to call a bear market,” the IEA said.
Source: Bloomberg
Framework on monitoring tools for intraday liquidity management issued by the Basel Committee
April 11, 2013--The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, in consultation with the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems, today issued its final version of the document Monitoring tools for intraday liquidity management.
Today's publication introduces a new reporting framework that will enable banking supervisors to better monitor a bank's management of intraday liquidity risk and its ability to meet payment and settlement obligations on a timely basis. Over time, the tools will also provide supervisors with a better understanding of banks' payment and settlement behaviour.
The framework includes:
the detailed design of the monitoring tools for a bank's intraday liquidity risk;
stress scenarios;
view the Monitoring tools for intraday liquidity management document
Source: BIS
Trade to remain subdued in 2013 after sluggish growth in 2012 as European economies continue to struggle
April 10, 2013--World trade growth fell to 2.0% in 2012-down from 5.2% in 2011- and is expected to remain sluggish in 2013 at around 3.3% as the economic slowdown in Europe continues to suppress global import demand, WTO economists reported on 10 April 2013.
“The events of 2012 should serve as a reminder that the structural flaws in economies that were revealed by the economic crisis have not been fully addressed, despite important progress in some areas. Repairing these fissures needs to be the priority for 2013,” Director-General Pascal Lamy said.
Source: WTO
FCA publishes occasional papers on behavioural economics exploring how people make financial decisions
April 10, 2013--The FCA is interested in behavioural economics as it can help the regulator understand the mistakes consumers make, how firms respond to these mistakes, how this affects competition, and what interventions the FCA might consider.
The first paper focusses on how consumers choose and use financial products, and how behavioural biases can lead to firms competing in ways that are not in the interests of consumers. The second explores how best to encourage consumers to respond to customer contact letters. The papers are the first in the FCA’s occasional paper series.
view the Occasional Paper No.1-Applying behavioural economics at the Financial Conduct Authority
Source: FCA.org.uk
OPEC joins U.S. in lowering 2013 oil demand growth view
Lowers 2013 forecast oil demand growth by 40,000 bpd
Saudi Arabia tells OPEC its output in March was flat
OPEC pumping just 190,000 bpd above official target
IEA's oil report due on Thursday
April 10, 2013--OPEC on Wednesday trimmed its forecast for global growth in oil demand in 2013, becoming the second of the world's closely watched oil forecasters this week to predict weaker consumption.
The move by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in a monthly report follows a similar downward revision to oil demand growth in 2013 by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Tuesday.
Source: Reuters
OPEC joins U.S. in lowering 2013 oil demand growth view
Lowers 2013 forecast oil demand growth by 40,000 bpd
Saudi Arabia tells OPEC its output in March was flat
OPEC pumping just 190,000 bpd above official target
IEA's oil report due on Thursday
April 10, 2013--OPEC on Wednesday trimmed its forecast for global growth in oil demand in 2013, becoming the second of the world's closely watched oil forecasters this week to predict weaker consumption.
The move by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in a monthly report follows a similar downward revision to oil demand growth in 2013 by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Tuesday.
Source: Reuters
Investors pull out of gold ETFs in Q1
April 4, 2013--Global commodity exchange-traded funds recorded multi-billion dollar outflows for the first quarter of 2013, but the near-default of Cyprus last month is expected to increase appetite for gold funds in the second quarter, according to fund provider ETF Securities.
Global commodity ETFs experienced outflows of $8.64bn in the first quarter, fuelled by $9.16bn of outflows in gold, as increased investor risk appetite saw movement into equities, according to ETF Securities.
Source: Financial News
Emerging Markets Dump Euro Reserves
March 31, 2013--The euro's challenge to the international status of the U.S. dollar has been set back a generation as new data shows developing countries dumping the European currency from their official reserves.
Central banks in developing countries sold €45 billion of euros in 2012, according to data compiled by the International Monetary Fund, cutting their holdings of the currency by 8 percent.
Source: CNBC
Global economy is improving but Europe lags behind, says OECD
March 28, 2013--Global economic activity is picking up, but the continuing crisis in the euro area is delaying a meaningful recovery, the OECD said in its latest Interim Economic Assessment.
The Assessment, presented in Paris by Chief Economist Pier Carlo Padoan, says that the G7 economies are expected to grow at an annualised 2.4 per cent rate in the first quarter of 2013 and at a 1.8 percent rate in the second. It notes that financial markets are out-pacing real activity, which has been held back by weak business and consumer confidence, and highlights the risk that asset prices may rise beyond levels justified by fundamentals.
view the OECD Interim Economic Assessment
Source: OECD
