Global ETF News Older than One Year
India still the world's biggest gold market
India has shot to the top spot again, as the world's biggest gold market in Q3, as demand jumped 9%, while demand in China toppled 8%.
November 15, 2012--India has toppled China to emerge as the largest gold consumer in the third quarter of 2012. Though global gold demand fell in the Q3 with investors buying fewer bars and coins, India's gold demand revived in the June-September quarter 2012.
According to data compiled by the World Gold Council (WGC), gold demand totalled 223.1 tonnes, up 9% year on year from 204.8 tonnes in the third quarter of 2011. Demand from China actually slipped in the same quarter. China recorded an 8% drop in demand at 177 tonnes (191 tonnes) due to the economic slow down in the country. Jewellery demand was down 5% at 124 tonnes as retailers reduced their inventory
Source: MineWeb
FTSE Group, NAREIT and US Green Building Council Develop the First Investable Green Property Indexes
November 14, 2012--FTSE Group, NAREIT and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced today that they have jointly developed the first investable green property indexes for both institutional and retail investors.
This collaboration brings together the global market leaders in US real estate indexing, REIT market expertise and environmental building standards. The indexes, currently in the final stages of implementation prior to customer use, will give investors a structured and disciplined way to measure and model the risk and reward profile of green property, using the first codified, transparent definition of listed green property. They will also provide investors with new ways to incorporate principles of sustainability into their property selections and portfolios, and access this investment theme through index-linked financial products.
The new family of green property indexes will be based on the market’s leading benchmark for US real estate, the FTSE NAREIT Index Series, using green data (LEED & Energy Star ratings) from USGBC. The USGBC is a leading non-profit organization known for its development of LEED, a global green building certification program, and its large diverse member community.
Source: FTSE
Summit on The Global Agenda 2012 Ends With Call for World Leaders to Take a Global View
The World Economic Forum's fifth Summit on the Global Agenda ends with a call for world leaders to take a long-term global perspective and not to be too focused on internal problems
Regional leaders agreed to improve communications and links with the UN, and contribute to shaping a development agenda for after the Millennium Development Goals target of 2015
November 14, 2012--The World Economic Forum's fifth Summit on the Global Agenda ended today with a call for world leaders to take a long-term global perspective and not be too focused on domestic problems.
“2013 will be a very crucial year, with many rupture points,” warned Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum, in the closing session. Relaying the concerns of Summit participants, he added: “I appeal to the world’s leadership, particularly in those countries with new leaders in place or where the current leaders have been reconfirmed, to devote sufficient time and positive energy to look after our global issues and not just to be absorbed with internal problems. Let’s make 2013 a year of true global cooperation.”
More than 1,000 thought leaders and experts on the most significant global challenges – members of the Forum’s 88 Global Agenda Councils – participated in this year’s Summit, up from 700 in Abu Dhabi last year. Among them were more than 260 business leaders, nearly 100 more than in 2011, and 253 women, more than double the number at the fourth Summit. That more than 120 of this year’s participants have been to all five past Summits underscored the commitment of the members of the Global Agenda Councils to contributing to the shaping of solutions to the most critical global issues.
Source: WEF (World Economic Forum)
World Economic Forum-Shifting Priorities for World's Biggest Brainstormers, Survey Reveals
Members of Global Agenda Councils identify major new causes for concern in latest annual survey
Most significant new global trend is fear of eurozone break-up
The annual Survey on the Global Agenda attracted more than 850 responses from members of the Forum’s Network of Global Agenda Councils
November 13, 2012--Members of the World Economic Forum's Network of Global Agenda Councils have revealed in a survey that the issues which concern them most in 2012 have changed markedly in the past 12 months.
According to the annual Survey on the Global Agenda, released today at the Network’s annual meeting in Dubai, members saw the crumbling eurozone as the most significant trend of 2012. Two other trends, a lack of global leadership and global interdependency, which had been regarded as low priority in 2011, have also risen steeply to prominence.
The prospect of a break-up of the Eurozone only featured at 28th place in 2011’s Survey. Last year’s top trend, the public debt crisis, falls to 10th place. Such a shift in priorities among the 850 Council members surveyed suggests that experts now contemplate a considerable political as well as financial fall-out from the crisis, as eurozone countries continue to struggle to keep public debt levels in check.
view the Global Agenda Survey 2012
Source: WEF (World Economic Forum)
WEF-The Geopolitical Outlook: Future Shocks
China's economic rise will shake up the global geopolitical order in the coming decades, leading to competition with the US and China
Hurricane Sandy has shown how unprepared we are for extreme weather, which could lead to tensions over resources
Food security will be a key issue in the coming years and it could prompt increased protectionism and nationalism
November 13, 2012- China's economic rise will shake up the geopolitical order, but political outlook dictates whether that is seen as a risk or a challenge, panellists said on the second day of the Summit on the Global Agenda in Dubai.
Other geopolitical shocks, such as events in the Middle East, climate change and associated food security issues also featured highly in this televised debate, but China’s ascendancy dominated the session.
China’s growing economic role has led to open competition with the United States, with President Barack Obama recently referring for the first time to China as a US "adversary", Ian Bremmer, President, Eurasia Group, USA, said. “There is a risk that the rise of China upsets the apple cart.”
Source: WEF (world Economic Forum)
FIF October 2012 Market Share and Market Dynamics Executive Summary
November 13, 2012--The October 2012 FIF Market Share and Market Dynamics Reports-Executive Summary is now available.
Source: Financial Information Forum (FIF)
NYSE Euronext Announces Trading Volumes for October 2012
October 2012 Volumes Impacted by Market Closure in U.S.; Continued Low Level of Volatility
#1 U.S. Equity Options Platform with Record 29% Market Share; NYSE Amex Record of 18%
November 13, 2012--– NYSE Euronext (NYX) today announced trading volumes for its global derivatives and cash equities exchanges for October 2012[1].
The industry decision to close the U.S. markets for two trading days due to Hurricane Sandy resulted in a 9% decrease in the number of trading days in October 2012 for NYSE Euronext’s U.S. cash equity and equity options markets. The closure of these markets also impacted trading on NYSE Euronext’s European derivatives and European cash trading venues, which remained open. European derivatives and European cash average daily trading volumes declined 44% and 41%, respectively, during the closure of the U.S. markets with some residual impact after the markets reopened. October 2011 trading volumes benefited from higher levels of market volatility driven by the sovereign debt crisis in Europe and the debt ceiling issue in the U.S.
Highlights
NYSE Euronext global derivatives ADV in October 2012 of 7.2 million contracts decreased 11.8% compared to October 2011 and decreased 5.7% from September 2012 levels.
Source: NYSE Euronext
Thomson Reuters Launches New Equity And Fixed Income Index Solution For Asset Servicing Industry-Northern Trust Is First Asset Servicing Provider
To Offer The New Solution To Institutional Fund Clients For Benchmarking Purposes
November 13, 2012--Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, today announced the launch of a new benchmarking solution to help asset servicing providers (custodian banks) with investment decision-making and measurement of performance.
The Thomson Reuters equity and fixed income benchmarks will provide custodian banks with performance measurement analytics that are cost effective and highly correlated with other major global market indices. Northern Trust is the first asset servicing provider to adopt the Thomson Reuters indices as benchmarking solutions for its institutional fund servicing clients.
Thomson Reuters equity and fixed income indices are available as part of a new commercial model, which packages the indices into a simple, cost effective way that defies the complex, high fee structures associated with the index industry. The launch of this model supports Thomson Reuters vision to connect and enable the global financial community and represents a significant step forward in addressing the benchmarking needs of the investment community.
Source: Reuters
The Future of Government-Fast and Curious
Innovative governments can create public value by becoming "Fast and Curious"
The Global Agenda Council on the Future of Government identifies four criteria for government transformation
November 13, 2012--The World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on the Future of Government has identified a matrix for government transformation. In a new report, Future of Government-Fast and Curious, the group of academics, politicians and business leaders outline a framework for governments to follow to become flatter, agile, streamlined and tech-enabled (FAST) organizations.
The success of a government, as identified by the report, relies on politicians implementing the FAST model:
Flatter government to promote (a) citizen engagement, (b) administrative efficiency, (c) decision-making process, (d) intergovernment and cross-sector collaboration Agile government organizes itself to marshal public and private resources quickly to address challenges. Streamlined government carefully plans workforce reductions coupled with significant organizational, technological and workforce advances. Tech-enabled government is successful in redesigning its policy, legal and regulatory frameworks and processes to align with the dynamics of a networked world.
view the WEF Report-Future of Government - Fast and Curious
Source: WEF (world Economic Forum)
IEA-Highlights of the latest Oil Market Report
November 13, 2012--Oil futures prices fell to four-month lows in late October and early November amid mounting pessimism over the global economic outlook. Prices fell further after the US presidential election on worries over the so-called US 'fiscal cliff' looming at end-year, with Brent last trading at $109.25/bbl and WTI at $86/bbl.
The forecast of 4Q12 global oil demand has been cut by 290 kb/d since last month’s report, to 90.1 mb/d, reflecting persistent weakness in Europe and the impact of Hurricane Sandy in the US. The 2012 growth forecast has been reduced by 60 kb/d to 670 kb/d.
Non-OPEC production rebounded by 840 kb/d in October, to 53.4 mb/d, after seasonal maintenance and weather disrupted output in September. Non-OPEC supplies are expected to grow by 460 kb/d in 2012 and by 860 kb/d in 2013, to 54.1 mb/d.
view the Highlights of the latest Oil Market Report
Source: IEA
