Global ETF News Older than One Year
iShares EMEA reports strong 2011 asset growth
January 9, 2012--iShares, the Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) platform of BlackRock, Inc, says its EMEA business generated strong growth in 2011 despite challenging macroeconomic conditions.iShares exceeded $18bn of net new assets in EMEA during 2011, an increase of 43% from 2010 net new assets of $12.6bn. iShares total assets under management (AUM) in the region increased 4% to $105.9bn as at the end of December 2011.
iShares also says it captured over 70% of all flows into ETFs in EMEA in 2011, and maintained its position as the market leader in assets. There was particular interest in US equity, German equity and corporate bond funds. According to Joe Linari, head of iShares EMEA, notes: "As more investors return to the market and reposition portfolios in 2012, we believe ETFs will attract significant new interest and we are upbeat on the prospects for continued industry growth. Investors increasingly recognise the value of ETFs as transparent, liquid and highly regulated vehicles through which they can execute strategies and build up longer-term allocations."
Source: FTSE Global Markets
BATS Chi-X Europe First to Launch Four-Way Interoperable Clearing
TRADES ON BATS EUROPE AND CHI-X EUROPE NOW CLEARED THROUGH ONE OF FOUR FULLY INTEROPERABLE CENTRAL COUNTERPARTIES
January 9, 2011--BATS Chi-X Europe today announced the launch of four-way interoperable clearing, which allows BATS Europe and Chi-X Europe participants to choose from EMCF, EuroCCP, LCH.Clearnet and SIX x-clear to clear their trades.
BATS Europe and Chi-X Europe are the first trading platforms to offer four-way interoperable clearing. The first day of live four-way interoperable clearing for trades on BATS Europe and Chi-X Europe was Friday, 6th January.
BATS Global Markets (BATS), a global operator of stock and options markets, closed the acquisition of Chi-X Europe on 30th November 2011. BATS reported on 3rd January 2012 that BATS Europe and Chi-X Europe accounted for 25.4% combined market share of European equities trading in December 2011, making BATS Chi-X Europe the largest European securities market operator.
Source: BATS Global Markets
ETFS US Precious Metals Weekly: Precious Metals Futures Positioning and Recovery in Global Manufacturing Points to Potential For Price Rebound
January 9, 2012--De-leveraging leaves COMEX gold speculative futures positions the lowest in almost 3 years, other precious metals at lowest level
since 2H 2008. The low level of futures positioning overhang has removed a key headwind to the gold price heading into 2012, although positioning still remains above end 2008 crisis levels.
The futures clear-out has been even more extreme in the more cyclically-focussed precious metals silver, platinum and palladium, where positioning has dropped back to post-Lehman troughs.
Successful break above 200 day m.a. would be key bull signal. The gold spot price fell below its 200 day moving average in mid-December for the first time since the credit crisis, triggering a round of short term technical-related selling by quant funds and short-term traders at yearend. Market participants will be looking to see if gold can sustainably move up above its 200 day m.a. over coming days and weeks (currently circa. $1,633/oz) as a possible precursor to a new up-leg in gold spot prices.
Sovereign debt, monetary policy key factors to watch in 2012. Expectations for modest global growth in the context of fragile banking systems and a large sovereign debt rollovers, is likely to keep central bank monetary policy extremely accommodative in 2012. The high money supply/low interest environment should be supportive of precious metals – particularly gold - as investors look to the possibility of currency debasement via high inflation and/or currency depreciation. More cyclically oriented precious metals – silver, platinum and palladium - could be the beneficiaries of stronger US activity data if sustained, particularly given exceptionally low levels of futures speculative positioning. If H1 2009 is a guide, investors may wait for confirmation of stronger survey data in official statistics before returning to such higher beta investments – particularly if European debt questions remain unanswered.
visit www.etfsecurities.com for more info
Source: ETF Securities
Gold to hit record high in 2012, say analysts
January 8, 2012--Precious metals analysts expect gold prices to rise for a 12th year in a row and to reach a record high in 2012, but are less optimistic for silver and platinum, according to a survey by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA).
The LBMA's survey of 26 contributors showed all but 3 participants expected gold to hit an all-time high in 2012, with a majority of 19 of them forecasting gold to reach a high above $2,000 an ounce.
Source: Business Standard
OECD annual inflation rate slows slightly to 3.1% in November 2011
January 5, 2012--Consumer prices in the OECD area rose by 3.1% in the year to November 2011, compared with 3.2% in the year to October 2011. This easing in the annual rate of inflation mainly reflected the slower growth in energy prices, which increased by 11.7% in the year to November, down from 12.4% in the year to October.
Food prices remained unchanged at 4.2% in the year to November. Excluding food and energy, the annual inflation rate was stable at 2.0% in November.
Source: OECD
Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Indexes End 2011 Lower As December Prices Fall On Concerns About Europe And China, Weather
January 4, 2012--The Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index ended 2011 down 13.37% following a drop of 3.75% in
December – a month in which prices were pressured by sovereign debt concerns, signs of a cooling economy in major commodity consumer China, plus unseasonable weather in some
regions.
Despite a somewhat quiet ending to 2011, the potential for surprises in the commodities markets in early 2012 could be high. According to a December 20 Barclays Bank report, commodity market sentiment is likely to be heavily influenced by macro factors rather than individual market dynamics. Key issues include the extent of progress toward a European sovereign debt solution, trends in China’s business confidence and property prices, whether or not recent positive signs from the U.S. economy can be sustained, and how freely trade and inventory finance continues to flow in the commodity markets.
Source: Dow Jones Indexes
Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Indexes December 2011 Performance Report
January 4, 2012--The Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index ended 2011 down 13.37%. The Dow Jones-UBS Single Commodity Indexes for gas oil, orange juice and brent crude had the strongest gains producing year-end returns of 19.41%, 18.75%, and 16.77%, respectively.
The three most significant downside performing single commodity indexes in 2011 were cocoa, wheat and natural gas, which ended the year down 32.41%, 34.02% and 47.13% respectively.
For December, the Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index was down 3.75%. The Dow Jones-UBS Single Commodity Indexes for nickel, corn and wheat had the strongest gains with returns of 6.87%, 6.33%, and 6.31%, respectively. The three most significant downside performing single commodity indexes were zinc, silver and natural gas, which ended the month down 11.37%, 14.90%, and 16.32% respectively.
Source: Dow Jones Indexes
UN: Food prices may ease in 2012
January 3, 2011--Food prices may ease in 2012 due to a slowing global economy, though no drastic drop from high levels is expected, the new director general of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said on Tuesday.
Jose Graziano da Silva, the Brazilian who replaced Senegal’s Jacques Diouf at the helm of the FAO at the start of 2012, said volatility in food markets was likely to continue.
“Prices will not be going up as in the sense of the last two to three years but will also not drop down. There may be some reductions but not drastic,” Graziano da Silva told a news conference in Rome.
Source: FIN24
BATS Global Markets Earns 25.4% European Market Share in December
BATS Now The Largest European Equities Market Operator - Also Earns 11.2% U.S. Equities Market Share
January 3, 2012--BATS Global Markets (BATS), a global operator of stock and options markets, today reported strong equities matched market share in both the U.S. and Europe.
BATS reported 11.2% U.S. equities matched market share compared to 9.5% a year ago. In Europe, BATS Europe and Chi-X Europe, which BATS is combining to form BATS Chi-X Europe, recorded consolidated market share of 25.4% compared to 22.6% a year ago. BATS Options reported 2.3% market share compared to 0.7% a year ago.
BATS operates two stock exchanges in the U.S., the BATS BZX Exchange and BATS BYX Exchange; BATS Options, a U.S. equity options market; and BATS Europe and Chi-X Europe, which operate FSA-authorized multilateral trading facilities.
Source: BATS Global Markets
OCC Cleared Contract Volume Reached 4.6 Billion Contracts in 2011 for Record Year
January 3, 2012--OCC announced today that total cleared contract volume in 2011 reached 4,600,955,949 contracts, a 17 percent increase over the 2010 volume of 3,925,686,805 contracts. 2011 marked the ninth consecutive year of record volume for OCC and the first time cleared contract volume surpassed 4 billion contracts.
OCC ended the year with 322,408,712 cleared contracts in December, a 6 percent decrease from the December 2010 volume of 344,206,175 contracts.
Options: Exchange-listed options trading in December reached 320,324,954 contracts, down 6 percent from December 2010. Average daily options volume in 2011 was 18,106,144 million contracts, roughly 2.6 million contracts per day more than the daily average in 2010. OCC cleared 4,562,748,194 total options contracts in 2011, a 17 percent increase over 2010's annual cleared volume of 3,899,068,670 contracts.
Source: OCC
