Global ETF News Older than One Year
OECD Launches Your Better Life Index
May 24, 2011--The OECD today unveiled a new, interactive index that will let people measure and compare their lives in a way that goes beyond traditional GDP numbers.
Called Your Better Life Index (watch video), the tool is part of a larger OECD Better Life Initiative that aims to measure well-being and progress.
The index allows citizens to compare lives across 34 countries, based on 11 dimensions -- housing, income, jobs, community, education, environment, governance, health, life satisfaction, safety, work-life balance -- giving their own weight to each of the dimensions.
“This index encapsulates the OECD at 50, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and understanding in a pioneering and innovative manner,” said OECD Secretary-General, Angel Gurría. “People around the world have wanted to go beyond GDP for some time. This index is designed for them. It has extraordinary potential to help us deliver better policies for better lives.”
Source: OECD
Dow Jones MAY 2011 "Market's Measure" Preliminary Report-
A Monthly Report from Dow Jones Indexes on the Performance of
U.S., European, Asia and other Global Stock Market Indexes
May 24, 2011--Dow Jones Industrial Average Posts 3.35% Loss in May, European Stocks Lose 8.48%,Asia Falls 5.76% and World Equities Fall by 5.41%
Health Care Sector Posts Biggest Gain for May in U.S. & Worldwide
Oil & Gas Sector Takes the Hardest Hit for May in Europe
May 24, 2011--As of May 23, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 3.35% in May, closing at 12381.26. Stock market indexes in Europe, Asia and globally were down in May, according to preliminary monthly figures from global index provider, Dow Jones Indexes.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 3.35% in May, closing at 12381.26. Year-to-date, the index is up 6.94%.
The Dow Jones Europe Index fell 8.48% in May to 281.84. So far this year, the index is up 4.29%.
The Dow Jones Asian Titans 50 Index fell 5.76% in May to 135.95. So far this year, the index is
down 6.70%.
The Dow Jones Global Titans 50 Index fell 5.41% in May, closing at 181.77. Year-to-date, the
index is up 2.64%.
Source: Dow Jones Indexes
Gold: the bubble's popping will be nasty
May 23, 2011-The following news flash will only be controversial to a small, eccentric but vocal slice of the gold investing world: the bullion that backs wildly popular gold exchange-traded funds is real.
Ditto for what governments claim to hold. There is no vast conspiracy. What is more, the leading gold ETFs are well designed and have proved resilient even in volatile times.
Source: FT.com
Investors shun emerging markets risk
May 23, 2011--Europe’s fund industry endured its worst quarter for two years in the first three months of 2011 as unrest in the Middle East and North Africa and the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami sapped investor confidence.
Net inflows into “long-only” funds (ie stripping out money market funds) fell to just €40.1bn ($57.1bn) in the first quarter, down sharply on the €68.9bn in the previous three months and the weakest tally since the first quarter of 2009, according to data from Lipper FMI
Source: FT.com
China growth and eurozone debt woes batter risk assets
May 23, 2011--Markets are enduring a classic “risk off” session as traders are rattled by evidence of slowing growth in China and, particularly, the debilitating eurozone fiscal crisis.
The FTSE All-World equity index is down 1.7 per cent and industrial commodities are sliding. Wall Street is starting a fourth consecutive week of declines as the S&P 500 dropped 1.2 per cent and the FTSE Eurofirst 300 fell 1.7 per cent. Miners, financials and technology groups suffered selling.
Source: FT.com
ETFS Precious Metals Weekly: Gold Speculative Longs Clear Out
Gold price supported by deepening sovereign debt concerns.
Futures position clear out sparks first signs of bargain-hunting in silver.
Lonmin labor strike highlights ongoing PGM supply vulnerabilities.
May 23, 2011--Gold speculative long positions fall back to early 2011 levels. COMEX positioning data shows gold speculative long positions have dropped back to
early 2011 levels, indicating a good portion of the recent froth in the gold
market has cleared. This follows the recent clear-out of long silver positions.
Sovereign debt concerns returned to the fore last week as Fitch downgraded Greece’s long term debt rating to B+, S&P issued a downgrade warning on Italy’s debt, and Spain’s political leaders were punished at the polls. Weaker than expected global activity indicators added to investor concerns about the durability of the global recovery.
Platinum and palladium prices hurt by weak growth data, though labor strikes in South Africa highlight longer-term supply difficulties in the world’s largest platinum producing country.
Gold price supported by deepening sovereign debt concerns. In addition to Fitch and S&P’s European debt downgrades last week, the defeat of Spain’s incumbent political party in local elections highlights the difficulty government’s face in implementing the fiscal austerity in the face of high unemployment. US budget negotiations will likely thrust the US government debt picture into the spotlight this week. The US Treasury has warned Congress that it must raise the US government’s $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by August to avoid government debt defaults.
visit www.etfsecurities.com for more info.
Source: ETF Securities
Joint Associations Committee Releases Combined Principles for Retail Structured Products
May 23, 2011--The Joint Associations Committee on Retail Structured Products is pleased to announce it is reaffirming the set of principles for managing the provider-distributor relationship (PD Principles) in retail structured products and the principles for managing the distributor-individual investor relationship (DI Principles), originally published in July 2007 and July 2008 respectively.
The Principles were drafted with the intent of achieving fair treatment for individual investors and clarifying the respective roles and responsibilities of the various parties involved in the creation and distribution process. The years since 2008 have seen increased recognition by governments and regulators of the importance of a vibrant and well-functioning retail structured products market.
A combination of demographic trends and the impact of the financial crisis have resulted in a greater onus on individuals to take responsibility for their long-term financial planning and, in particular, to make private financial provision for their retirement. Retail structured products will play a key role in meeting such increased investment demand. However, the financial crisis has also impaired investor confidence. Such considerations have led to regulatory initiatives designed to improve investor protection in multiple jurisdictions.
view the Joint Associations Committee -Combined Principles For Retail Structured Products
Source: The Institute of International Finance
Big exchange mergers stopped in their tracks
May 20, 2011--With stunning speed, the week saw the unravelling of two large exchange mergers, casting a cloud over the wave of consolidation that has swept the business since October last year.
First, London Stock Exchange's attempt to forge an all-share merger with TMX Group, operator of the Toronto and Montreal bourses, was stopped in its tracks by a rival C$3.6bn bid from a consortium of Canadian banks and pension funds.
Source: FT.com
NYSE aids China with international board
May 20, 2011-- The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is working with China to launch the country's international board that will allow foreign firms to list on the mainland, in a move seen as a crucial step in developing its capital markets.
Chinese officials have yet to provide details of the international board, seen as a centrepiece in Shanghai's attempt to become an international financial centre by 2020, though they have said it could be launched later this year.
Source: FIN24
Oil prices steady, IEA warns on demand
May 19, 2011--Oil steadied on Thursday, as the International Energy Agency warned that high prices could threaten global economic growth and called for increased output to tackle the problem.Brent North Sea crude for delivery in July dipped five cents to $112.25 per barrel in London deals.
New York's main contract, light sweet crude for June, edged up one cent to $100.11 a barrel.
The IEA said that despite a recent 10% fall, oil prices remained high because of strong demand and geopolitical uncertainty - a reference to popular unrest in the Middle East.
Source: FIN24
