Global ETF News Older than One Year
Buy-out groups consider Asian sales
February 25, 2010--Global private equity groups are considering the sale of profitable Asian units to pay down debts held by their portfolio companies in the US and Europe.
Bain Capital, the US private equity fund, is in talks to divest the north Asian business of Outback Steakhouse, a global restaurant chain.
Source: FT.com
World trade 'picking up', says WTO
WTO Director General Pascal Lamy said the Organization had revised its previous estimate of a contraction, raising it to 12% from 10%, Reuters has reported.
Asked about world trade in 2010, he declined to give any figure but said: 'Certainly there is a pick-up. Whether this pick-up is short term ... or whether this is sustainable ... is difficult to say but we certainly are picking up.'
Source: AME Info
February 2010 “Islamic Market’s Measure” – Preliminary Report -Monthly Report On The Performance Of The Dow Jones Islamic Market Indexes
February 24, 2010--Based on the close of trading on February 23, the global Dow Jones Islamic Market Titans 100 Index, which measures the performance of 100 of the leading Shari’ah compliant stocks globally, gained 0.68% month-to-date, closing at 2048.83. In comparison, the Dow Jones Global Titans 50 Index, which measures the 50 biggest companies worldwide, posted a gain of 0.08%, closing at 164.86.
The Dow Jones Islamic Market Asia/Pacific Titans 25 Index, which measures the performance of 25 of the leading Shari’ah compliant stocks in the Asia/Pacific region, increased 2.66%, closing at 1834.75. The Dow Jones Asian Titans 50 Index, in comparison, posted a gain of 2.01%, closing at 132.40.
Measuring Europe, the Dow Jones Islamic Market Europe Titans 25 Index, which measures the performance of the 25 of the leading Shari’ah compliant stocks in Europe, closed at 2038.34, a loss of -1.88%, while the conventional Dow Jones Europe Index lost -2.46%, closing at 243.25.
Measuring the performance of 50 of the largest Shari’ah compliant U.S. stocks, the Dow Jones Islamic Market U.S. Titans 50 Index increased, closing at 2080.66. It represents a gain of 1.38%. The U.S. blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 2.14%, closing at 10282.41.
Source: Mondovisione
February 2010 “Market’s Measure” - Preliminary Report - A Monthly Report From Dow Jones Indexes And STOXX Ltd. On The Performance Of U.S., European, Asia And Other Global Stock Market Indexes
February 23, 2010--Dow Jones Industrial Average Posts 3.14% Gain in FEBRUARY, European Stocks Gain 1.30%, Asia Rises 1.57% and World Equities Rise by 1.19%
Basic Materials Sector Posts Biggest Gain for February in U.S.
Automobiles & Parts Sector Takes the Hardest Hit for February in Europe
As of February 22 the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 3.14% in February, closing at 10383.38. Stock market indexes in Europe, Asia and globally was up in February, according to preliminary monthly figures from global index providers, Dow Jones Indexes and STOXX Ltd.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 3.14% in February, closing at 10383.38. Year-to-date, the index is down -0.43%
. Measuring Europe, the Dow Jones STOXX 50 Index is up 1.30% for February, closing at 2510.61. Year-to-date, the index is down -2.89%.
Measuring Eastern Europe, the Dow Jones STOXX EU Enlarged Total Market Index is down -2.14% for February, closing at 209.11. Year-to-date, the index is up 0.78%.
The performance of the Dow Jones STOXX EU Enlarged 15 blue-chip index is down -3.29% for February, closing at 2181.84. The index is down -0.53% so far this year.
The Dow Jones Asian Titans 50 Index rose 1.57% in February to 131.84. So far this year, the index is down -1.81%.
The Dow Jones Global Titans 50 Index rose 1.19% in February, closing at 166.68. Year-to-date, the index is down -4.01%
Source: Mondovisione
Standard & Poor's Announces Changes In The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index
February 23, 2010--Standard & Poor's will make the following changes in the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index after the close of trading on Tuesday, February 23, 2010:
Gleichen Resources Ltd. (TSXVN:GRL) will be removed from the index. The company will graduate to TSX where it will trade under the same ticker symbol.
Castle Gold Corporation (TSXVN:CSG) will be removed from the index. The company will be delisted from TSX Venture Exchange at the request of the Company.
Company additions to and deletions from an S&P equity index do not in any way reflect an opinion on the investment merits of the company.
Source: Standard & Poors
Eurekahedge-Industry Review: February 2010
February 23, 2010--Eurekahedge Highlights for the month:
The size of global hedge fund industry currently stands at just under US$1.5 trillion – assets expected to hit US$1.68 trillion by the end of 2010.
Distressed debt hedge funds returned 2.51% for January, making it the 10th consecutive month of positive returns, gaining 44.01% over this period.
European long/short equity hedge funds delivered 0.76% in January, outperforming regional markets by 6.71%.
Source: Eurekahedge
S&P adds Asia infrastructure and natural resources to risk control indices
January 23, 2010--Standard & Poor’s has expanded its family of risk control indices with a series of launches based upon the S&P Asia Infrastructure Index and the S&P Global Natural Resources Index.
The S&P Asia Infrastructure and S&P Global Natural Resources Daily Risk Control Indices integrate a volatility control within the index rules and are designed to offer investors a way to gain exposure to infrastructure and natural resource investments while controlling the level of risk.
Source: ETF Express
February 2010 Monthly Preliminary Performance Report Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Indexes
February 22, 2010--The Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index was up 4.48% for the month of February. The Dow Jones-UBS Single Commodity Indexes for Lead, Cotton and Zinc had the strongest gains with month-to-date returns of 16.41%, 12.57% and 11.91%, respectively. The three most significant downside performing single commodity indexes were Sugar, Cocoa and Tin, which were down -10.62%, -3.34%, and -1.26% respectively, in February.
Year to date, the Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index is down -3.12% with the Dow Jones-UBS Nickel Sub-Index posting the highest gain of 11.57% so far in 2010. Dow Jones-UBS Corn Sub-Index has the most significant downside YTD performance, down -13.13%.
Source: Mondovisione
SIFMA Securitization Group Stresses Need for Coordinated, Comprehensive and Measured Regulation
February 22, 2010--In a comment letter filed today with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association’s Securitization Group (SSG) expresses its support for coordinated, comprehensive and measured regulation to improve the safety and soundness of the securitization market and for an insolvency safe harbor to provide certainty to market participants and investors
However, SIFMA stresses the need for regulation to be coordinated within the broader context of regulatory reform, and to base criteria for a safe harbor on the legal principles of isolation of assets in insolvency.
“We support reasonable efforts to restore and reshape the securitization market, but we do not believe the proposed safe harbor is an appropriate means of regulation,” said Chris Killian, vice president at SIFMA. “Securitization is a key component to ensuring credit availability to consumers and businesses, and therefore plays a critically important role in the economic recovery. Changes to regulation of the securitization market must be done in a coordinated manner which incorporates the views of various market participants, regulators and policymakers, and is mindful of the impact of the sum total of the changes on the ability of institutions to utilize securitization to fund credit creation.”
The comment letter was filed in response to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) advance notice of proposed rulemaking, which would amend the current safe harbor treatment. SIFMA does not believe the proposed safe harbor is the appropriate means to regulate the securitization market for two reasons:
Source: SIFMA
Research Confirms Shifts in Global Foreign Exchange Trading Patterns and Reactions to Credit Constraints
February 22, 2010--CME Group, the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, today released results from its third annual Global Foreign Exchange (FX) Market Study of both cash and exchange-traded FX products. Overall, concerns over counterparty risk remain high, albeit reduced slightly from last year.
"This year's study with our partner ClientKnowledge illustrates that there continues to be a fundamental shift in the global FX market towards risk mitigation," said Derek Sammann, Managing Director of Financial Products, CME Group. "Investors continue to look for alternative ways to mitigate counterparty risk in both the over-the-counter (OTC) and futures markets. By offering liquidity, transparency and credit risk mitigation, we provide investors with the solutions they need to manage their risk on exchange. In addition, we plan to offer a post-execution clearing service for OTC FX trades through CME ClearPort giving market participants increased security, efficiency and flexibility."
view summary of Third Annual Global FX Market Study: 2009
Source: CME Group
