Investors ignore analyst forecasts, study finds
December 23, 2009--Analysts’ earnings forecasts have a negligible effect on a company’s share price, according to new research that will raise further doubts over stock-pickers’ ability to move markets.
The study will fuel the debate over the usefulness of analysts’ predictions for hedge funds, which want research that affects share prices, at a time when banks are seeking to attract investors that trade frequently.
The authors of the study – Robert Hansen and Vadim Balashov of Tulane University and Oya Altinkilic of the University of Pittsburgh – looked at 196,000 revisions of quarterly and longer-term earnings forecasts by analysts between 1997 and 2007.
Source: FT.com
December 2009 “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
December 22, 2009--Dow Jones Industrial Average Posts 0.67% Gain in DECEMBER, European Stocks Gain 4.55%, Asia Falls 2.05% and World Equities Fall by 0.35%
Basic Resources Sector Posts Biggest Gain for 2009 in Europe & Worldwide
Technology Sector Takes the Hardest Hit for 2009 in Asia
As of December 21 the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.67% in December, closing at 10414.14. Stock market indexes in Europe rose while Asia and globally indexes were down in December, according to preliminary monthly figures from global index providers, Dow Jones Indexes and STOXX Ltd.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.67% in December, closing at 10414.14. Year-to-date, the index is up 18.66%.
Measuring Europe, the Dow Jones STOXX 50 Index is up 4.55% for December, closing at 2543.24. Year-to-date, the index is up 22.04%.
Measuring Eastern Europe, the Dow Jones STOXX EU Enlarged Total Market Index is down 0.77% for December, closing at 202.15. Year-to-date, the index is up 33.45%.
The performance of the Dow Jones STOXX EU Enlarged 15 blue-chip index is down 1.96% for December, closing at 2141.42. The index is up 30.26% so far this year.
The Dow Jones Asian Titans 50 Index fell 2.05% in December to 129.83. So far this year, the index is up 26.56%.
The Dow Jones Global Titans 50 Index fell 0.35% in December, closing at 172.14. Year-to-date, the index is up 19.55%.
Source: Dow Jones Indexes
ETF Landscape: Industry Preview - December 2009
December 21, 2009--Highlights
Global ETF and ETP Industry 2009:
* Global ETF assets have hit an all time high of US$982 Bn at the end of November 2009; 4.3% above the previous all time high of US$942 Bn set in October 2009.
* At the end of November 2009 the Global ETF industry had 1,907 ETFs with 3,678 listings and assets of $982.28 Bn, from 103 providers on 39 exchanges around the world.
* Globally, net sales of mutual funds (excluding ETFs) were US$13.3 Bn, while net sales of ETFs were US$93.8 Bn during the first nine months of 2009 according to Strategic Insight.
* Additionally, there were 601 other Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) with assets of US$154.52 Bn from 40 providers on 19 exchanges.
* Combined, there were 2,508 products with 4,565 listings and assets of US$1,136.80 Bn from 129 providers on 42 exchanges around the world.
US ETF and ETP Industry 2009:
* US ETF assets have hit an all time high of US$665 Bn at the end of November 2009 which tops the previous all time high of US$640 Bn set in October 2009.
* At the end of November 2009 the US ETF industry had 753 ETFs and assets of $665.45 Bn, from 26 providers on two exchanges.
* In the US, net sales of mutual funds (excluding ETFs) were minus US$131.5 Bn, while net sales of ETFs domiciled in the US were positive US$64.0 Bn in the first nine months of 2009 according to Strategic Insight.
* Additionally, there were 144 other Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) with assets of US$88.38 Bn from 18 providers on one exchange.
* Combined, there were 897 products with assets of US$753.82 Bn from 40 providers on two exchanges in the US.
European ETF and ETP Industry 2009:
* European ETF assets have hit an all time high of US$217 Bn at the end of November 2009 which is 5.5% above the previous all time high of US$206 Bn set in October 2009 and 35.5% above the high of
* At the end of November 2009 the European ETF industry had 812 ETFs with 2,315 listings and assets of $216.78
* In Europe net sales of mutual funds (excluding ETFs) were US$177.7 Bn while net sales of ETFs domiciled in Europe were US$28.6 Bn during the first nine months of 2009 according to Lipper FMI.
* Additionally, there were 175 other Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) with assets of US$19.95 Bn from five providers on six exchanges.
* Combined, there were 987 products with assets of US$236.73 Bn from 33 providers on 18 exchanges in Europe.
Source: ETF Research and Implementation Strategy, Blackrock
Dubai Gold Securities: Gold Investments Continue To Shine Despite New Price Highs
December 20, 2009--Central banks increasingly looking at gold for its diversification properties, Q3 2009 marked the second consecutive quarter-on-quarter improvement in both jewellery and investment demand, Demand for gold investment to remain strong with investors looking for simpler and secure means to play the gold market
The outlook for gold investment remains positive and will continue to be underpinned by inflation, economic uncertainty and investors' search for diversification, Rozanna Wozniak, Investment Research Manager at the World Gold Council stated in a webinar on Gold Demand Trends.
Wozniak presented an analysis of Q3 2009 gold demand supply dynamics and trends to investors and traders via a webinar on arabianbusiness.com jointly hosted with Dubai Gold Securities.
"The recent positive steps by India and Sri Lanka to acquire gold suggest that central banks are increasingly looking at gold for its diversification properties. While the outlook for gold investment is healthy in western economies, trends in the non-western markets are likely to mirror the jewellery market," Wozniak said.
Source: Zawya
Gold falls 3 percent as dollar surges versus euro
December 18, 2009--Gold prices fell 3 percent in Europe on Thursday, pressured by the dollar's rise to 3-1/2 month highs against the euro as new concerns emerged over Greece's fiscal health.
A statement by the Federal Reserve, in which it voiced growing optimism on the U.S. economy after it left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, also supported the dollar.
Spot gold was bid at $1,104.10 an ounce at 1654 GMT (11:54 a.m. EST), against $1,137.80 late in New York on Wednesday. Earlier it touched a low of $1,102.90.
"We had the downgrading of Greece, and that is putting a bit of tension back into the euro," said Ole Hansen, senior manager at Saxo Bank.
Source: Reuters
CFTC Montly Bank Participation Report
December 2009-Futures
Source: CFTC
Deutsche Bank to ‘globalise’ bonus pain
“We will clearly globalise it,” Josef Ackermann, Deutsche’s chief executive, told the Financial Times, in remarks that risk angering staff outside London. “If parts [of the cost of the tax] are paid out of the bonus pool, we would seek to globalise it. It would be unfair to treat the UK bankers differently.”
Source: FT.com
U.S. International Reserve Position
I. Official reserve assets and other foreign currency assets (approximate market value, in US millions)
December 17, 2009--These monthly reports list commodities and U.S. and foreign banks active in the futures and options markets.
December 17, 2009--Deutsche Bank will spread the pain of Britain’s controversial supertax on bankers’ bonuses among its staff around the world, becoming the first leading international group to spell out how it will deal with the financial hit.
December 17, 2009--The Treasury Department today released U.S. reserve assets data for the latest week. As indicated in this table, U.S. reserve assets totaled $135,827 million as of the end of that week, compared to $136,431 million as of the end of the prior week.
|
|
|||
|
December 11, 2009 |
|||
A. Official reserve assets (in US millions unless otherwise specified) 1 |
Euro |
Yen |
Total |
|
(1) Foreign currency reserves (in convertible foreign currencies) |
|
|
135,827 |
|
(a) Securities |
10,396 |
14,576 |
24,972 |
|
of which: issuer headquartered in reporting country but located abroad |
|
|
0 |
|
(b) total currency and deposits with: |
|
|
|
|
(i) other national central banks, BIS and IMF |
15,042 |
7,100 |
22,142 |
|
ii) banks headquartered in the reporting country |
|
|
0 |
|
of which: located abroad |
|
|
0 |
|
(iii) banks headquartered outside the reporting country |
|
|
0 |
|
of which: located in the reporting country |
|
|
0 |
|
(2) IMF reserve position 2 |
13,721 |
|||
(3) SDRs 2 |
58,672 |
|||
(4) gold (including gold deposits and, if appropriate, gold swapped) 3 |
11,041 |
|||
--volume in millions of fine troy ounces |
261.499 |
|||
(5) other reserve assets (specify) |
5,278 |
|||
--financial derivatives |
|
|||
--loans to nonbank nonresidents |
|
|||
--other (foreign currency assets invested through reverse repurchase agreements) |
5,278 |
|||
B. Other foreign currency assets (specify) |
|
|||
--securities not included in official reserve assets |
|
|||
--deposits not included in official reserve assets |
|
|||
--loans not included in official reserve assets |
|
|||
--financial derivatives not included in official reserve assets |
|
|||
--gold not included in official reserve assets |
|
|||
--other |
|
|
|
|
Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Leaders set for 'insufficient' climate change deal
December 17, 2009--A global deal to address climate change is likely to be agreed today but the commitments it contains on cutting greenhouse gases will fall short of the minimum target set by the UN’s science body.
The European Union is preparing to increase its commitment on cutting emissions as part of an endgame at the Copenhagen summit which will see other countries making similar concessions.
A pledge yesterday by the United States to contribute to a $100 billion (£60 billion) annual climate protection fund appeared to have won sufficient support from developing countries, which are desperate not to walk away empty-handed from the summit.
Source: Timeson-line
ETF Landscape: Industry Review - November 2009
December 17, 2009--This report is a review of the Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) industry through the end of October 2009.
At the end of October 2009 the global ETF industry had 1,859 ETFs with 3,327 listings and assets of US$941.85, from 97 providers on 40 exchanges around the world.
Source: Source: ETF Research and Implementation Strategy Team, Blackrock