Global ETF News Older than One Year
Pensions funds consider shift back into property
January 11, 2010--European and North American pension funds are planning to increase investments in real estate over the coming year and the majority of schemes are reviewing external managers, an asset allocation survey has suggested.
Findings of a study conducted in December by Bfinance indicated there is still a trend among the 63 schemes surveyed to move towards riskier assets, and 27% of those questioned said they are planning to increase their target allocations to property over the next six months.
The recent turmoil in investment markets and subsequent underperformance means at least 62% of the respondents have also either put their managers on a watchlist or have already reviewed the firms employed to look after an average 21% of their assets under management.
Source: IP&E
NYSE Euronext Global Index Group Announces 2009 Performance of Indices
NYSE Euronext Global Index Group Announces 2009 Performance of Indices
January 11, 2010--NYSE Euronext’s (NYSE Euronext: NYX) Global Index Group today announced the 2009 performance of its benchmark indices.
This report is a part of a regular series by NYSE Euronext’s Global Index Group and utilizes the exchange’s recently integrated systems and new business development initiatives.
Accomplishments 2009
In 2009, the NYSE Euronext’s Global Index Group added 25 new indices. These new indices included the NYSE Euronext Iberian Index, which covers the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal ).
Several new indices were also introduced that support trading strategies around the main proprietary indices, CAC 40 and AEX. In the spring, the equal-weighted indices came to the market, while later in the year dividend point indices (DI) were launched for the CAC 40 and AEX. In December, a futures contract based on the CAC DI was introduced and an AEX DI version is expected soon.
In the U.S. , 5 new indices were either released or in last stages of development: four NYSE Current Treasury Indices and the Junior Gold BUGS Index is expected shortly.
Source: Eurex
NYSE Euronext Announces Trading Volumes and Other Metrics for December 2009
January 8, 2010--NYSE Euronext (NYX) today announced trading volumes and other metrics for its global derivatives and cash equities exchanges for December 2009[1]. Trading volumes in December 2009 were mixed, with European Derivatives volumes increasing 40.8% and U.S. options trading volumes increasing 92.2% versus prior year. U.S. and European cash equities trading volumes, however, declined 30.5% and 9.1%, respectively, from prior year levels.
Highlights
NYSE Euronext European derivatives products average daily volume (“ADV”) in December 2009 of 4.0 million contracts increased 40.8% compared to December 2008, but decreased 6.8% from November 2009. Total European interest rate products ADV in December 2009 of 1.8 million contracts increased 51.8% compared to December 2008, but decreased 21.5% from November 2009. Total equity products ADV of 2.1 million contracts in December 2009 increased 33.1% compared to December 2008, and increased 10.6% from November 2009.
Source: NYSE Euronext
Independent firms will shape 2010 asset management M&A
Janaury 8, 2010--M&A in the global asset management industry in 2009 was dominated by mega-deals, with a record nine transactions announced involving firms with more than USD100bn in assets under management.
Yet several deals in the fourth quarter signal a new phase driven by a greater number of transactions primarily involving independent firms, according to the financial institutions group of Jefferies.
Source: ETF Express
EDHEC-Risk Institute Announces Rebranding of its Risk and Asset Management Research Centre
January 6, 2010--EDHEC-Risk Institute, the leading centre for asset and risk management research, announced today that the official name for the holding entity governing its entire range of activities would henceforth be ‘EDHEC-Risk Institute’.
Formerly called the ‘EDHEC Risk and Asset Management Research Centre’, EDHEC-Risk Institute was set up in 2001 to conduct world-class academic research and highlight its applications to the industry.
In keeping with this mission, the institute systematically seeks to validate the academic quality of its research through publications in leading scholarly journals, implements a multifaceted communications policy to inform investors and asset managers on state-of-the-art concepts and techniques, and develops business partnerships to launch innovative products.
Professor Noël Amenc, Director of EDHEC-Risk Institute, said “Over the past nine years, the brand name ‘EDHEC-Risk’ has become synonymous with state-of-the-art financial research applied to asset management. We felt that this widely-recognised brand name should be shared across the whole range of our activities that benefit from the involvement of the EDHEC-Risk research team, whether educational activities (the EDHEC-Risk Institute PhD in Finance, the EDHEC-Risk Institute Executive MSc in Risk and Investment Management and the joint CFA Institute/EDHEC-Risk Institute Advances in Asset Allocation Seminars); research publications and debates with the industry (EDHEC-Risk Institute Position Papers and Publications); conferences (the EDHEC-Risk Alternative Investment Days and the EDHEC-Risk Institutional Days); or products and services (EDHEC-Risk Indexes).”
Source: EDHEC-Risk Institute
3 Chinese Companies Listed on NASDAQ in 2009, More Than Any ther U.S. Exchange
Total of 124 Chinese Companies Listed on NASDAQ
January 6, 2010--Senior NASDAQ OMX officials
today announced that a record 33 Chinese companies, the most of any
U.S. exchange, listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, an exchange of NASDAQ
OMX, in 2009. A total of 124 Chinese companies now list on NASDAQ,
including 102 from mainland China and 22 from Taiwan, Hong Kong and
Macau. NASDAQ recently celebrated its 100th milestone listing from
mainland China, China Nuokang Bio-Pharmaceutical Inc. (NKBP), a
healthcare company that focuses on blood and cardiovascular treatments.
"The NASDAQ Stock Market is the exchange of choice for innovative,
growth-oriented companies across all key sectors of China's economy,"
said Eric Landheer, Head of Asia Pacific for NASDAQ OMX. "That's why
more than 33 Chinese companies chose to list on our exchange in 2009."
"Every day we talk to Chinese companies about how they can access the
world's largest capital market with the highest listing standards and
greatest liquidity," said Yeeli Hua Zheng, Chief Representative in
China for NASDAQ OMX. "Chinese companies want to go abroad in order to
expand their investor base and enhance their global brand, and they are
doing so by listing on NASDAQ, the home of innovation and growth."
Recent switches of Chinese companies from NYSE to the NASDAQ Stock
Market include Hong Kong High Power Technology (HPJ), H1N1 vaccine
manufacturer Sinovac Biotech (SVA) and sportswear manufacturer and
retailer Exceed (EDS). During 2009, a total of 24 companies have
switched or announced their intent to switch from NYSE to the NASDAQ
Stock Market, including Vodafone, Mattel, Dreamworks and Micron.
The 124 Chinese listed companies on NASDAQ include Baidu, NASDAQ's
largest listed company in China and a member of the prestigious
NASDAQ-100 Index(R), Asia Info, CNinsure, Inc., JA Solar, Ctrip.com
International Ltd., Home Inns and Hotels, Sohu and Sina.
Source: NASDAQ OMX
NASDAQ OMX Wins FISD Outstanding Data Provider Award
The award recognizes exchanges or data providers
that most closely adhere to the FISD's best practices in customer
service and communications. The award was determined by popular vote by
the FISD Service Level & Communications working group made up of financial information industry professionals. The award, presented recently at the FISD General Meeting in New York,
was accepted by NASDAQ OMX Senior Vice President Randall Hopkins.
"NASDAQ OMX is honored to be recognized as Outstanding Data Provider of
the Year by an esteemed group of industry experts," Hopkins said. "This
recognition is especially gratifying because we were up against some
formidable competition including some of the world's leading securities
exchanges."
Tom Davin, Managing Director of FISD, said, "Hearty congratulations are
in order for NASDAQ OMX and the other four nominated exchanges. The
award recognizes the importance that clients and distributors place on
clear and timely communications from their information providers. This
award brings additional attention to the value of the Service Level and
Communications recommendations as a reference for exchanges and
information providers throughout the market data distribution chain."
The FISD developed suggested guidelines regarding communication and
notification sent by exchanges and information providers to their
customers and downstream distribution partners for events such as
system upgrades, administrative and policy changes, new product
introductions, and unplanned interruptions. For more information about
the guidelines, visit
http://archive.fisd.net/mdadmin/bpr/FISD_BPR_Exchange_SLAv20.pdf.
Source: NASDAQ OMX
Oil nears $82 on cold snap
A slew of US data - November factory orders later in the day, besides jobless claims and employment numbers later in the week - will offer clues on the health of the economy and demand outlook from the world's top oil consumer.
Markets are also keeping an eye on an oil pricing dispute between Russia and Belarus that briefly cut off supplies to the Eastern European nation. Russia on Monday said it had resumed supplies to refineries in Belarus, but tension still simmers.
Source: FIN 24
Hedge Fund Managed Accounts 2009
To find out more, read th latest report
view Managed Accounts Special Report
Source: Hedge Week
Early Estimates From BNY Mellon Reveal Almost All Asset Classes Achieved Positive Returns in 2009
This is a strong turnabout in annual performance of UK pension funds over the last 12 months. In 2008, the average UK pension fund achieved a weighted average return of -13.6% for the year ending 31 December 2008 - the first time that BNY Mellon has recorded negative yearly returns for UK pension funds since the three-year downturn at the beginning of the decade.
UK pension funds also made gains over a three-year period to 31 December 2009 with an estimated average return of 1.7% per annum. However, over this period pension funds failed to make gains against both the Retail Prices Index and the National Average Earnings Index.
According to BNY Mellon, results were mixed over longer term periods with funds achieving an estimated weighted average return of 6.4% per annum over a five-year period. Funds made real returns over this period of 3.6% per annum against the Retail Prices Index and 3.0% per annum against the National Average Earnings Index. Over 10 years to 31 December 2009 the average fund posted an estimated return of 3.2% per annum which beat the Retail Prices Index by 0.6% per annum, however, underperformed the National Average Earnings Index by 0.5% per annum.
Over the year returns were in positive territory for each of the key equity markets with one exception - Japanese Equities which posted the only negative equity return with -5.9%.
UK Equities posted 30.1% over the period while the strongest returns came from Pacific Ex Japan Equities with 50.7% and Emerging Market Equities with 58.9%.
Bonds were negative during 2009 with UK Bonds returning -1.2% and Overseas Bonds providing -9.7%. Index-Linked Gilts performed well in comparison returning 6.4% over the same period. Property continued to struggle with this sector returning -5.6%.
Commenting on the results, Alan Wilcock, BNY Mellon Asset Servicing' Performance and Risk Analytics Manager said: "Following the worst annual return for over 30 years in 2008, pension funds clawed back most of those losses by the end of 2009, despite the poor start to the year."
Total Fund weighted average return estimate for the year:
This is calculated by linking the three quarterly weighted averages to 30 September 2009 with an estimated weighted average for Q4 2009.
The Q4 2009 estimate is calculated by applying the weighted average asset distribution for funds at the start of Q4 2009 to the sector index returns for Q4 2009.
The weighted average return represents the total performance of the pension fund assets within our sample.
The weighted average is used in preference to the simple unweighted average, which takes no account of fund asset size.
Source: BNY Mellon Asset Servicing
January 6, 2010--The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) today announced that NASDAQ OMX has been named
Outstanding Data Provider of the Year by the Financial Information
Services Division (FISD) of the Software and Information Industry
Association (SIIA).
January 5, 2010--Oil edged up towards $82 a barrel on Tuesday, posting its ninth straight day of gains, as a surprise cold snap in the key consuming regions of the United States and Europe boosted demand for heating fuel.
January 5, 2010--The race is on to offer managed account structures for hedge fund investment
UK pension funds record best return since 2005
January 5, 2010--Estimates released by BNY Mellon Asset Servicing today show that the average UK pension fund achieved an estimated weighted average return of 14.0% for the year ending 31 December 2009 - this is the best return BNY Mellon has recorded since 2005. This is an estimated real return of 14.9% when measured against the Retail Price Index for 2009 and an estimated 12.8% when measured against the National Average Earnings Index.
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