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IMF-Regional Economic Outlook Update: Western Hemisphere-Latin America and the Caribbean
October 11, 2013--Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) remains in low gear, reflecting a less supportive external environment and, in some cases, domestic supply-side constraints. The region's output is projected to expand by 2¾ percent in 2013, with domestic demand remaining the main driver. The growth rate is expected to edge up to 3 percent in 2014 as external demand strengthens gradually, but will remain below the average growth rate of the last decade.
In countries with low inflation and anchored inflation expectations, monetary policy should be the first line of defense if downside risks to the baseline materialize. Fiscal consolidation remains appropriate for countries with tight capacity constraints or limited fiscal space; it will also help constrain the continued widening of current account deficits. Safeguarding financial stability is a key priority in an environment of tighter global financial conditions and increased asset price volatility.
view the Regional Economic Update-Latin America and the Caribbean, October 2013
Source: IMF
S&P Dow Jones Indices Announces Quarterly Index Reviews
October 11, 2013--S&P Dow Jones Indices Canadian Index Operations announces the following index changes as a result of the quarterly S&P/TSX Preferred Share Index and S&P/TSX Venture Select Index Reviews.
These changes will be effective at the open on Monday, October 21, 2013.
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Source: Wall Street Journal
Exclusive: U.S. watchdog readies tighter new commodity limits rule
October 11, 2013--The U.S. derivatives regulator is finishing a new rule to curb speculators with large positions in commodity markets that is in parts tougher than the previous version, two sources with direct knowledge of the plan said.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Gary Gensler is rushing to get a revamped rule out before his term runs out in December, said the sources, even while agency lawyers are preparing to defend the original position limits rule that was knocked back by a U.S. court last year.
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Source: Reuters
Investors Increasingly Concerned About Interest Rate Risk, Look to Short Term Instruments in Search for Yield
State Street Global Advisors Launches Ultra Short Term Bond ETF as the category captures more than $9 billion year to date(1)
October 10, 2013--State Street Global Advisors (SSgA)*, the asset management arm of State Street Corporation (NYSE:STT), today announced the launch of the SPDR SSgA Ultra Short Term Bond ETF (Symbol: ULST). The newest actively managed SPDR ETF began trading on the NYSE Arca on October 10, 2013, and provides investors with access to a diversified portfolio of ultra short term bonds.
"The SPDR SSgA Ultra Short Term Bond ETF is an attractive option for the cash investor who is seeking incremental yield but does not want to sacrifice liquidity," said James Ross, senior managing director and global head of SPDR ETFs at SSgA. "We are seeing tremendous flows year to date in short and ultra short term bonds, as investors are increasingly anticipating rising interest rates."
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Source: Wall Street Journal
CIBC Investor's Edge enhances online investment platform for self-directed investors
Launches new ETF Centre; adds research from Morningstar, Thomson Reuters
October 10, 2013--CIBC Investor's Edge Inc. today announced enhancements to its online trading platform for self-directed clients with a new ETF Centre and added tools and research from Morningstar and Thomson Reuters.
The new ETF Centre is a comprehensive, one-stop place for self-directed investors on exchange-traded funds, with extensive educational resources ...
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Source: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
ProShares Launches S&P 500 Aristocrats ETF (NOBL)
October 10, 2013--ProShares, a premier provider of alternative ETFs, today launched the S&P 500(R) Aristocrats ETF (NYSE Arca: NOBL), the first fund that invests in the select group of S&P 500(R) companies that have increased their dividends for at least 25 consecutive years.
The ETF tracks the S&P 500® Dividend Aristocrats(R)Index, which since its 2005 inception has outperformed the S&P 500 with less volatility.
"Consistent dividend growth is considered an important indicator of a company’s financial strength," said Michael Sapir, Chairman and CEO of ProShare Advisors LLC, ProShares' investment advisor.
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Source: ProShares
Invesco PowerShares Lists China A-Share ETF
The First ETF Providing China A-Shares Market Exposure Using SGX FTSE China A50 Index Futures
October 10, 2013--Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC, a leading global provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), today announced the launch of the PowerShares China A-Share Portfolio (NYSE Arca: CHNA) on the NYSE Arca. CHNA is the first ETF providing exposure to the China A-Shares market by investing primarily in SGX FTSE China A50 Index Futures.
"U.S. investors currently have very limited access to China's domestic A-Shares market, which embodies the amazing growth story of the world's second largest economy by GDP," said Lorraine Wang, Invesco PowerShares global head of ETF products and research. "The PowerShares China A-Share Portfolio (CHNA) is uniquely designed to provide a liquid, efficient and cost effective alternative to direct investments in China A-Shares."
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Source: Wall Street Journal
US default swaps trade soars on debt fear
October 9, 2013--Growing investor fears that Washington could miss a payment on its debt has led to a surge in activity in the once-sleepy market for derivatives that insure against a US default.
Average daily trading of credit default swaps (CDS), which give investors protection on US government debt, has jumped to £150m in the past week from about £1.6m in recent months, according to the trading desks of two major European banks.
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Source: FT.com
World Bank: Latin America's Economy Is Decelerating but, in a Historic Shift, Currencies Now Provide Lift
Exchange rate acts as shock absorber and economic booster
In spite of 2.5 % expected growth, pessimism over LAC's future unwarranted
Small countries with less flexible currencies need to find fiscal buffers
October 9, 2013--For the first time, currencies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are absorbing some of the shocks derived from a less friendly global environment, according to the latest report by the World Bank Chief Economist Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, Latin America's Deceleration and the Exchange Rate Buffer.
Depreciated currencies not only lower the cost of exports but also raise the cost of imports, making the export and local industries more competitive and boosting job creation.
LAC, together with other emerging markets, is entering a new phase of lower growth dynamics, as the tailwinds that blew so favorably in its direction in the recent past continue to recede. Growth rates in middle-income countries in Eastern Europe, East Asia, and LAC, as well as China have declined by about 3 percentage points from their 2010 peaks to the present. In the case of LAC, the growth rate has fallen from about 6 percent in 2010 to around 3 percent in 2012 and to an estimated 2.5 percent in 2013, with a predictable heterogeneity within the region.
view the World Bank Report: Latin America's Deceleration and the Exchange Rate Buffer
Source: World Bank
Nasdaq hopes new testing technology will halt glitches, head off regulators
October 9, 2013--During peak hours, stock traders use complex algorithms to generate millions of messages per second about what they're buying, selling or canceling.
But a spate of high-profile technology glitches has proved that these algorithms don't always interact without a hitch, and regulators are exploring whether they should force market players to test their technologies before unleashing them on the world.
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Source: Washington Post
