Global ETF News Older than One Year
Keeping the Wheels of Commerce Turning
June 10, 2019--The tariff disputes roiling markets are a reminder that the global system of free trade, which has delivered so much prosperity, is a fragile one.
We all know what happened in the 1930s, when trade wars only served to deepen the misery inflicted by the Great Depression.
That is why, after World War II, countries agreed to gradually reduce tariffs.
But many continued to restrict flows of goods across borders in other ways as they sought to give their domestic industries an edge over foreign competitors.
One common method was to impose different exchange rates for different kinds of transactions in a bid to stimulate exports and discourage imports. That is one example of what is known as a multiple currency practice, or MCP. Another is to offer favorable exchange rates to selected industries. view more
Source: IMF
ECB Working Paper-Competition among high-frequency traders, and market quality
June 10, 2019--1 Introduction
High-frequency traders (HFTs) are market participants that are characterized by the high speed with which they react to incoming news, the low inventory on their books, and the large number of trades they execute (SEC (2010)). The high-frequency trading industry grew rapidly since its inception in the mid-2000s and today high-frequency trading represents about 50% of trading in US equity markets (down from a 2009 peak, when it topped 60%; see report of the TABB Group, 2017).
A distinguishing feature of the high-frequency industry is fierce competition (see, e.g., Wall Street Journal, 2017). While existing empirical research focuses on the general effects of high-frequency trading on market liquidity, price discovery and volatility, the question of how competition among HFTs affects market quality and market dynamics is largely unaddressed. Recent theoretical models predict that competition among HFTs can harm market liquidity.
Source: ECB
Humans beat machines in rocky month for equities
June 9, 2019--Humans beat machines in rocky month for equities. Traditional stockpicking fund managers have enjoyed an unusually good stretch in recent weeks even as machine-driven "quant" funds have fizzled, nurturing hopes that rockier markets may help human investors launch a comeback.
Source: FT.com
57 Carbon Pricing Initiatives Now in Place Globally, Latest World Bank Report Finds
June 7, 2019--Carbon pricing policies continue to make headway, but coverage and the price levels are still insufficient.
57 carbon pricing initiatives are now implemented or scheduled for implementation globally, up from 51 in April 2018 according to the annual State and Trends of Carbon Pricing report launched today at the Innovate4Climate conference in Singapore.
The report, which presents the latest developments of carbon pricing around the world, finds that in the past year new carbon pricing initiatives continued to emerge, mostly at the subnational level and in the Americas. These include new carbon pricing initiatives in Canadian provinces and territories, driven by Canada's federal carbon pricing approach. At the national level, initiatives were launched in Argentina, South Africa, and Singapore; and countries exploring new or complimentary policies include Colombia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Senegal, Ukraine, and Vietnam.
view the State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2019 report
Source: World Bank
FTSE Russell-Uncovering fixed income factors. The concept of 'carry'
June 7, 2019-The concept of "carry" is not new and has been leveraged in the currency markets for decades. More recently, however, academic publications have further explored this concept cross-markets and showcased evidence of the carry premium across other asset classes.
Our latest research paper, "The Carry Concept"-the second in our latest series of fixed income factor research-provides an in-depth analysis of the carry concept in bond markets.
In the paper we explore;
The 'carry' concept
Targeting 'carry' in sovereign markets
Extending 'carry' to corporate bonds
Real world utilization
As a well-known concept to practitioners and academics, carry has been leveraged in the currency markets for decades. With the understanding of such FX carry trades becoming established, recent academic publications have explored this concept cross-markets and showcased evidence of the carry premium across other asset classes.
Source: FTSE Russell
Nasdaq Commodities postpones launch of new trading system
June 7, 2019--Nasdaq Commodities will postpone the introduction of a new planned trading system, which was set to go live for its members on June 10, the exchange said in a statement on Friday.
The new trading system is called Request for Quote Trading System, or RFQ, and it offers a platform where price quotes will be provided on request.
Source: Reuters
FSB report considers implications of decentralised financial technologies
June 6, 2019--The Financial Stability Board (FSB) today published a report on Decentralised financial technologies. This report considers the financial stability, regulatory and governance implications of the use of decentralised financial technologies such as those involving distributed ledgers and online peer-to-peer, or user-matching, platforms.
The report has been delivered to G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors for their meeting in Fukuoka on 8-9 June, which includes a High-Level Seminar on Financial Innovation.
The report focuses on technologies that may reduce or eliminate the need for intermediaries or centralised processes that have traditionally been involved in the provision of financial services. Such decentralisation generally takes one of three broad forms: the decentralisation of decision-making, risk-taking or record-keeping. There are already examples emerging of decentralisation in payments and settlement, capital markets, trade finance and lending.
Source: FSB
Emerging Market regulators issue recommendations related to sustainable finance
June 5, 2019--Securities regulators from growth and emerging markets today published a report that sets forth recommendations related to the development of sustainable finance in emerging markets and the role of securities regulators in this area.
IOSCO's Growth and Emerging Market Committee (GEMC) today published the report Sustainable finance in emerging markets and the role of securities regulators, which provides 10 recommendations for emerging market member jurisdictions to consider when issuing regulations or guidance regarding sustainable financial instruments.
Among other things, the recommendations include requirements for reporting and disclosure of material Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) specific risks, aimed at enhancing transparency.
Source: IOSCO
Solactive releases innovative Global Equity Index with Research Company CIMalgo AB
June 5, 2019--Solactive is pleased to announce the release of its latest innovation in complex Index development. The Solactive CIMalgo Wedge R100 Index uses sophisticated algorithms that reduce the portfolio's beta and volatility while keeping exposure to the global equity market.
After the release of a series of thematic indices with various asset managers, Frankfurt's multi-asset index shop, Solactive, releases a novum in complex indexing: The Solactive CIMalgo Wedge R100 Index contains a scientific approach that intends to track the price movements of a portfolio of 100 equally weighted stocks, selected from a universe of the 2000 largest corporations globally.
Source: Solactive AG
World Gold Council Gold-backed ETFs experienced small outflows in May
June 5, 2019--Holdings in global gold-backed ETFs and similar products fell marginally in May by 2.2 tonnes (t) to 2,421t, equivalent to US$141mn in outflows as consistent European fund growth was offset by outflows in North America-early in the month-and in Asia. Global assets under management (AUM) in US dollars rose 1% to US$101bn as the price of gold rallied 1.7% during May
Year to date, global gold-backed ETFs have lost 0.5% in assets (19t, US$535mn), mostly due to heavy outflows in February, April and early May. However, higher uncertainty and market volatility have supported flight-to-quality flows into gold-backed ETFs in recent weeks.
Source: World Gold Council
