Global ETF News Older than One Year
Corruption Perceptions Index 2015: Corruption still rife but 2015 saw pockets of hope
January 27, 2016--Transparency International calls on people everywhere to speak out against corruption
2015 showed that people working together can succeed in the battle against corruption.
Although corruption is still rife globally, more countries improved their scores in the 2015 edition of Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index than declined.
Overall, two-thirds of the 168 countries on the 2015 index scored below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean).
view the 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index
Source: Transparency International
Exchange traded funds (ETFs): Understanding the future opportunities and challenges
January 26, 2016-The ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) market is growing at a rapid pace. Growing far beyond their initial function of tracking large liquid indices in developed markets, ETFs now hold over $2.6 trillion of assets globally.
ETFs are no longer a niche product, and their impact will continue to be felt much more widely than imagined. As such, all financial services firms should consider developing an ETF strategy.
In this report, we have surveyed asset managers, service providers and other industry participants around the world in an effort to better understand regional developments in ETFs and use their expertise as a sounding board for our own perspectives.
view the pwc ETF 2020 Preparing for a new horizon report
Source: PwC
Foreign Direct Investment stocks at the end of 2014-The EU, a net investor in the rest of the world
Main FDI partner: by far the United States
January 26, 2016--At the end of 2014, the European Union (EU) held Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) stocks of €5 749 billion in the rest of the world (+7.6% compared with the end of 2013),
while stocks held by the rest of the world in the EU amounted to €4 583 bn (+9.6%), meaning that the EU held a net investment position of €1 166 bn vis-a-vis the rest of the world.
Source: Eurostat
IMF Working Paper A First Look at Sectoral Balance Sheet Data
January 26, 2016--Summary: This paper analyzes the nonfinancial corporation (NFC) sector's financial balance sheets using data available from the OECD.
In our sample of 20 advanced economies, corporate debt in percent of GDP-a frequently used indicator in the context of corporate balance sheet adjustments-has remained high since the global financial crisis, with significant differences in the level and the trend between the high-debt and low-debt groups. Looking at financial balance sheets more broadly, including net financial wealth, the NFC sector's balance sheet conditions have improved recently, particularly reflecting accumulation of corporate cash and valuation gains on financial assets. Longer time series and more granular data for Japan, which has been experiencing a prolonged period of balance sheet adjustments, indicate that a continued strengthening of balance sheets might occur even after debt levels are reduced.
view the IMF Working Paper A First Look at Sectoral Balance Sheet Data
Source: IMF
Infographic-Three Major Reasons for Gold in 2016
January 26, 2016--This year looks to be another one of increased volatility as the market see-saws in different directions.
Here are three compelling reasons why 2016 may be the perfect time to add gold to your portfolio.
Source: visualcapitalist.com
ETF Securities Equity Research: Gold miners caught in a value trap
January 26, 2016--Summary
Gold miners are historically very cheap but at this juncture are likely to be a value trap due to profitability concerns.
Gold miners are facing deteriorating ore grades despite the CAPEX splurges from 2007 to 2013 and recent mine closures haven’t improved margins.
The recent slide in energy prices and the depreciation of currencies in jurisdictions where local miners operate, has had minimal positive impact on cash costs.
We prefer gold relative to gold miners until the fundamentals improve.
Source: ETF Securities
World Bank Lowers 2016 Forecasts for 37 of 46 Commodity Prices, Including Oil
Further economic slowdown in major emerging economies could push commodity markets lower
January 26, 2016--The World Bank is lowering its 2016 forecast for crude oil prices to $37 per barrel in its latest Commodity Markets Outlook report from $51 per barrel in its October projections.
The lower forecast reflects a number of supply and demand factors. These include sooner-than-anticipated resumption of exports by the Islamic Republic of Iran, greater resilience in U.S. production due to cost cuts and efficiency gains, a mild winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and weak growth prospects in major emerging market economies, according to the World Bank's latest quarterly report.
view the Commodity Markets Outlook Weak Growth in Emerging Economies January 2016 report and Commodity Markets
Source: World Bank
Fears Over Global Trade Declines Pointing To Recession Are Misplaced, Source Says
January 25, 2016--Fears that declining global trade points to economic stagnation are misplaced-not least because world exports are actually growing when measured in non-US dollar terms, according to Paul Jackson
Head of Multi Asset Research at Source, one of Europe's largest exchange traded product providers. The latest Uncommon Truths research paper from Source's Multi-Asset Research team points out that while world exports have been shrinking by around 12% year-on-year (y-o-y) since..
Source: myinforms.com
The Making of the "Big Four" Banking Oligopoly in One Chart
January 25, 2016--The "Big Four" retail banks in the United States collectively hold 45% of all customer bank deposits for a total of $4.6 trillion.
The fifth biggest retail bank, U.S. Bancorp, is nothing to sneeze at, either. It's got 3,151 banking offices and employs 65,000 people. However, it still pales in comparison with the Big Four, holding only a mere $271 billion in deposits.
Source: visualcapitalist.com
WEF-Internet Fragmentation: An Overview
January 23, 2016--A thriving and open Internet provides the foundation for the fourth industrial revolution. There has been growing concern that the Internet may be in danger of splintering into a series of bordered cyberspace segments endangering its very nature.
World Economic Forum's Global Challenge on the Future of the Internet supported research highlights a number of fault lines that need to be addressed by bringing all stakeholders together.
view the white paper-Internet Fragmentation: An Overview
Source: World Economic Forum
