Global ETF News Older than One Year
Six Financial Sector Challenges for Emerging and Developing Economies
May 27, 2015--The relatively weak economic growth outlook, particularly for emerging and developing economies (EMDE), provides an important backdrop for the financial challenges that some of them currently face.
Recently, financial volatility returned because of various concerns in the marketplace-including (just to name a few) shifting expectations of the shape of the Federal Reserve's exit path from ultra-low interest rates and the rapid strengthening of the US dollar; the launch of quantitative easing by the European Central Bank and its impact on inflation expectations and bond markets; low and volatile oil prices; China’s growth slowdown, additional stimulus and financial-sector challenges; the standoff between the new Greek government and its creditors; and continuing geopolitical turmoil.
Source: World Bank
2015 World Energy Trilemma Report: ambitious climate framework needed now, says energy sector
May 26, 2015--Global policy uncertainty is one of the biggest obstacles to gaining the $48-53 trillion of investment needed to address climate challenges.
Proactive engagement between climate negotiators and industry implementers will be essential to ensuring measures are deliverable and targeted.
view the World Energy Trilemma Priority actions on climate change and how to balance the trilemma
view the inforgraphic-2015 World Energy Trilemma Tackling policy uncertainty
Source: World Energy Council
The Simple Reason Why Everyone Wants New Corporate Bonds
(But not everyone can have them)
May 26, 2015--Wall Street investment managers are inevitably judged against a benchmark such as a broad index of stocks or bonds or a mix of the two.
Producing returns higher than the benchmark is the holy grail for investment managers who, after all, are paid for their investing expertise and ability to outperform. This outperformance is called alpha and everyone wants it.
Source: Bloomberg Business
How your peers view robo-advisers
Advisers' answers to big questions about robo-advice
May 26, 2015--In a study set to publish in the coming week, InvestmentNews Research, in partnership with BlackRock,
surveyed over 400 advisers with the goal of identifying what separates the largest, fastest-growing firms from their peers on a host of issues affecting their businesses today.
Source: Investment News
Beware of risks in frontier market and EM corporate debt, warns HSBC
May 26, 2015--Investors must tread cautiously when searching for yield in emerging market debt (EMD), HSBC Global Asset Management has cautioned.
While these strategies look very attractive in the low yield environment, senior fixed income product specialist Brian Dunnett warned that some carry great risks.
Source: professionalpensions.com
Emerging Market ETFs Ride China Wave
May 26, 2015--Emerging market funds are in full bloom.
Despite a looming rate rise by the Federal Reserve, a strong U.S. dollar and uneven performance among emerging markets, exchange-traded funds that track the space have sprung to life since the start of April.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Smart beta strategies risk becoming crowded
May 26, 2015--If finance is all Greek to you, you are not alone.
Financial theory revolves around two Greek letters, alpha and beta and they in turn have given the investment industry its latest big idea: "smart beta". view more
Source: FT.com
ETFs endure Goldin-Hanergy rollercoaster
May 26, 2015--Some of the world's largest investors-including Vanguard and BlackRock- have been dragged along on the rollercoaster ride endured by three Hong Kong-listed stocks over the past week.
Since Wednesday, more than $30bn has been wiped from the combined market capitalisations of Hanergy Thin Film, and two listed units of Goldin Group.
Source: FT.com
International Investing: Portugal Keeps Coming Up In the News
May 26, 2015--Portugal fascinates me. Ever since I wrote an article examining whether the Greek crisis had spread to other countries in the EU which are dealing with similar austerity programs, I found Portugal intriguing.
Here is a country that borrowed heavily from the EU to bail out their economy, and then paid back the money in 2014.
Source: Peter Kohli of DMS for Nasdaq.com
GDP Growth-First Quarter 2015, Quarterly National Accounts, OECD
OECD GDP growth slows to 0.3% in the first quarter of 2015
May 26, 2015--
Growth of real gross domestic product (GDP) in the OECD area slowed to 0.3% in the first quarter of 2015, down from 0.5% in the fourth quarter of 2014, according to provisional estimates.
Among the Major Seven economies, growth slowed most significantly in the United States (to 0.1%) and in Germany (to 0.3%), down from 0.5% and 0.7% respectively in the fourth quarter of 2014. Growth also decelerated in the United Kingdom, to 0.3%, down from 0.6% in the previous quarter.
Source: OECD
