Global ETF News Older than One Year
ETF Securities Research-Precious Metals Weekly-SNB Helps Lift the Tide for Precious Metals
January 20, 2015-Gold and silver regain some shine as store-of-value safe havens after shock SNB move. Gold and silver prices were boosted last week as the Swiss National Bank threw in the towel trying to cap the Swiss franc against the Euro, alongside rising stock market
volatility and bond yields declining to record lows.
Fed tightening expectations continue to erode. Fed tightening cycles have historically commenced for one primary reason, to ward off inflationary forces. Last week, the 30yr bond reached a new historic low close of 2.37%. December 2015 fed funds futures reduced 2015 FOMC tightening expectations another 9bps to about 30bps. Meanwhile sustained low, or negative, interest rates (in many European countries) should act as a building foundation for precious metals prices, notably gold and silver.
Source: ETF Securities Research
FTSE Launches Global Sustainable Yield Index Series
January 20, 2015--New index series focuses on dividend sustainability
Benchmarks represent evolution in high yield indices
FTSE Group ("FTSE"), the global index provider, has launched the FTSE Global Sustainable Yield Index Series, designed to measure the performance of equity securities exhibiting relatively high and sustainable yields.
The benchmarks reflect the next stage in the evolution of high yield indices, with an emphasis on dividend sustainability.
Source: FTSE
SPDR ETFs: Why Is State Street' Nick Good Excited About 2015?
January 20, 2015--State Street Global Advisors may be synonymous with SPDR S&P 500 (ARCA:SPY). But the second-largest ETF provider in the U.S. has several other aces up its sleeve: a top-notch suite of sector and industry ETFs, a partnership with DoubleLine that's all the buzz, and a robust pipeline that includes the new Quality Mix SPDRs.
The company's 145 U.S.-listed ETFs hold $434.74 billion in assets combined.
Source: Investors.com
WEF-Report Highlights Opportunities to Build Tomorrow's Electricity Sector
January 20, 2015--New Forum report, The Future of Electricity, finds that the electricity sector faces increased uncertainties and declining returns for utilities as it seeks to make the transition to a low-carbon system
Report offers guidance on transforming the electricity sector to a more sustainable, affordable and reliable system; outlines recommendations to achieve an estimated $7.6 trillion in investments needed by 2040 to meet energy policy objectives
Report also identifies dimensions of policy, market design and business models as key investment enablers
Diminishing financial returns for utilities have put at risk the ability of the electricity sector in OECD markets to raise the estimated $7.6 trillion in investments needed by 2040 to meet energy policy objectives, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum. This investment is needed to simultaneously decarbonize the sector while maintaining energy security.
The Future of Electricity report offers guidance on transforming the electricity sector to a more sustainable, affordable and reliable system, and outlines recommendations for policy-makers, regulators and businesses in developed markets to attract needed investment.
Source: WEF (World Economic Forum)
Deciphering Developing Markets-Developing Markets: A Bright Star of the Developing World in 2015
January 20, 2015--The two economies in the developing world that will, in my opinion, outshine the rest in 2015, are India and Indonesia.
Those of you who have read my posts over the years know that I have been a strong advocate of investing in India ever since Mr. Rajan was appointed to be the Central Bank Chairman in 2013, and an even stronger advocate when Mr. Modi was elected Prime Minister in May of 2014.
Source: Peter Kohli of DMS for Nasdaq
New S&P criteria draw line between sukuk issuers, sponsors
January 20, 2015--Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's said it had updated its criteria for Islamic bonds to distinguish more clearly between issuers of sukuk and sponsors of them.
Sukuk tend to be more complex than conventional bonds because they use structures designed to avoid interest payments. They often involve special-purpose vehicles (SPVs) which issue the paper and lend the proceeds on to the ultimate entity raising money, which is known as the sponsor.
Source: Reuters
BetaShares-Global Market Review: December 2014
January 20, 2015--Despite a few false dawns during the year, the overall Australian equity market ended up only 1.1% in 2014, with weaker commodity prices dragging down resource stocks while lower bond yields boosted returns from high income producing sectors such as financials and property.
Commodity prices fell harder than many imagined, not helped by weaker Chinese economic growth and a "capacity war" between producers in both the iron ore and oil markets.
A related surprise was the continued decline in bond yields despite the strength in the US economy, and heightened expectations the Federal Reserve would start to raise official interest rates in 2015.
Source: BetaShares
UN agency stresses need for genetic diversity in agriculture to combat climate change
January 19, 2015--Knowledge of agricultural genetic resources needs to grow more quickly because of the critical role they have to play in feeding the world as climate change advances faster than expected, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
As the FAO's Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture starts its biennial meeting today, the Organization has sounded a warning that much more must be done to study, preserve and use the biological diversity that underpins world food production
Source; UN
UN World Economic Situation and Prospects 2015
Global economy to improve marginally, but mounting uncertainties and risks could undermine economic growth, says UN Upcoming US interest rate increases, remaining euro area fragility, a further slowdown in developing economies and geopolitical conflicts pose major concerns for global economic outlook
January 19, 2015--Global economic growth is forecast to increase marginally over the next two years, according to the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects 2015 (WESP) report, launched today.
The global economy is expected to grow 3.1 per cent in 2015 and 3.3 per cent in 2016, compared with an estimated growth of 2.6 per cent for 2014.
The global economy expanded during 2014 at a moderate and uneven pace. Legacies from the global financial crisis continue to weigh on growth, while new challenges have emerged, including geopolitical conflicts such as in Ukraine and the Ebola epidemic.
view the UN World Economic Situation and Prospects 2015 report
Source: United Nations
Rising trading costs seen affecting investment strategies
January 19, 2015--The rising cost of trading is affecting investment strategies, says Mike O'Brien, director of global trading at Eaton Vance.
The trading cost for interest-rate swaps rose significantly last year because of central clearing and swap-execution facilities. As a result, swap futures have become more appropriate because they are more standardized and transparent and come with lower initial-margin requirements, he says.
Source: SmartBrief
