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SEC Doesn’t Plan to Restrict Short Selling
August 12, 2011--The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission doesn’t plan to take action to stem short sales after four European countries banned the practice, a spokesman said.
We do not intend to further restrict short sales, as the commission already has in place restrictions on short selling that are triggered when a stock is experiencing significant downward price pressures,” SEC spokesman John Nester said in an e-mailed statement today.
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Source: Bloomberg
PowerShares files with the SEC
August 12, 2011--PowerShares has filed a post-effective amendment, registration statement with the SEC for the PowerShares Fundamental Investment Grade Corporate Bond Portfolio (NYSE Arca, Inc. – PFIG).
view filing
Source: SEC.gov
DB Global Equity Research: North America-US ETF Market Weekly Review : $72.5bn vanished from ETP AUM on market free fall
August 11, 2011--Risk Off trade rules the markets
The widespread sell-off continued into last week and intensified as the US debt ceiling deal failed to meet market expectations. In addition, the European Sovereign woes and global recovery concerns confirmed the risk off trade as the new ruler across the markets. Equity markets in the US (S&P 500) plunged by 7.19%, the largest weekly drop since November 2008.
The total US ETP flows from all products were $5.5bn of outflows last week vs $1.9bn of outflows the previous week, setting the YTD weekly flows average at +$2.0bn. US ETP AUM lost $72.5bn, closing at $1.02 trillion or 2.4% up YTD.
Long only equity ETPs recorded $7.7bn of outflows last week vs $3.2bn of outflows the previous week. From a geographic allocation perspective, most segments were in red, US-focused, DM ex US, and EM ETPs all experienced outflows of -$6.1bn, -$949m and -$711m last week, respectively; while Global products experienced small inflows of $77m in the same period.
Long-only fixed Income ETPs recorded inflows of $470m last week. Sovereign ETPs received $547m in inflows, followed by Sub-Sovereign funds with $139m. Commodity ETPs recorded inflows of $2.0bn last week. At a sector level, Precious Metals ETPs recorded the largest inflows with $1.8bn; while no sector experienced significant outflows.
After weeks of uncertainty, it seems that investors have finally elected the risk off trade as the new ruling trend. After about 5 weeks since the beginning of Q3, long-only US-focused Equity, Fixed Income, and Gold ETPs have experienced flows of -$2.1bn, +$3.2bn, and +$5.1bn, respectively (Figure 1).
Flow patterns, the free fall of the equity market, the rally in the Bond (mainly IG) and Gold markets, and the surge in Volatility levels, all suggest that the risk off trade is back in full. Although we see some similarities between this and last year’s risk off trade in Q2, we also recognize some important differences that suggest that the size of the current flight from risky assets could be larger and more extended (Figure 2 and 3).
New Launch Calendar: more alternatives for equity investing
Three new products were launched in the NYSE Arca during the last week. The new ETPs offer additional equally-weighted version for US benchmarks and new strategies for broad Emerging Markets exposure.
Turnover Review: trading almost doubled as VIX reached a new 2011 high
Total weekly turnover increased by 93.5% to $727bn vs. $376bn in the previous week. The largest increase was on Equity ETP turnover which rose by $313bn or 94.4% to $644bn. Commodity ETPs turnover increased by $19.3bn to $44.7bn last week driven by Precious Metals and Crude Oil. Finally, Fixed Income products turnover increased by 102% totaling $32.6bn at the end of last Friday.
Assets Under Management (AUM) Review:
Market free fall erases $72.5bn Markets entered panic mode and triggered a global sell-off across equities. ETP AUM dropped by $72bn or 6.6% falling to $1.02 trillion as of the end of last Friday. Assets on a YTD basis have recorded a $24bn (2.4%) increase.
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Source: Deutsche Bank - Equity Research
Component Changes Made To Dow Jones Cyprus Titans 10 Index
August 11, 2011--Dow Jones Indexes, a leading global index provider, today announced component changes in the Dow Jones Cyprus Titans 10 Index.
Muskita Aluminium Industries PLC (Cyprus, Construction & Materials, MAI.CP) will be deleted from the Dow Jones Cyprus Titans 10 Index and replaced by Vasilikos Cement Works PCL (Cyprus, Construction & Materials, VCW.CP).
Muskita Aluminium Industries PLC is being removed due to its acquisition by Muskita Investments Ltd. The changes in the Dow Jones Cyprus Titans 10 Index will be effective as of the open of trading on Wednesday, August 17, 2011.
The Dow Jones Cyprus Titans 10 Index measures the performance of 10 leading stocks traded on the Cyprus Stock Exchange. The Dow Jones Cyprus Titans 10 Index is reviewed annually in March.
Further information on the Dow Jones Cyprus Titans 10 Index can be found at www.djindexes.com
Company additions to and deletions from the Dow Jones Cyprus Titans 10 Index do not in any way reflect an opinion on the investment merits of the company.
Source: Dow Jones Indexes
Standard & Poor's Announces Changes In The S&P/TSX Canadian Indices
August 11, 2011--Standard & Poor's Canadian Index Operations announces the following index changes:
On August 5, 2011, Bridgewater Systems Corporation (TSX:BWC) received shareholder approval for their Plan of Arrangement with Amdocs Limited (NYSE:DOX).
Amdocs will acquire Bridgewater for $CDN8.20 cash per share. Bridgewater will be removed from the S&P/TSX SmallCap and Equity SmallCap Indices effective after the close of Wednesday, August 17, 2011.
Company additions to and deletions from an S&P equity index do not in any way reflect an opinion on the investment merits of the company.
Source: Standard & Poor's
SEC's New Whistleblower Program Takes Effect Today
August 11, 2011-- With its new whistleblower program officially becoming effective today, the Securities and Exchange Commission today launched a new webpage for people to report a violation of the federal securities laws and apply for a financial award.
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act provided the SEC with the authority to pay financial rewards to whistleblowers who provide new and timely information about any securities law violation. Among other things, to be eligible, the whistleblower's information must lead to a successful SEC enforcement action with more than $1 million in monetary sanctions.
The SEC's new webpage at www.sec.gov/whistleblower includes information on eligibility requirements, directions on how to submit a tip or complaint, instructions on how to apply for an award, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Food commodities prices surge
August 11, 2011--Food commodities prices surged after the US government slashed its forecast for the country’s crops due to the impact of a heatwave and drought.
The US Department of Agriculture painted a bullish picture in particular for corn prices, saying: “Unusually high temperatures and below average precipitation during July across much of the Corn Belt sharply reduced yield prospects.”
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Source: FT.com
Morningstar Reports U.S. Mutual Fund and ETF Asset Flows Through July 2011
August 11, 2011--Morningstar, Inc., a leading provider of independent investment research, today reported estimated U.S. mutual fund and exchange-traded fund asset flows through July 2011. July’s long-term mutual fund outflows of $17.1 billion marked the greatest monthly net redemption since December 2008, again fueled by the flight out of U.S.-stock funds.
The asset class shed $22.9 billion in July, the greatest outflows since investors withdrew $27.9 billion during the peak of the credit crisis in October 2008. U.S. ETFs saw inflows of $17.2 billion in July, building on inflows of $9.8 billion a month earlier. Total ETF assets have increased roughly 25 percent over the trailing 12 months.
Additional highlights from Morningstar’s report on ETF flows:
U.S.-stock ETFs collected inflows of $6.4 billion in July to top all other ETF asset classes for the second consecutive month.
After outflows of $3.7 billion and $892 million in May and June, respectively, commodities ETFs reversed course in July and recorded inflows of $3.7 billion. Precious-metals offerings accounted for the majority of inflows into commodities ETFs.
Taxable-bond ETFs made another solid contribution to overall ETF inflows in July, with $3.3 billion in new assets. The asset class has not seen a net monthly outflow since December 2010.
International-stock ETFs built on June’s inflows of $2.4 billion with inflows of $3.8 billion in July.
view Morningstar Fund Flows report
Source: Morningstar
Van Eck files with the SEC
August 11, 2011--Van Eck has filed a post-effective amendment, registration statement with the SEC for the Market Vectors Biotech ETF.
view filing
Source: SEC.gov
CME Group Volume Reaches All-Time High On August 9
August 10, 2011-- CME Group, the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, reached a record high in single-day volume with 25,734,651 contracts traded across all asset classes on Tuesday, August 9, surpassing the previous record of 25,282,704 contracts on May 6, 2010.
Additionally, record volumes were reached in gold futures and options with 504,368 contracts, surpassing the July 28, 2010, record of 469,689 contracts, and Australian dollar futures and options with 311,684 contracts, surpassing the August 5, 2011, record of 285,355 contracts.
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Source: CME Group