Americas ETP News
If your looking for specific news, using the search function will narrow down the results
MSCI To Consult On A Proposal To Construct - MSCI Global Socially Responsible Indices
February 9, 2011--MSCI Inc. (NYSE: MSCI), a leading provider of investment decision support tools worldwide, including indices, portfolio risk and performance analytics and corporate governance services , announced today that it will consult with the investment community on a proposal to construct MSCI Global Socially Responsible Indices.
The proposed indices aim to support the benchmarking and other index related needs of investors who seek to invest in accordance with their values such as religious beliefs, moral standards or ethical views. The proposed indices will exclude companies that are inconsistent with specific values based criteria and will target companies with high ESG ratings relative to their sector peers.
Source: Mondovisione
Institutional investors have leading share among ETFs traded on the Exchange in January
February 9, 2011--The participation of institutional investors in the total volume of Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the Exchange reached 50.7% in January. The participation of foreign investors 23.1% and of financial institutions was at 14.2%. Individual investors had a 10.8% market share of total market volume. Public and private sector companies had 1.2%.
ETFs are a simple alternative for the diversification of investment in variable income. In a single transaction the investor can buy a stock portfolio without having to individually manage each of its shares.
Source: BM&FBOVESPA
U.S. Corporate Bond Market: A Review of Fourth-Quarter and 2010 Rating and Issuance Activity.
January 8, 2011--Summary
In the span of three years, the U.S. corporate bond market has undergone some
significant changes. The share of outstanding bonds rated speculative grade ballooned to 23.9% of market volume by year-end 2010 from 17.5% as recently as 2007.
Investment-grade downgrades ? a product of the financial crisis and severe 2008/2009 recession ? and exceptionally strong high yield bond issuance contributed to the rapidly expanding speculative grade universe. In addition, the share of the U.S.
corporate bond market consisting of industrial bonds now stands at $2.5 trillion (66% of market volume) up from $1.9 trillion in 2007, while financial issues total $1.3 trillion
(34% of market volume), down from $1.9 trillion in 2007.
Rating activity in 2010 was far more moderate and balanced than in 2009. Par downgrades plunged 84% year over year, affecting 3.9% of market volume versus 2009’s grim 23% downgrade rate, while upgrades affected a slightly higher 4% of outstanding bonds.
read more
Source: Fitch Ratings
Cyber-attack raises SEC questions
February 8, 2011--US lawmakers have questioned the Security and Exchange Commission’s ability to fight cybercrime after the attempted hacking of the Nasdaq OMX stock exchange.
In a letter to the SEC, Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey said that the “disturbing information” about the hacking raised questions about the regulator’s preparedness to fight such attacks.
read more
Source: FT.com
Nasdaq looks to derivatives to boost margins
February 8, 2011---Outside the office window of Robert Greifeld, chief executive of Nasdaq the global exchange operator, progress on the Ground Zero rebuilding is visible, with the Freedom Tower up to 40 storeys.
Mr Greifeld, meanwhile, is presiding over Nasdaq’s own transformation, from a stock exchange to a more diversified group, the fruits of which he hopes will soon be visible to investors.
read more
Source: FT.com
Hedge funds search for way to short munis
February 8, 2011--How do you “short” an indebted US state? As fears grow over the scale of a crisis some believe could rival the debt problems of the eurozone, hedge funds and other investors are looking at how to trade the market in America’s municipal debt.
For decades, this $3,000bn bond market was safe, predictable and dull. The traditional buyers of the bonds issued by states, cities and other local bodies were wealthy local residents lured to them by the tax breaks on offer for individual investors. They bought the bonds, held them until they matured and then bought more.
read more
Source: FT.com
CBOE To Begin Publishing Values For CBOE S&P 500 Skew Index
February 7, 2011---- The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) announced today that on Wednesday, February 23, the Exchange will begin publishing values for the CBOE S&P 500 Skew Index (ticker symbol: SKEW), a benchmark measure of the perceived risk of extreme negative moves — often referred to as "tail risk" or a "black swan" event — in U.S. equity markets.
"We are excited about adding yet another valuable tool to our rapidly growing suite of volatility benchmarks," CBOE Chairman and CEO William J. Brodsky said. "The CBOE S&P 500 Skew Index will join our highly successful CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) in measuring the market's expectation of stock market risk based on S&P 500 options prices. It offers an important new measure for investors who are concerned about potential market moves driven by unusual, high-impact events."
read more
Source: CBOE
Credit Suisse files with the SEC
February 7, 2011--Credit Suisse has filed a Pricing Supplement Addendum No.8 with the SEC for Exchange Traded Notes due April 20, 2020 Linked to the Credit Suisse Long/Short Index (Net) (“ETNs”).
read more
Source: SEC.gov
SEC sets sights on mortgage disclosures
February 7, 2011--US securities regulators investigating the role of banks in the mortgage crisis are homing in on the question of whether investors were misled about the home loans used to back securities.
The Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulators have been investigating a wide range of banking activities in connection with mortgages that were packaged into securities and sold to investors.
read more
Source: FT.com
Emerging Global Advisors Names Marten S. Hoekstra CEO
Former CEO of UBS' Wealth Management America to Lead Emerging Markets Asset Manager
February 7, 2011--Emerging Global Advisors, an asset management company specializing in more precise exposures to emerging market investment opportunities, today announced that Marten S. Hoekstra has joined the firm as Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Hoekstra was most recently CEO of UBS Wealth Management Americas and a member of parent company UBS' Group Executive Board.
He assumes the CEO position from founder Robert Holderith, who will continue as president and concentrate on investment product development, a discipline that has been a primary focus throughout Mr. Holderith’s career.
"Emerging markets are becoming an increasingly important area for US investors pursuing growth strategies and we are on the forefront of offering more preciseinvestment exposures with better tools to execute these strategies,” said Mr. Holderith. “We aim to be the leading brand for emerging market investing and Marten has the global vision and experience to ensure we achieve our goals and objectives. We are significantly advantaged having him lead our team.”
Emerging Global Advisors is advisor to the EGShares family of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which target specific investment sectors or themes and allow investors access to more precise market exposures. The company currently manages nine emerging market ETF products offering exposures to the energy, financial, and mining and minerals sectors, emerging market consumers, and the respective infrastructures of Brazil, India, or China. Additional ETFs and other investment products are planned.
read more
Source: Emerging Global Advisors
