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Singapore exchange may lose edge in Nifty futures

October 26, 2009--The share of SGX Nifty has risen from 2% in March to 5.9%.

The growth rate of India’s premium benchmark stock index, Nifty, on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) will be appreciably less as a result of extension of trading hours in domestic markets.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) had last week permitted stock exchanges to begin the day as early as 9 am and keep the market open for trading till 5 pm.

However, traders believe the move is unlikely to spell an end to Nifty trading outside the country.

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Source: Business Standard


Shanghai eyes free exchange of yuan and New Taiwan dollar

October 26, 2009-Shanghai has applied to regulators to launch a free exchange between the yuan and the New Taiwan dollar to enhance financial cooperation, the head of the Shanghai Financial Service Office said Sunday.

"With growing trade between Shanghai and Taiwan in recent years, we hope that a free exchange between the yuan and the New Taiwan dollar can be conducted in Shanghai as a trial," said Fang Xinghai at the 6th China International Finance Forum.

"We have applied to the regulators and expect it will be approved soon," Fang said at the two-day forum which ended Sunday.

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Source: People's Daily online


China says no stimulus exit yet despite growth

October 26, 2009--China’s economic growth is likely to speed up this quarter, but the government will stay the course on its fiscal stimulus and loose monetary policy, senior officials said on Monday.

Despite the emphasis on policy continuity, an unmistakable shift towards greater optimism in China’s official rhetoric has led analysts to conclude that Beijing is thinking about how to start unwinding its ultra-loose pro-growth policies. Restating the thrust of a cabinet statement issued last week, Vice Premier Li Keqiang said the economy had performed better than expected and its recovery was now on solid ground.

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Source: Todays Zaman


RTS Index futures record exceeds 1 million volume

October 23, 2009--On October 22, 2009 the market participants completed a record number of trades on FORTS, RTS’s derivatives section – 511,263. The previous record was set on October 21, 2009, when the number of trades reached 491,882. The largest block of trading was in the flagship RTS Index contract, which recorded 330,434 trades.

The new record for trades was driven by a new record for contract volume, with 1,000,330 contracts traded on the day with a value exceeding USD2.8 billion.

The previous record high of 933,472 contracts comprising 313,465 trades for a value of USD2,671,592,654 was seen on October 21, 2009.

The RTS Index futures started trading in August 2005. In two years it became the most liquid instrument of the Russian equity market. According to the rating issued by the Futures Industry Association based on the results of the first half of 2009 the RTS Index futures entered top ten most liquid instruments on indices worldwide.

Source: RTS


Japan FSA extends temporary measures regarding restrictions on short selling and purchase of own stocks by listed companies

October 23, 2009--1.The following regulatory measures on short selling are currently in place, with regard to all listed stocks in Japan:

1) An "uptick rule requirement" which prohibits, in principle, short selling at prices no higher than the latest market price;

2) Requirements for traders to verify and flag whether or not the transactions in question are short selling; and

3) Request the exchanges to make daily announcements on their aggregate price of short selling regarding all securities and aggregate price of short selling by sector (The announcements have been made sequentially since October 14, 2008).

In addition, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) has put in force the following measures, as temporary measures effective until October 31, 2009

1) Naked short selling (short selling in which stocks are not borrowed at the time of selling) is prohibited (effective since October 30, 2008); and

2) Holders of a short position of a certain level or more (in principle, 0.25 percent or more of outstanding issued stocks) are required to report to exchanges through securities firms. Exchanges are required to publicly disclose such information (effective since November 7, 2008).

2. Regarding the purchase of own stocks by listed companies, taking into consideration the of situation Japan's capital markets, the following restrictions have been temporarily relaxed over the period from October 14, 2008, to October 31, 2009.

1)Upper limit on the daily purchase volume

The limit will be raised from the current 25% to 100% of average daily trading volume during the four weeks immediately preceding the repurchase.

2)Timing of purchase

Companies are currently required to repurchase their own stocks during hours other than the 30 minutes immediately before the close of trading. This restriction will be lifted.

3. The FSA decided to further extend these temporary measures until January 31, 2010. To this end, the Cabinet Office Ordinances and FSA Regulatory Notices necessary for these extensions will be promulgated before expiry of these measures by the end of October, 2009.

Contact:
Financial Services Agency
E-mail: foreignpr@fsa.go.jp

Source: Fsa.go.jp


Status Report on New Product and Market Development Initiatives

(Status as of 16 October 2009)
October 23, 2009-- The following initiatives are subject to market support and regulatory approval so they may not be implemented. HKEx will announce further details of these initiatives as they progress.

Initiative

Status on 15 July 2009

Status on 16 October 2009

1.

Consultation on Periodic Financial Reporting

The Listing Committee proposes to consider this issue further towards the end of this year.

The Listing Committee proposes to consider this issue further at its policy meeting in November this year.

2.

Combined Consultation on Proposed Changes to the Listing Rules

 

Consultation conclusions for the three remaining issues under assessment will be published in due course. The Listing Committee and Stock Exchange Board have approved the consultation conclusions and rule amendments relating to self-constructed fixed assets will be published shortly, subject to the Securities and Futures Commission's (SFC) approval.

The consultation conclusions and rule amendments relating to self-constructed fixed assets and general mandates were published on 31 July and 9 October this year respectively. The consultation conclusions in respect of the one issue that remains under assessment (public float) will be published in due course.

3.

Review of Chapter 18 of the Listing Rules

Market consultation materials were considered on a preliminary basis by the Listing Committee. Now proceeding to the drafting stage.

The Consultation Paper on New Listing Rules for Mineral and Exploration Companies was published on 11 September this year and the deadline for submissions is 11 November.

4. 

Consultation on Proposed Changes to Filing and Checklist Requirements for Listing of Equity Securities

The consultation paper was published on 26 June this year. The deadline for submissions is 31 August. HKEx is streamlining its listing process.

The consultation conclusions were published on 2 October this year and the Rule amendments will come into effect on 2 November.

5.

Consultation on Proposals to Accelerate Rights Issues and Open Offers

Not included in this issue.

The consultation paper was published on 31 July this year and the deadline for submissions was 30 September.

6.

Consultation on Acceptance of Mainland Accounting and Auditing Standards and Mainland Audit Firms for Mainland Incorporated Companies Listed in Hong Kong

Not included in this issue.

The consultation paper was published on 28 August this year and the deadline for submissions is 23 October.

7.

Consultation on Proposed Amendments to the Listing Rules on Connected Transactions

Not included in this issue.

The consultation paper was published on 2 October this year and the deadline for submissions is 2 December.

8.

Exploration of New Financial Products / Services and Review of Existing Products / Services

Options with Flexible Features
HKEx aims to release an information paper on facilitating the execution of options with flexible features through HKATS in the third quarter of this year.


The information paper was published on 22 September this year. HKEx aims to introduce Flexible Index Options early next year, pending regulatory approval.

Emissions Products
The Consultation Paper on Certified Emission Reduction Futures was published on 26 June this year.


HKEx expects to publish its consultation conclusions in the fourth quarter of this year.

Volatility Index-related Products
HKEx is working with index companies to develop a volatility index for its securities market based on stock index options prices with a view to provide a benchmark of volatility for the marketplace.


The project is proceeding but is in an early stage.  HKEx will advise the market of key developments in due course. 

Narrower Strike Intervals for Options on Low-priced Stocks
Not included in this issue.

 

 

HKEx plans to narrow strike intervals of stock options under Strike Interval Group B and add a third quarterly expiry month for the 20 most actively traded option classes and Tracker Fund options before year's end, pending regulatory approval.

9. 

Provision of Free Real-time Last Trade Prices on Websites 

The free real-time market data to be available through the designated websites now includes nominal prices in addition to last trade prices. Key service terms have been finalised for the most part with the six short-listed candidates (three from the Hong Kong market, three from the Mainland market). HKEx expects the new service to be soft-launched in the fourth quarter of this year. The official launch is likely to be on 1 January next year.

The Free Prices Website Service was soft-launched on 5 October this year on six designated websites.  The official launch is set for 1 January next year. 

10.

T+2 Finality for Stock Exchange Trades and Settlement Instructions

HKEx is seeking informal feedback from certain banks and clearing house Participants on the proposed T+2 Finality model and plans to consult the market by end of the third quarter this year.

HKEx has completed the soft consultation on the proposed model and plans to issue a consultation paper in the fourth quarter of this year. 

11.

Admission of Share Registrars as CCASS Participants

The SFC has started talks with HKEx and the Federation of Share Registrars (FSR) on a model for a scripless securities market and aims to consult the market in the fourth quarter this year. Admission of share registrars as CCASS Participants will only be considered in the context of a scripless market.

The Scripless Securities Market Working Group, led by the SFC with HKEx and the FSR participating, is working on a proposed scripless model for a market consultation tentatively set for the fourth quarter this year.

12.

Automation of Stamp Duty Reporting and Payment

HKEx aims to introduce electronic stamp duty reporting and payment in the first half of next year, subject to market readiness and rule amendments.  

In progress according to plan.

13.  

AMS/3 Technical Revamp

Not included in this issue.

HKEx aims to double AMS/3's capacity from 1,500 to 3,000 orders per second and to increase the stock page update rate from 500 to 700 stock pages per second through the revamp to accommodate further growth and new business in its securities market.

Implementation is scheduled for the first quarter of next year, subject to successful completion of market rehearsals and the readiness of Exchange Participants and information vendor systems.

Note:

AMS/3, the Third Generation Automatic Order Matching and Execution System, is the trading system for the securities market. CCASS/3, the Latest Generation Central Clearing and Settlement System, and the Market Data Feed, or MDF, are the other major market systems supporting the securities market. HKATS, the Hong Kong Futures Automated Trading System, is the trading system for the derivatives market. DCASS, the Derivatives Clearing and Settlement System, and PRS, the Price Reporting System, are the other major market systems for the derivatives market.

Information is added after the date at the top of the column from time to time.

This report is carried in HKEx's quarterly publication, Exchange, published on 23 October 2009.



Source: Hong Kong Exchange

HKEx to Provide More Choices in its Most Actively Traded Stock Options

October 23, 2009--Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) announced today (Thursday) that the Securities and Futures Commission has approved the proposed rule amendments for the narrowing of strike intervals in HKEx's stock options market. The changes will be applied to the Strike Interval Group B in Table 1 from 2 November 2009.

Strike Interval Group B now applies to seven stock option classes and there are 10 stock option classes with an additional calendar quarter expiry month for trading. From 2 November 2009, the revised Strike Interval Group B will apply to 20 of the most actively traded stock option classes and Tracker Fund options and all 21 of those stock option classes will have an additional calendar quarter expiry month (see Table 2 below).

The majority of stock option classes will continue to have five expiry months: spot, or current month, the next two calendar months and the next two calendar quarter months (calendar quarter months comprise March, June, September and December). For those with the third calendar quarter month, the expiry months in November 2009 will be: November 2009 (spot), December 2009 and January 2010 (the next two calendar months), and March 2010, June 2010 and September 2010 (the next three calendar quarter months).

"The changes will give market participants more choices," Calvin Tai, HKEx's Head of Derivatives Market, said. "Market participants will be able to find a stock option with a strike price close to the underlying stock's price more easily after strike intervals have been narrowed. Moreover, the addition of a third calendar quarter expiry month will allow market participants to trade longer maturity in the 21 stock option classes and may result in more trading activity."

Stock options are the most actively traded product in HKEx's derivatives market. In the first nine months of this year, the 35,828,701 stock options contracts traded in the market represented about 48 per cent of the total trading volume.

Table 1: Strike Interval Groups for Stock Options from 2 November 2009

Underlying Prices

Strike Interval

From
($)

To
($)

Group A
($)

Group B
($)

From 2 November

Existing

0

2

0.1

0.05

0.1

2

5

0.2

0.1

0.2

5

10

0.5

0.25

0.5

10

20

1

0.5

0.5

20

50

2

1

1

50

100

5

2.5

2.5

100

200

5

2.5

2.5

200

300

10

5

5

300

500

20

10

20

Changes are highlighted.

Table 2: Most Actively Traded Stock Option Classes and Tracker Fund Options (in alphabetical order)

 

Strike Interval
Group B

Third Calendar Quarter
Expiry Month

 

Existing

From
 2 November

Existing

From
2 November

Bank of China Limited

 

X

X

X

Bank of Communications Co, Ltd

 

X

 

X

Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited

X

X

X

X

China Construction Bank Corporation

 

X

X

X

China Life Insurance Company Limited

 

X

X

X

China Merchants Bank Co, Ltd

 

X

 

X

China Mobile Limited

X

X

X

X

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation

 

X

X

X

China Shenhua Energy Company Limited

 

X

 

X

China Telecom Corporation Limited

 

X

 

X

CLP Holdings Limited

 

X

 

X

CNOOC Limited

 

X

 

X

Hang Seng Bank Limited

X

X

 

X

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited

 

X

 

X

HSBC Holdings Plc

X

X

X

X

Hutchison Whampoa Limited

X

X

X

X

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited

 

X

X

X

PetroChina Company Limited

 

X

X

X

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd

 

X

 

X

Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited

X

X

 

X

Tracker Fund of Hong Kong

X

X

 

X

Mainland enterprises are in italics.



Source: Hong Kong Exchange

BNP Paribas brokerage chief quits in Japan

October 23, 2009--BNP Paribas said its chief Japan representative would resign, after the country’s financial regulator ordered the French bank to suspend trading in its equities and commodities derivatives division for two weeks as a penalty for stock price fixing and lack of internal controls.

The bank said Yusuke Yasuda, who heads its brokerage in Japan, is to step down after the penalty, announced by the Financial Services Agency.

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Source: FT.com


KRX To Open Nighttime Trading Of KOSPI200 Futures On CME Globex

October 22, 2009-The Korea Exchange plans to launch the nighttime trading of KOSPI200 futures after the closing of regular session from November 16, 2009.

The trading hours of nighttime session of KOSPI200 futures, which has been launched in collaboration with US CME Group, are from 18:00 to 05:00 on the following day.

The investors who wish to participate in the nighttime session of KOSPI200 futures need to open a futures trading account (the existing futures trading account may be used) and enter into a service agreement for nighttime trading.

To promote the investors’ awareness, the Korea Exchange is organizing the mock trading sessions and road shows on the trading rules and regulations, how & when to utilize, how to use the dedicated HTS.

Any interested investor is welcome to participate in mock trading session and the dedicated HTS program required for mock trading will be available for downloading from major Korean securities and futures companies from October 23, 2009.

Source: KRX


Q3 Trading results Of ETFs on KRX

October 21, 2009--Despite the listing of new ETFs and brisk trading of KODEX China H, the asset under management of ETFs tracking key indices of KRX declined due to shrinking spot-futures basis and the daily trading value and trading volume also fell due to the decline of arbitrage trading.

Daily trading value was KRW 122.8 billion (decline of 10.4% from previous quarter) and daily trading volume was 6,219,000 shares (decline of 2,158,000 or 25.8% from the previous quarter).

* The top 5 ETFs account for 89.0% of total daily trading value.

Daily Trading

(thou. KRW bil)
  '09 Q3 '09 Q2 '09 Q1 '08 '07
Trading volume 6.219 8.377 9.301 3.846 2.333
Trading value 123 137 127 98 33


With over KRW 2 billion of trading value, the daily trading values of 3 of 5 bond ETFs and inverse ETF were ranked from 6th to 9th.

  ETF Trading value (KRW bil)
1 KODEX200 61.8
2 KOSEF 200 24.2
3 TIGER 2000 10.1
4 TREX 200 8.0
5 KINDEX 200 5.3


Rate of return

ETFs recorded a high return (around 42%) from the improved performance of bank and automobile shares.

* KOSPI rose 20.4% in the 3rd quarter of 2009.

As the price of semiconductor recovered, semiconductor sector ETF recorded over 30% absolute return during the 3rd quarter.(35.4% by TIGER SEMICON and 32.9% by KODEX SEMICON)

On the bullishness of large caps, KStar Top5 recorded over 25% return, thus becoming one of the top 10 in the rate of return.

Trading of newly listed ETFs

5 bond ETFs and 1 inverse ETF were listed in the 3rd quarter. They traded briskly with the daily trading value of over KRW 1 billion.

Daily trading value of inverse ETF was KRW 2.6 billion. However, considering the price per unit of inverse ETF is 1/10 ~ 1/5 of those of bond ETFs, it can be said that inverse ETF was traded most actively.

The brisk trading of inverse ETF is attributed to the investors who anticipate the market correction in the future as well as the vigorous placing of quotes by the liquidity provider.

Of the 6 newly listed ETFs, only inverse ETF recorded a positive return while all bond ETFs recorded small negative returns. Return rates of bond ETFs remained negative (-0.5~ 0.6%).

Size of ETFs

Net asset value of KRW 3.6777 trillion and total number of listed units of 225.67 million, showing an increase of KRW 1.5557 trillion (73.3%), and 20.73 million units (10.1%) from the previous quarter, respectively.

Net asset value increased due to the increase of ETF prices resulting from the rise of KOSPI value and the listing of 5 bond ETFs (KRW 1.211 trillion) and inverse ETF (KRW 30 billion).

Number of listed ETFs increased by 5 (6 new ETFs; delisting of 1 KOSEF large cap value ETF) and total of 43 ETFs are listed(10 market indices ETFs; 5 bond ETFs; 5 overseas indices ETFs; 10 sector ETFs; 4 style ETFs; 9 other ETFs) as of end of September.

Source: KRX


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