Global ETF News Older than One Year
Regulators stalk secretive financial giants
February 23, 2014--The secretive giants of the hedge fund industry face making unprecedented disclosures about their trading positions to global regulators, which are considering whether to classify these companies as systemically important financial institutions (Sifis).
Driven by concerns that significant disruption to the global financial system could be caused by the failure or distress of a large or highly leveraged hedge fund...
Source: FT.com
New Brunswick trumps Alberta as world's No. 1 spot for mining investment; Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec slip in global rankings
February 23, 2014--New Brunswick is the world's most attractive jurisdiction for mineral exploration and development in the view of the international mining industry, according to the Survey of Mining Companies: 2011/2012, released today by the Fraser Institute, Canada's leading public policy think-tank.
"New Brunswick shot to the top of the rankings as miners lauded the province for its fair, transparent, and efficient legal system and consistency in the enforcement and interpretation of existing environmental regulations," said Fred McMahon, Fraser Institute vice-president of international policy research and coordinator of the survey.
"Combine that with a competitive taxation regime and minimal uncertainty around disputed land claims and New Brunswick has emerged as a superstar in the view of the global mining community."
view the Survey of Mining Companies: 2011-2012 Mining Survey 2011-2012 Data
Source: Fraser Institute
IOSCO Focuses on Deeper Markets, Stronger Regulatory Capacity to Enhance Emerging Market Resilience
January 21, 2014--The Board of the International Organization of Securities Committees (IOSCO) met in Kuala Lumpur this week to drive its work on key issues facing global financial markets and securities regulators. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who delivered a special address at the IOSCO Board dinner, emphasized the key role IOSCO plays in shaping long term architecture of global capital markets.
The meeting intensified IOSCO's commitment to regulators in growth and emerging markets in building resilient capital markets to withstand volatility in global markets while supporting sustained economic growth.
Source: IOSCO
Ambitious structural reforms can pave the return to strong and sustainable growth, OECD says
February 21, 2014--Adopting ambitious and comprehensive structural reform agendas will offer governments the best chance for a return to strong, sustainable and balanced economic growth that creates jobs and reduces inequality, according to the OECD's latest Going for Growth report.
The report assesses and compares progress that countries have made on structural reforms since 2012 and takes a fresh look at what else can be done to revive growth and make it more inclusive. The OECD shows that most governments have continued enacting reforms, despite the challenges posed by a subdued growth environment, and highlights actions that can still be taken to boost productivity, raise public sector efficiency, improve educational outcomes, and strengthen labour markets.
view the OECD Economic Policy Reforms 2014-Going for Growth Interim Report
Source: OECD
Accuvest : Newest Whitepaper: Multi-Style Global Equity Investing
February 21, 2014--This paper looks at the performance of a multi-factor approach to investing in equities across countries, and not just within countries.
Some of the key study highlights include:
Factor exposures exhibit alpha across countries, not just within countries
Momentum and valuation factors generate the greatest outperformance
Factors exhibit low correlations to each other,creating valuable diversification opportunities for portfolio managers
Source: Accuvest Global Advisors
World Bank: Pension Reforms Needed in Emerging Europe and Central Asia to Protect Future Generations
Countries struggle to meet pension needs of their aging populations
February 21, 2014--The profound effects of aging populations and a shrinking labor force on overstretched state pension schemes in emerging Europe and Central Asian countries demand significant reforms, says the World Bank's new report The Inverting Pyramid: Pension Systems Facing Demographic Challenges in Europe and Central Asia.
If bold pension reforms are not made, it will be today's young and the elderly poor who will suffer the most from the inability of state pension systems to ensure basic income protection in old-age. Failing to act today raises equity concerns for the next generation as it would likely result in future pension benefits cuts and these would hurt the poor more than the rich, according to the report.
Source: World Bank
Smart beta growing as the 'third pillar' of investment portfolios
February 20, 2014--Most institutions see 'smart beta' funds as a potential substitute for some active management although retail investors may not be quite as quick to jump on board.
State Street Global Advisors surveyed 300 institutional clients and found 42 per cent use smart beta strategies while a further 24 per cent intend to do so in the next three years
Source: Fundweb.co.uk
BNY Mellon Research paper- New Frontiers of Risk: Revisiting the 360 Manager.
February 20, 2014--BNY Mellon has published the research paper- New Frontiers of Risk: Revisiting the 360° Manager.
Source: BNY Mellon
Financial Markets Overview-February 2014
February 20, 2014--Financial markets are undergoing a significant transition as strengthening growth in high-income economies is prompting an end to the extraordinary stimulus measures taken in the wake of the global financial crisis.
During the spring and summer of 2013, long-term interest rates on U.S. sovereign debt nearly doubled as financial markets reacted to the prospect of a tapering-off of the Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing policies. The sharp increase in U.S. yields sparked a sudden portfolio adjustment by international investors away from developing country assets, leading to a significant decline in capital flows. Most of this adjustment had played itself out by end-August 2013, with equity, bond and foreign exchange markets recovering or stabilizing in the final months of the year. Gross capital inflows also recovered during the fourth quarter of 2013, with the volume of foreign capital raised through new bond, equity and syndicated bank lending up 13.6 percent from a year earlier.
view the Financial Markets Overview-February 2014
view the Infographic: Financial Markets-February 2014
Source: World Bank
Wanted: Financial advisers who aren't about to hang it up
February 20, 2014--If you've ever thought about getting some professional help with your retirement plan, this would be a great time to get going. Financial advisers may be in short supply in the years ahead.
A brain drain is about to hit the world of financial planning, according to Cerulli Associates, a financial services consulting firm. Cerulli reports that 32 percent of all advisers will retire in the next 10 years. At the same time, the industry isn't hiring nearly enough new blood to replace them, let alone expand the ranks to handle the anticipated surge in demand.
Source: Reuters
