Global ETF News Older than One Year
MSCI and BlackRock to partner on controversial weapons index funds as MSCI unveils new range
Index house unveils its revised ESG benchmarks.
June 28, 2011--MSCI, the global index house, and BlackRock, the world’s biggest asset manager, will partner next month for the launch of a series of new index funds that disbar investments in controversial weapons.
The move comes as MSCI unveils a newly branded range of 25 ESG indices that update and revise the 23 KLD indices that MSCI acquired as part of its $1.55bn acquisition of RiskMetrics last year. The passive funds will be run by Blackrock and be based on a new range of nine MSCI Global ex Controversial Weapons indices. These include country and regional benchmarks that avoid investments in cluster bombs, landmines, chemical, biological, and depleted uranium weapons.
Source: Responsible Investor
Institutional Investors had $1.1 trillion in Hedge Funds in Q1
June 28, 2011--Pensions & Investments Online reports: Institutional investors globally had about $1.1 trillion invested in hedge funds at the end of the first quarter, according to new research released Monday by Citi Prime Finance.
Institutions such as pension funds, endowments, foundations and sovereign wealth funds accounted for roughly half of total hedge fund assets managed globally as of March 31, Citi researchers found.
Source: Pension & Investments
Nomura Sees Strong Ties Between Asia and Brazil
June 28, 2011--Nomura, the global investment bank, today held a seminal investor conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 'Nomura Brazil Forum – Exploring Links with Japan and Asia' provided an opportunity for institutional investors to access Nomura's unique insight into harnessing Asian capital flows while learning more about the key investment themes in Brazil for 2011.
The conference opened with a presentation from Aldo Mendes, Deputy Governor for Monetary Policy, Central Bank of Brazil. He discussed the outlook for the Brazilian economy. The event was attended by over 100 senior financial and economic professionals from across Latin America.
Source: Nomura
NASDAQ OMX and RTS Stock Exchange Announce Market Data Partnership
June 28, 2011-The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) and RTS Stock Exchange have reached a partnership agreement that will facilitate RTS efforts to more quickly realize and maximize profits for their market data content. NASDAQ OMX will provide RTS, one of the major trading platforms in Russia and Eastern Europe, with a comprehensive suite of services to ensure compliance with RTS market data policies and best practices:
On-site and off-site audits;
Post-audit services including review of administrative procedures;
Entitlement system and reporting methodologies;
Product and technical overviews;
Reconciliation activities; and
Employee training and consultation during the joint audit process.
"We understand the importance of delivering secure and flexible solutions to our market data clients to help them achieve and maintain compliance," stated Roman Goryunov, CEO, RTS Stock Exchange. "We are delighted with our new partnership with NASDAQ OMX, whose expertise and array of compliance services will place us in a unique position to provide superior market data services and preserve the value of our data offerings."
Source: NASDAQ OMX
China and Germany launch green initiative
June 28, 2011--Germany and China are planning a big expansion of joint research and investment in green technologies, including production of electric cars in China and development of carbon-capture systems.
A series of business and inter-governmental agreements were signed between the world’s two largest exporters in Berlin on Tuesday after Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and Wen Jiabao, China’s premier, chaired joint government talks. Including a contract for 62 Airbus A320 aircraft, the total value of the Sino-German deals was put at about $15bn – dwarfing the £1.4bn ($2.2bn) of trade agreements with British companies signed when Mr Wen was in the UK on Monday.
Source: FT.com
China offers EU a helping hand
June 28, 2011--Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao offered Europe a "helping hand" with its debt crisis during a visit to Germany on Tuesday, and said his country could buy the sovereign debt of some troubled eurozone nations if needed.
"China has expressed support for Europe at various times. In other words, when Europe is in difficulty we will extend a helping hand from afar," the Chinese prime minister told a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Source: FIN24
ETFS Precious Metals Weekly: Gold bucks the commodity price downtrend as sovereign risk concerns drive demand
June 27, 2011--Gold price holds its ground in the face of volatile commodity markets roiled
by sharp oil price declines and falls in broader commodity prices. The Greek debt saga and reduced expectations for US rate hikes is keeping gold demand high despite generally weaker sentiment towards many commodities as growth
expectations are ratcheted down.
Retail investment in silver providing offset to drop in futures investment. Record silver coin sales in Australia reported by the Perth Mint together with continued strong retail demand in the US for American Eagle Silver Coins in June highlight continued strong retail demand for silver.
Platinum and Palladium prices fall on rising risk aversion and Fed downgrades to US growth outlook. The Greek debt saga and continued concerns about US growth knocked back cyclical assets last week, including platinum, palladium and silver. Fed chairman Ben Bernanke, however, highlighted the Fed’s view that many of the factors pushing down growth may be temporary.
visit www.etfsecurities.com for more info
Source: ETFS Securities
Deutsche Börse Acquires Assets of Kingsbury International
June 27, 2011--Deutsche Börse has acquired the assets of Kingsbury International Ltd., a U.S.-based business and economic consulting firm known for creating and releasing the monthly Chicago Business Barometer, also known as the Chicago
Purchasing Managers’ Index (Chicago PMI). The acquisition was completed for a US$ amount in the single-digit million range that includes a performance-related payment. This transaction further enhances the Market Data & Analytics segment by expanding its global product offering.
“The Chicago Business Barometer is one of the most widely followed barometers among professional traders and market participants who use macroeconomic figures to make informed trading decisions,” said Holger Wohlenberg, Managing Director, Market Data & Analytics for Deutsche Börse Group. “With this transaction, we are able to offer our customers direct access to an important U.S. data source.”
Source: Deutsche Börse
Dow Jones Indexes Launches Dow Jones Global Commodity Equity 100 Index
Index Will Measure Stock Performance of Companies Engaged in Exploration or Production of Scarce, Renewable Commodities
Subindexes to Gauge Agriculture, Energy, Scarcity; Shari’ah-Compliant Islamic Market Subindex Also Launched
June 27, 2011--–Dow Jones Indexes, a leading global index provider, today announced the launch of the Dow Jones Global Commodity Equity 100 Index, the flagship of a new index series that measures the stock performance of companies engaged in the exploration or production of both scarce and renewable commodities.
Commodity sectors represented in the Index include agriculture, energy, metals, precious metals and water.
In addition to The Dow Jones Global Commodity Equity 100 Index, the series includes four subindexes:
Dow Jones Global Equity Agriculture Index;
Dow Jones Global Equity Energy Index;
Dow Jones Global Equity Scarcity Index, which defines “scarcity” as natural resources that can’t be replenished; and
Dow Jones Islamic Market Global Equity Commodity Index, which measures all companies in the parent index that pass the Shari’ah screens.
Source: Dow Jones Indexes
Professor Frank J. Fabozzi joins EDHEC-Risk Institute
June 27, 2011--EDHEC-Risk Institute is delighted to announce that Professor Frank J. Fabozzi, one of the most respected figures in the academic community in finance worldwide and author and editor of over 100 reference textbooks in finance, will be joining EDHEC-Risk Institute on August 1, 2011.
Professor Fabozzi will be joining EDHEC-Risk Institute as part of its North American strategy and will be working on the development of EDHEC-Risk Institute North America with Professor Lionel Martellini, Scientific Director of EDHEC-Risk Institute, who will be in charge of North American development for the Institute from the beginning of the 2011/2012 academic year. Professor Fabozzi will also supervise dissertations of candidates to the EDHEC-Risk Institute PhD in Finance, a programme opened to finance practitioners.
Source: EDHEC
