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Asia-Pacific ETF Assets under Management Could Reach US$250 billion by 2016

With ‘mutual recognition’ of investment products between Hong Kong S.A.R and the People’s Republic of China set to transform these markets, regulators and market participants need to consider the conditions that will allow the benefits of this impending policy to take full effect for the region’s growing exchange traded funds market. Rex Wong, Managing Director within BNY Mellon‘s Asia Asset Servicing business, describes the market infrastructure, product developments and aspects of investor education that are needed to bring about the full potential of mutual recognition for exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

“There’s great potential for mutual recognition to make life easier for ETF promoters and drive product design and development as they expand their footprint in the Asia-Pacific region. But success in building the ETF market in China and sustaining product development also requires changes in local market infrastructure and, most importantly, regulatory reforms.

“Today, Hong Kong and China together account for around 35% of total ETF assets under management (AUM) in the region, with Japan accounting for approximately 45%. The Asia-Pacific ETF market as a whole is seeing growth of 15%-20% annually. Once the right structures are in place, we expect the ETF market in Hong Kong and China to outpace the growth of the broader Asia-Pacific region. Mutual recognition may accelerate the growth, leading to AUM in Asia-Pacific’s ETF market to grow by as much as 50% to reach US $250 billion by 2016 from its base of roughly US $165 billion today.

“We start from the premise that mutual recognition cannot be viewed in a vacuum. It will exist as part of – and because of – the success of other efforts that the Chinese government has put in place to liberalize its financial sector and facilitate cross-border capital flows. The pillars of this system include the expansion of the Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) program, raising investment quotas for RQFII holders, opening new asset classes to foreign investors, such as interbank debt, and free trade zones.

“All of these programs need time to develop in order to create the right environment for ETF promoters to take full advantage of mutual recognition. In the interim, mutual recognition will mostly benefit mutual funds, as the market infrastructure requirements are less complex than for ETFs.

“However, I believe we will see some ETF developments in the early days of mutual recognition, especially in the area of China A-share ETF products listed in China thanks to the continued interest of Asian investors in the country’s domestic market. In the medium term, investors will also be able to access more diverse asset classes including international equities, bonds and commodities. That will give them an exchange-listed option to gain exposure to global markets and other asset classes that do not currently exist today in their home market.

“But these are modest developments, essentially low hanging fruit. New market infrastructure is needed in order for China’s ETF market to reach a stage of development that resembles the big ETF markets in Asia-Pacific, which are Japan, Hong Kong and Korea.”

Promoting ETF liquidity and enhancing the ease of currency transfers

“First, we need to see more broker-dealers act as ETF market-makers and their active participation to provide liquidity is essential to the survival of ETFs. The ETF market making business in China is relatively new. However, many global broker-dealers already have a presence in Hong Kong, and can step into this role if regulation so permits it. They can bring their global trading platforms and expertise, and promote the development of this sector in China.

“Second, an ETF that uses multiple active market makers that can access multiple liquid alternative hedges in addition to its basket would make it easier for the ETF to attract assets and to survive in the ETF space. There needs to be a diverse range of futures and options and a liquid derivatives market for ETFs. This will be an important inducement to market-makers as it allows them to hedge their exposure for the products in which they are providing liquidity.

“Third, removing restrictions on short-selling of ETFs would lower the cost that market-makers face and improve their ability to provide liquidity in the market.

“Finally, there needs to be a more streamlined process for transferring RMB across borders to make it more of a real-time process. This point is crucial. Restrictions on and delays in RMB transfers can prevent fund managers from investing in the underlying index shares. This introduces the risk that ETFs will suffer ‘tracking error,’ which can undermine their appeal, especially to institutional investors. A system for real-time RMB transfers or enhancement to the existing cross-border transfer process will alleviate this pain point and really allow the industry to take full advantage of mutual recognition.”

Achieving the full benefits of mutual recognition

“Once the regulatory and infrastructural foundations are in place, the market will be able to support a greater number of ETFs and investment styles covering a variety of industry sectors, asset classes and investment strategies.

“We are seeing some innovative products today, like fixed income, sector, style, gold, cross-exchange and cross-border ETFs in China, but enhanced infrastructure, on the back of regulatory reforms, will really allow the market to develop further. Korea has been very progressive and has seen products such as inverse and leveraged ETFs come to market and we have seen Japan follow suit. Nevertheless, unless the current regulation is relaxed, we will not see the same level of innovation in China or Hong Kong.

“While regulatory reforms remain the key to the development of Asia’s ETF market, investor education will play a vital role. The ETF promoters can foster wider and deeper usage of ETFs by showing how they facilitate asset allocation and portfolio building. And with trading in China’s domestic markets dominated by retail investors, fund sponsors need to encourage institutions to see ETFs as instruments that can be used both tactically and strategically. Institutional and retail participation will be critical for the ETF market’s growth.”

El Nino May Become a Theme in Commodities

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Geopolitical risk and weather have been underpinning commodity prices at large since the start of the year. If the Ukraine-Russia tensions would abate certain segments within commodities like Energy, Precious Metals and Agriculture increasingly may face headwinds. Speculative positioning in WTI crude and Brent crude oil is still very high currently and at risk of reversal, according to ING IM. Within Precious Metals already, the trend in non-commercial net length is down. ING IM increased the underweight Gold (to -2). With ETP gold holdings turning South again and other arguments still in place (global cycle pulse, upward real yield pressure, still high non-commercial positioning, leveling off of Chinese physical demand,..) ING IM sees downside in gold prices.

Speculative length in Agriculture also is high, in particular in Corn. Some colder than normal US weather has delayed corn plantings somewhat. With some US weather normalization expected, US corn plantings will likely catch- up. US Corn acreage may be underestimated. ING IM is increasing its underweight to -2 (from -1).

In the background the theme of a developing El Nino weather pattern has been building. Typically El Nino leads to drought in SE Asia/ Australia and excessive rain in Western South America. Australian drought could hurt local wheat production substantially. Chinese demand for US wheat could rise in such a scenario and global and US wheat balances tighten. Soybean prices could also benefit from South American (Brazil) crop losses.

On the other hand, ING IM states that US Corn production typically outperforms under El Nino. By moving Wheat and Soybean to +1 against Corn -2 ING IM introduces some El Nino optionality in its portfolios.

You may access the full report in the attached pdf file.

Investcorp Hedge Funds Group Hires Business Development Professional

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Investcorp has announced that David Walsh has joined the firm’s Hedge Funds business. In his new role with Investcorp, Mr. Walsh’s responsibility will be to identify and source emerging hedge fund talent, and to structure and develop relationships with these managers. He will report directly to Nick Vamvakas, Head of Investcorp’s Single Manager Business. Investcorp’s Single Manager Business establishes strategic relationships with emerging managers, providing them with seeding and acceleration capital in addition to distribution and business support.

Commenting on the strategic hire, Lionel Erdely, Head and Chief Investment Officer of the Hedge Funds Group at Investcorp, said, “David has been identifying and working with early stage hedge fund managers for years in his prior roles. We believe his background will enhance our capabilities in identifying and sourcing new hedge fund talent early in their life cycle. His addition is a boost to our seeding and emerging manager program as we work to execute on our plans to significantly grow our investment universe.”

Before joining Investcorp, Mr. Walsh served as a senior member at UBS as part of their Capital Introduction Group, where he was actively involved in all aspects of the prime brokerage business – including originating prospects, sales, and relationship management. Earlier in his career, he helped UBS develop and structure products to provide investors access to alternative investments through the investment bank’s Funds Derivatives Group.

Investcorp is a leading provider and manager of alternative investment products. The Investcorp Group has offices in New York, London, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. Investcorp has three business areas: corporate investment in the US, Europe and the Gulf, real estate investment in the US and global hedge funds. As at December 31, 2013, Investcorp had $11.3 billion in total assets under management.

FESE Director General Judith Hardt to Step Down

| For Alicia Miguel | 0 Comentarios

The Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE) has announced that Judith Hardt, Director General, will step down from her role on 23 May.

Judith Hardt has been with FESE since 2005 and has led the organisation through a number of high profile mandates such as the development of the Code of Conduct on Clearing and Settlement for which Judith Hardt was nominated ‘lobbyist of the year’; the review of MIFID to reverse some of the negative impacts of MIFID I and developing industry thinking to improve SME financing. In addition, there have been numerous other regulatory initiatives in which Judith Hardt has helped the FESE steer through review and implementation.

During Hardt’s tenure FESE has become more focused and more effective in promoting the value of regulated exchanges through its activities across numerous mandates and improved interaction with actors in the financial and political landscape within Brussels and abroad.

FESE will commence a selection process to identify a successor.

Christian Katz, President of FESE said “I would like to thank Judith Hardt for all her hard work and tireless dedication to the Federation and our industry over the past nine years. FESE is now more organized and focused due to Judith’s leadership. On behalf of the Board and the entire Membership of the Federation we wish Judith Hardt well in her new endeavours”.

Judith Hardt said “After nearly 10 years at FESE and with the successful outcomes of MiFID II for exchanges, I believe that now is a good time to explore new opportunities. I immensely enjoyed leading this association during a fascinating period of fundamental regulatory overhaul and industry consolidation. I have also been privileged to work with incredible staff. I know that the dedication of the FESE team will ensure a seamless transition”.

The Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE) represents 41 exchanges in equities, bonds, derivatives and commodities through 21 full members from 30 countries, as well as 2 Observer Members. FESE is a keen defender of the Internal Market and many of its members have become multi- jurisdictional exchanges, providing market access across multiple investor communities. FESE represents public Regulated Markets. Regulated Markets provide both institutional and retail investors with transparent and neutral price-formation. Securities admitted to trading on our markets have to comply with stringent initial and ongoing disclosure requirements and accounting and auditing standards imposed by EU laws.

At the end of 2013, FESE members had up to 8,950 companies listed on their markets, of which 8% are foreign companies contributing towards the European integration and providing broad and liquid access to Europe’s capital markets. Many of our members also organise specialised markets that allow small and medium sized companies across Europe to access the capital markets; 1,478 companies were listed in these specialised markets/segments in equity, increasing choice for investors and issuers.

LarrainVial Signs an Agreement with U.S. Authorities to Adopt FATCA

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LarrainVial firma un acuerdo con las autoridades estadounidenses para adoptar FATCA — Photo: Tuxyso. LarrainVial Signs an Agreement with U.S. Authorities to Adopt FATCA

LarrainVial has signed an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the U.S. tax authority, to adopt the FATCA law (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), from the date of agreement.

The agreement with the IRS, an institution homologous to the Internal Revenue Service (SII) of Chile, was signed voluntarily by LarrainVial last Friday and before the expected legal time limits. The FATCA rules, which were adopted in 2010 by the U.S. Congress, begin to fully take effect and be obligatory for all financial institutions as from July 1, 2014.

The signing of this agreement is part of the cooperation agreement that the governments of Chile and the United States signed on March 5 to facilitate the implementation of U.S. legislation known as FATCA.

The agreement signed by Larrain Vial with the Internal Revenue Service, includes different LarrainVial Group companies, among which are LarrainVial Corredora de Bolsa (LarrainVial Brokerage); LarrainVial Administradora General de Fondos (LarrainVial General Funds Management); LarrainVial Activos Administradora General de Fondos (LarrainVial Assets General Funds Management), and its subsidiaries in Peru and Colombia.

The FATCA legislation provides for all financial institutions, including Chilean ones, the obligation to cooperate with the IRS by periodically sending information on the accounts or financial products of United States taxpayers (as such term is defined in the rule itself). The account information to be shared with the Internal Revenue Service shall apply only for those who meet that definition, informs LarrainVial.

The main benefit of having signed this agreement is that LarrainVial customers will not be exposed to sanctions by the U.S. tax authority, such as 30% withholding tax, which is the maximum penalty imposed by FATCA regulations.

Santander will Sell Part of its Custody Business in Spain, Mexico and Brazil

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Santander venderá parte de su negocio de custodia en España, México y Brasil — Photo: Ardfern. Santander will Sell Part of its Custody Business in Spain, Mexico and Brazil

Spain’s major bank will not restrict itself to selling part of its asset management business, as it did last year when it sold 50% of the business to Warburg Pincus and General Atlantic funds for US$1.3 billion.

Furthermore, according to the daily publication “Expansion”, the bank plans to dispose of half its custodial and depository business. Once again, one of the buyers is the equity fund Warburg Pincus, which, together with other partners, is apparently close to grabbing a 50% share of that business. According to the Spanish newspaper, the sale will initially affect the Global Custody & Securities Services business in Spain, Mexico and Brazil, but could later be extended to other countries. Besides those three markets, Santander has custody and depository business in Chile, Argentina and Portugal.

According to market sources consulted by Expansion, Santander’s division responsible for providing securities’ settlement, custody, and administration services, could be valued at between €0.5 and €1 billion.

Gaining muscle at the global level

Although the sale of 50% of Global Custody & Securities could be considered the first step out of the asset custody business, Expansion points out, citing market sources, that the bank’s intention could be quite the opposite, since the bank could be looking for partners which allow it to grow, especially outside Spanish borders, to become a strong player globally.

Following the sale, the bank could guarantee its partners liquidity over the medium term through an IPO, the same formula which the bank has used with Santander Consumer, Santander Consumer USA went public earlier this year, and which it also used with its asset management division. According to Expansion, the other option would be for the bank to sell the other half of its custody business to other international groups such as BNP Paribas, BNY Mellon or State Street.

The impact of regulation

One of the reasons why some companies are planning to sell their custody and depository businesses is the new regulation: UCITS V will increase the depositories’ costs and responsibilities. In this regard, UCITS V regulates three issues: the depositary liability regime; the content of the custody function in respect of the different types of financial instruments and of the function of supervision; and the requirements to act as depositary and the conditions under which this role may be delegated to sub-custodians.

As Ramiro Martinez, director of Gomarq Consulting, explained to Funds Society, the proposal introduces a new harmonized system of “quasi-strict liability” which deems the depositary liable if the assets are lost in custody (including assets transferred to a third party in sub-custody), replacing them with others of the same type or value. For the expert, this new liability regime “significantly increases the risk of the depository role and forces depositors to increase their control and will therefore increase their costs (and will probably involve additional capital requirements for the provision of this service). This will require specialization and the pursuit of economies of scale to absorb cost increases,” says Martinez.

That is why the experts are referring to a certain activity of sales of this business amongst those institutions which do not consider it core business, and its concentration among institutions which have enough financial muscle globally to meet the new requirements.

FIFA Seeks to Regulate Mutual Funds in the World of Soccer

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A few days ago, FIFA spoke out about investment funds in the soccer world, as it intends to regulate them as another vehicle at the service of clubs and players. The web site Iusport.com reports that FIFA approved a circular dated May 12, declaring itself in favor of regulating mutual funds, rather than banning them.

Despite FIFA’s approval, UEFA continues to disapprove of investment funds in the world of soccer. By means of this circular, FIFA seeks a solution to the conflict and the regulation of investment funds in order to provide legal assurance, transparency and clarity as a means of alternative funding for clubs, and to eliminate the current irregularities.

In the circular, signed by Jerome Valcke, FIFA’s general secretary, the sporting association explained that they have commissioned two studies to CIES and CDES in order to develop a final proposal. The aim is to raise the issue during the next FIFA Congress in Sao Paulo in mid-June.

Titled “Summaries & Comments of the Study on the Ownership of the Economic Rights of Players by Third-parties”, the circular begins by admitting that the matter of the ownership of the economic rights of players by third-parties has occupied an important place in discussions led by FIFA within the international soccer community, and that its competent committees have included it in their agendas in order to find an effective formula for addressing the issue.

FIFA also maintains that discussions about it have shown that so far, the soccer community has not established a common front to tackle the problem effectively, though apparently most stakeholders recognized that such practices may pose a threat to the integrity of soccer tournaments.

Given the complexity of this phenomenon and the strategies employed in various regions to regulate it, FIFA, as it had notified, commissioned two studies with the general purpose of gathering information on the ownership of the economic rights of players by third parties and about various aspects of this practice, which, in turn, would provide more data to support discussions and initiatives. The two studies have brought together a number of views on the subject from stakeholders in the soccer world, as well as its impact on the soccer sector in general.

FIFA’s primary objective is to tackle this problem from a solid foundation which takes into account all aspects related to this practice, so that it is possible to provide adequate and fair solutions within the framework of a well documented participatory process which includes the stakeholders within FIFA’s competent bodies.

Should you wish to learn more about it you can consult the circular, which is attached in a document.

Citi Private Bank Announces New Family Office Leadership

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Citi Private Bank announced on Tuesday that William Woodson will join the firm in June as Managing Director and Head of the North America Family Office Group. Mr. Woodson will be based in West Palm Beach, FL and report jointly to Peter Charrington, CEO, Citi Private Bank, North America, and Catherine Weir, Global Head of Family Office Group, Citi Private Bank.

Stephen Campbell, formerly head of the group, has been named Chairman for the North America Family Office Group. In this role, Mr. Campbell will focus on advising the firm’s largest family office and foundation clients in North America and globally.

Mr. Campbell joined Citi in 2011 to build out the Private Bank’s North America family office platform. Since that time the business has grown its AUMs exponentially, becoming a significant part of the firm’s overall offering. Mr. Campbell has more than 25 years of diverse financial industry experience prior to joining Citi, having led investment management and technology organizations for Fidelity Investments in the U.S, Europe and Asia; founding as well as investing in early stage venture companies; and as Chief investment Officer of a family office.

Mr. Woodson joins Citi from Credit Suisse where he was Head of the Ultra High Net Worth and Family Office Business for the North American Private Bank. A tax professional by training, Mr. Woodson spent a decade in public accounting with both Coopers & Lybrand and Arthur Andersen before leaving to run the family office for one of his largest clients. Mr. Woodson was a founding member and Managing Director of myCFO and worked as a private banker with the Merrill Lynch Private Banking and Investment Group before joining Credit Suisse in 2007 to lead the firm’s Multi-family Office Practice and Wealth Planning Group.

Mr. Woodson holds a BS degree in Economics from the University of California and a MS degree in Accounting from New York University. “In Steve and Bill we have two exceptional family office resources for our clients. Steve has done a remarkable job leading this key business unit in the past three years and we look forward to its continued growth with Bill at the helm. We recognize that Family offices are as unique as the families they serve and our team’s mission is to help ensure the success of each individual family office we serve,” said Peter Charrington, Citi Private Bank.

“I look forward to helping address the evolving needs of Citi’s family office clients by providing the tailored investment, lending, banking and advisory services they need, and to building lasting relationships with new family office clients who can benefit from Citi’s vast global network of expertise, strategies and services,” said Woodson.

Buying Something You Don’t Understand

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El inversor compra cosas que no entiende — . Buying Something You Don't Understand

People are not great at assessing relative risk. Most of us know people who are afraid to fly but have no issue with driving long distances. While both have risks, it is generally understood that driving is far more dangerous than flying.

Investing is no different. You can’t avoid risks, but you should at least know what risks you’re taking.

According to one of the recent surveys by MFS Investing Sentiment Insights, many investors have very interesting ideas about the risks of passive investing.

The first finding that jumped out was that 64% of investors thought an index fund was safer than the market. This is a pretty clear example of someone not knowing what they’re buying or how it is designed.

The second finding was even more scarier. When asked why they purchased passive investments, 48% said a major factor in the purchase was “minimal risk.” Imagine how an investor who purchased an equity index fund because of minimal risks will react during the next downturn?

There is a role for both active and passive investments in a portfolio. However, it rarely ends well when we buy something we don’t understand.

India’s Review of Depositary Receipts Could Open the Door to Increased Foreign Investment

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Many global investors are welcoming recommendations contained in the M.S. Sahoo Committee report, announced last week by India’s Ministry of Finance. The report recommends allowing over-the-counter (OTC) non-capital-raising American depositary receipt (ADR) programmes on any kind of securities, not only equity. Neil Atkinson, Asia-Pacific head of depositary receipts at BNY Mellon, discusses the case for DRs and why he believes this is positive news both for India and those investing in Indian securities.

“The M.S. Sahoo Committee’s ground-breaking recommendations are terrific news for India and the global investment community. The introduction of the new scheme for DRs will provide global investors with convenient access to Indian companies, who in turn can attract foreign investment through this flexible and cost-efficient securities product. In permitting OTC non-capital-raising DRs, India would join more than 60 countries worldwide whose companies have established non-capital raising DR programs for secondary market investors.

The case for India’s DR reform

“The M.S. Sahoo report is a remarkable study which acknowledges current regulatory constraints that inhibit foreign investment in India. There is significant international demand for Indian equity and greater access to DRs may meet some of the demand not satisfied through routes previously available. Conversations with global investors indicate they warmly welcome this news and look forward to exploring greater investment in India in the near future.

“While DRs remain a valuable source of capital-raising from overseas investors, today they are much more than that. DRs play an essential role in cross-border trading and are a preferred instrument for companies listing their shares on global markets and for investors seeking international portfolio diversification. Not only do they broaden and diversify the range of investors who participate in capital markets, but adding a DR programme can also provide greater visibility for issuers.

“For investors, DRs are an attractive route to entry in a market because they offer a combination of convenience, simplicity and flexibility when compared to direct investment in a foreign market. In our research report from March 2013, ‘India: Easing Conditions for Investors’, we found nearly half of all global funds that invest in India using DRs chose not to invest directly through local shares. Many indicated a preference for the familiarity and convenience of DRs and were unable or unwilling to invest directly or use derivatives.

“While it could be argued that the importance of DRs has subsided since India’s onshore market has developed, DRs remain an attractive route for foreign investment into India. At BNY Mellon, we commend these ground-breaking developments which should promote greater integration of the Indian financial system with international capital markets.”

Since the 1920’s, investors, companies, and traders have used DRs to meet their needs. According to BNY Mellon data as of 31 December 2013, there are more than 3,750 DR programmes available to investors, representing issuers from 75 countries. More than 4,400 institutions invest over $800 billion in DRs globally.