Tag: ssga

Regulatory uncertainty still clouds parts of the exchange-traded funds market, says a new report from State Street Global Advisors. The Chinese fund house’s prospectus for its Asian equities product, slated for launch next week, indicates it will manage the fund without MOU partner State Street. Meanwhile, the exchange-traded fund giant still has no plans to launch inverse or leveraged ETFs. The hope is that there will be a bigger pie of assets for everyone in the passive investment business. Asia-Pacific ETF head Sammy Yip says the fund house is looking to launch more innovative products similar to its gold ETFs. Kelly Driscoll has just arrived in Hong Kong to help Bernard Reilly run the region. Says a practitioner of index investing. But the logic is compelling for large state-linked investment agencies to include passive allocations. State Street Global Advisors reckons as sovereign wealth funds’ assets reach $7 trillion they will support global equities and raise bond yields – but don’t count on them ... Hong Kongers can now join the ranks of investors in New York, Mexico, Singapore and Tokyo in buying ‘paper gold’. One problem is how to fit active extension mandates into legacy asset allocations, suggesting that support for these quant products might come from new institutions elsewhere. Hon Cheung will now be responsible for servicing official institutions while Cecilia Chin takes over client servicing. Lochiel Crafter transfers from Sydney to get closer to Asian clients. Aussie institutions look for beta in a fund that invests in securities with below-average price-to-earnings ratios. Veronica Ho jumps ship from UBS for active quantitative equity team role. Mark Lazberger moves to a new role as head of international business, while Justin Pascoe becomes Asia CIO. Ramon Maronilla joins from HSBC. Executive leaves firm he made the biggest institutional money manager in Asia ex-Japan. Mandated to run the pan-Asian fund by the region''s central banks, State Street will open it to other investors. Some Asian investors are reluctant to include Japan in a regional developed-market index. Liu Fangsheng is leaving BGI in Tokyo to join rival SSgA as its new head of active equities.