ETF investors see silver lining in equity storm

ETF investors see silver lining in equity storm ETF SecuritiesETF investors see silver lining in equity storm

ETF Securities – ETF investors see silver lining in equity storm

Highlights

  • A rout in cyclical markets set off a pronounced sell-off in commodities, including industrial metals, oil and gold.
  • ETF investors however, saw an opportunity to buy equities following price declines.
  • Record US oil production continues to weigh on oil.

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Industrial metals ETPs saw US$99.9mn outflows. Arguably the most cyclically exposed of the commodities – industrial metals – experienced the highest outflows in 10 weeks. An equity market sell-off dragged other cyclical assets lower. Most of the outflows were concentrated in broad baskets (-US$133.6mn) and copper (- US$26.3mn). However, there were inflows into nickel (US$61.3mn) and silver (US19.3mn), highlighting that some investors are tactically searching for opportunities after the price decline.

Inflows into European equity long ETFs rose to highest level since 2016, while outflows from short ETFs rose to highest since 2016. Investors bought US$15.9mn of European equity ETPs as European bourses saw a capitulation in prices. Meanwhile investors locked in their profits, selling US$9.9mn of European (mainly UK) short ETF positions. The trading patterns indicate that many ETP investors see the current equity market declines as transitory

Gold fails to attract haven asset seekers. Gold is often the first port of call in times of stress. Not last week apparently. Gold saw US$57.3mn of outflows as its price declined 1.3%. As US Treasury yields spiked to 2.86% at the end of the week from 2.71% at the beginning of the week and US dollar appreciated, gold prices fell. A second US government shutdown in the space of three weeks on Friday only offered temporary support to gold as a spending bill was signed and government re-opened in a matter of hours.

Oil ETPs saw a further US$29.7mn of outflows as US pumps out a record 10.25mn barrels per day. In the past 32 weeks there has only been one week of inflows into oil ETPs. In contrast to oil futures, which had recently seen speculative positioning rise to an all-time high, ETP investors had been selling into the price rally that started in June 2017 and ended in January 2018. With many ETP investors having accumulated positions during the prices declines from 2014, recent selling indicates profit taking. We had argued in that prices around US$70/bbl hit in January were not sustainable as US production would rise in response and suppress prices again. Oil rig counts in the US have risen for the past three weeks, oil production has risen for four consecutive weeks and crude inventory is rising once again. In fact US oil production rose to over 10.25mn barrel per day last week (the highest since weekly records began in 1983 and higher than the monthly data that began in 1920).

Important Information

General

This communication has been issued and approved for the purpose of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (“ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”).
The information contained in this communication is for your general information only and is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision. Historical performance is not an indication of future performance and any investments may go down in value.

This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares or securities in the United States or any province or territory thereof. Neither this document nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States.

This communication may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information

This communication may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. Although ETFS UK endeavours to ensure the accuracy of the content in this communication, ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee its accuracy or correctness. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data. Where ETFS UK has expressed its own opinions related to product or market activity, these views may change. Neither ETFS UK, nor any affiliate, nor any of their respective officers, directors, partners, or employees accepts any liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this publication or its contents.

ETFS UK is required by the FCA to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.

 

Inflows into ETPs driven by tactical reallocations

Inflows into ETPs driven by tactical reallocations

ETF Securities Weekly Flows Analysis – Inflows into ETPs driven by tactical reallocations

  • Investors injected US$26mn inflows into platinum and silver ETPs last week, withdrawing US$25mn from the precious metals basket and palladium ETPs at the same time.
  • Net inflows into oil ETPs for the first time since September, driven by inflows into short.
  • Inflows into thematic equities ETPs and EuroSTOXX ETPs as Brexit move to trade negotiations.

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Last week widely expected outcomes led to small inflows into equities, energy and precious metals ETPs. The outcome of last week’s central bank meetings came almost as a non-event. The US Fed increased its funds target by 25bps to 1.5% on Wednesday evening with policymakers still expecting three rate hikes for 2018. The US dollar fell 0.7% on that day before recovering from its losses. In Europe, investors were hopeful that some clarity about the future tapering of the European Central Bank’s (ECB’s) quantitative easing program will be provided, but it was not. Instead, the ECB increased its growth forecast for the Eurozone for 2018, suggesting that inflation will continue to rise and that the central bank may have to act sooner than estimated. In UK, Bank of England Governor Carney kept its base rate unchanged despite UK inflation for November jumping to 3.1%. Central banks economic forecasts point toward strong growth and better labour market conditions for 2018 which should be supportive of asset prices across the board.

Investors injected US$26mn inflows into platinum and silver ETPs last week, withdrawing US$25mn from the basket and palladium ETPs at the same time. Investors added US$14.4mn inflows into platinum ETPs for the first time since October and US$12mn into silver ETPs for the fourth consecutive week. Last week saw the price of platinum falling by 1.1% to US$882/oz, widening the gap with palladium to US$146/oz., the largest since 2001. Silver prices, on the over hand, rose by 1% over the same period, ending the week at near US$16/oz., as industrial based metal prices continue to rally. Investors withdrew US$20.1mn from the basket ETPs and US$5mn from palladium ETPs at the same time, indicating a potential tactical reallocation into individual precious metals ETPs, which present better opportunities.

Net inflows into oil ETPs for the first time since September, driven by inflows into short. Last week saw net inflows of US$12.6mn into oil ETPs, the first inflows since September and the largest weekly inflows since July. This has been driven by US$23mn inflows into short oil ETPs despite little change in oil prices over the past week. Long oil ETPs, on the other hand, saw outflows of US$10.1mn, suggesting that the OPEC led rally is reaching its limit and that market participants are expecting prices to correct in the near term. Latest data show US oil production rose by another 73,000 barrels per day while larger-than-expected decline in US inventories continues.

Thematic equities continue to attract inflows as investors increase exposure to EuroSTOXX ETPs at the same time. Last week saw thematic equities recording net inflows of US$12.3mn, mainly into Robotic ETP (US$7.9mn). Investors also added US$12.3mn into EuroSTOXX ETPs as the Brexit negotiations move to the second phase after a turbulent month of back-and-forth discussions.

For more information contact

ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com

Important Information

General

This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (”ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the ”FCA”).

This communication is only targeted at qualified or professional investors.

The products discussed in this communication are issued by ETFS Commodity Securities Limited (”CSL”), ETFS Hedged Commodity Securities Limited (”HCSL”), ETFS Hedged Metal Securities Limited (”HMSL”), Swiss Commodity Securities Limited (”SCSL”), ETFS Foreign Exchange Limited (”FXL”), ETFS Metal Securities Limited (”MSL”), ETFS Oil Securities Limited (”OSL”), ETFS Equity Securities Limited (”ESL”), Gold Bullion Securities Limited (”GBS” and, together with CSL, HCSL, HMSL, SCSL, FXL, MSL, OSL and ESL, the ”Issuers”) and GO UCITS ETF Solutions Plc (the ”Company ”). Each Issuer (apart from SCSL) is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. The Company is an open-ended investment company with variable capital having segregated liability between its sub-funds (each a ”Fund”) and is organised under the laws of Ireland. The Company is regulated, and has been authorised as a UCITS by the Central Bank of Ireland (the ”Financial Regulator”) pursuant to the European Communities (Undertaking for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) Regulations, 2003 (as amended).

Italy: When being made within Italy, this communication is for the exclusive use of the ”qualified investors” and its circulation among the public is prohibited.

Switzerland: In Switzerland, this communication is only intended for Regulated Qualified Investors.

US: This communication is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares in the United States or any province or territory thereof, where none of the Issuers, the Company or any securities issued by them are authorised or registered for distribution and where no prospectus for any of the Issuers or the Company has been filed with any securities commission or regulatory authority. Neither this communication nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States. Neither the Issuers, the Company nor any securities issued by them have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 or the Investment Company Act of 1940 or qualified under any applicable state securities statutes.

This communication may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or correctness of any information contained herein and any opinions related to product or market activity may change. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data.

Any historical performance included in this communication may be based on back testing. Back tested performance is purely hypothetical and is provided in this communication solely for informational purposes. Back tested data does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of actual or future performance. Historical performance is not an indication of or a guide to future performance.

The information contained in this communication is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities nor shall any securities be offered or sold to any person in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchaser or sale would be unlawful under the securities law of such jurisdiction. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision.

ETFS UK is required by the FCA to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.

Risk Warnings

Securities issued by the Issuers and the Company may be structured products involving a significant degree of risk and may not be suitable for all types of investor. This communication is aimed at sophisticated, professional and institutional investors. Any decision to invest should be based on the information contained in the prospectus (and any supplements thereto) of the relevant Issuer or the Company which includes, inter alia, information on certain risks associated with an investment. The price of any securities may go up or down and an investor may not get back the amount invested. Securities may be priced in US Dollars, Euros, or Sterling, and the value of the investment in other currencies will be affected by exchange rate movements. Investments in the securities of the Issuers or the shares of the Company which provide a short and/or leveraged exposure are only suitable for sophisticated, professional and institutional investors who understand leveraged and compounded daily returns and are willing to magnify potential losses by comparison to investments which do not incorporate these strategies. Over periods of greater than one day, investments with a short and/or leveraged exposure do not necessarily provide investors with a return equivalent to a return from the unleveraged long or unleveraged short investments multiplied by the relevant leverage factor.

Investors should refer to the section entitled ”Risk Factors” in the relevant prospectus for further details of these and other risks associated with an investment in the securities offered by the Issuers and the Company.

The relevant prospectus for each Issuer and the Company may be obtained from www.etfsecurities.com. Please contact ETFS UK at +44 20 7448 4330 or info@etfsecurities.com for more information.

Issuers

General: The FCA has delivered to the regulators listed below certificates of approval attesting that the prospectuses of the Issuers indicated have been drawn up in accordance with Directive 2003/71/EC.

For Dutch, French, German and Italian Investors: The prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) for each of the Issuers (apart from SCSL) have been passported from the United Kingdom into France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands and have been filed with the l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) in France, Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin) in Germany, CONSOB and the Bank of Italy in Italy and the Authority Financial Markets (Autoriteit Financiële Markten) in the Netherlands. Copies of prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) and related regulatory documentation, including annual reports, can be obtained in France from HSBC France, 103, Avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris, in Germany from HSBC Trinkhaus & Burkhardt, AG, Konsortialgeschäft, Königsalle 21/23, 40212 Dusseldorf and in the Netherlands from Fortis Bank (Nederland) N.V., Rokin 55, 1012 KK Amsterdam. The prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) for each of the Issuers (apart from SCSL) may be distributed to investors in France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

This communication is not a financial analysis pursuant to Section 34b of the German Securities Trading Act (Wertpapierhandelsgesetz – WpHG) and consequently does not meet all legal requirements to warrant the objectivity of a financial analysis and is also not subject to the ban on trading prior to the publication of a financial analysis.

This communication is not addressed to or intended directly or indirectly, to (a) any persons who do not qualify as qualified investors (gekwalificeerde beleggers) within the meaning of section 1:1 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act as amended from time to time; and/or (b) in circumstances where other exemptions or dispensations from the prohibition the Dutch Financial Supervision Act or the Exemption Regulation of the Act on Financial Supervision apply.

None of the Issuers is required to have a license pursuant to the Dutch Financial Supervision Act as it is exempt from any licensing requirements and is not regulated by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets and consequently no prudential and conduct of business supervision will be exercised.

For Austrian, Danish, Finnish, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish Investors: The prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) for each of CSL, HCSL, HMSL, MSL, ESL and FXL have been passported from the United Kingdom into Austria, Denmark, Finland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and have been filed with Österreichische Finanzmarktaufsicht (Austrian Financial Market Authority) in Austria, Finanstilsynet (Financial Supervisory Authority) in Denmark, Finanssivalvonta (Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority) in Finland, Comissão do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários (Portuguese Securities Market Commission) in Portugal, Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (Securities Market Commission) in Spain and the Finansinspektionen (Financial Supervisory Authority) in Sweden. The prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) for these entities may be distributed to investors in Austria, Finland, Portugal, Spain, Denmark and Sweden.

For Belgian Investors: The prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) for GBS, CSL, MSL and FXL have been passported from the United Kingdom into Belgium and has been filed with the Commission Bancair, Financiére et des Assurances in Belgium. The prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) for GBS, CSL, MSL and FXL may be distributed to investors in Belgium.

For Swiss investors: The prospectus (and any supplements thereto) for SCSL may be distributed to investors in Switzerland. Securities in SCSL are not shares or units in collective investment schemes within the meaning of CISA. They have not been approved by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) and are not subject to its supervision. The Swiss Franc Currency-Hedged Commodity Securities are not issued or guaranteed by a supervised financial intermediary within the meaning of CISA.

This document does not constitute a prospectus under the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 and is not an offer or an invitation to acquire securities in SCSL. This document does not constitute a Swiss listing prospectus under the SIX Listing Rules and the SIX Additional Rules for the listing of Exchange Traded Products. This document must be read in conjunction with the Swiss Listing Prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between this document and the Swiss Listing Prospectus, the Swiss Listing Prospectus shall prevail. Detailed information on the terms and conditions of the Swiss Franc Currency-Hedged Commodity Securities can be found in the Swiss Listing Prospectus under Part 6 – Trust Instrument and Swiss Franc Currency-Hedged Commodity Securities.

Other than as set out above investors may contact ETFS UK at +44 (0)20 7448 4330 or at info@etfsecurities.com to obtain copies of prospectuses and related regulatory documentation, including annual reports. Other than as separately indicated, this communication is being made on a ”private placement” basis and is intended solely for the professional / institutional recipient to which it is delivered.

Securities issued by the Issuers are direct, limited recourse obligations of the relevant Issuer alone and are not obligations of or guaranteed by any of UBS AG (”UBS”), Merrill Lynch Commodities Inc. (”MLCI”), Merrill Lynch International (”MLI”), Bank of America Corporation (”BAC”), Bloomberg Finance LP (”Bloomberg”), Société Générale (”SG ”), Shell Trading Switzerland, Shell Treasury, HSBC Bank plc, JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., Morgan Stanley & Co International plc, Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated or any of their affiliates or anyone else or any of their affiliates. Each of UBS, MLCI, MLI, BAC, Bloomberg, SG, Shell Trading Switzerland, Shell Treasury, HSBC Bank plc, JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., Morgan Stanley & Co International plc and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated disclaims all and any liability whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise (save as referred to above) which it might have in respect of this communication or its contents otherwise arising in connection herewith.

Funds

Austria: Investors should base their investment decision only on the relevant prospectus of the Company, the Key Investor Information Document, any supplements or addenda thereto, the latest annual reports and semi-annual reports and the memorandum of incorporation and the articles of association, which can be obtained free of charge upon request at the Paying and Information Agent in Austria, Erste Bank der oesterreichischen Sparkassen AG, Graben 21, A1010 Wien, Österreich and on www.etfsecurities.com.

France: Any subscription for shares of the Funds will be made on the basis of the terms of the prospectus, the simplified prospectus and any supplements or addenda thereto. The Company is a UCITS governed by Irish legislation and approved by the Financial Regulator as UCITS compliant with European regulations although may not have to comply with the same rules as those applicable to a similar product approved in France. Certain of the Funds have been registered for marketing in France by the Authority Financial Markets (Autorité des Marchés Financiers) and may be distributed to investors in France. Copies of all documents (i.e. the prospectus (including any supplements or addenda thereto, the Key Investor Information Document, the latest annual reports and the memorandum of incorporation and articles of association) are available in France, free of charge, at the French Centralizing Agent, Société Générale, Securities Services, at 1-5 rue du Débarcadère, 92700 Colombes – France. Germany: The offering of the Shares of the Fund has been notified to the German Financial Services Supervisory Authority (BaFin) in accordance with section 310 of the German Investment Code (KAGB). Copies of all documents (i.e. the Key Investor Information Document (in the German language), the prospectus, any supplements or addenda thereto, the latest annual reports and semi-annual reports and the memorandum of incorporation and the articles of association) can be obtained free of charge upon request at the Paying and Information Agent in Germany, HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt AG, Königsallee 21-23, 40212 Düsseldorf and on www.etfsecurities.com. The current offering and redemption prices as well as the net asset value and possible notifications of the investors can also be requested free of charge at the same address. In Germany the Shares will be settled as co-owner shares in a Global Bearer certificate issued by Clearstream Banking AG. This type of settlement only occurs in Germany because there is no direct link between the English and German clearing and settlement systems CREST and Clearstream. For this reason the ISIN used for trading of the Shares in Germany differs from the ISIN used in other countries.

Netherlands: Each Fund has been registered with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets following the UCITS passport-procedure pursuant to section 2:72 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act.

United Kingdom: Each Fund is a recognised scheme under section 264 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and so the prospectus may be distributed to investors in the United Kingdom. Copies of all documents (i.e. the Key Investor Information Document, the prospectus, any supplements or addenda thereto, the latest annual reports and semi-annual reports and the memorandum of incorporation and the articles of association) are available in the United Kingdom from www.etfsecurities.com.

None of the index providers of the Funds referred to herein nor their licensors make any warranty or representation whatsoever either as to the results obtained from use of the relevant indices and/or the figures at which such indices stand at any particular day or otherwise. None of the index providers shall be liable to any person for any errors or significant delays in the relevant indices nor shall be under any obligation to advise any person of any error or significant delay therein.

 

Bargain hunters look for laggard platinum to play catch-up

Bargain hunters look for laggard platinum to play catch-up

ETF Securities Weekly Flows Analysis – Bargain hunters look for laggard platinum to play catch-up

Highlights

  • Platinum ETPs receive largest weekly inflows in 18 months, totalling US$43.2mn.
  • Gold ETP inflows resume, totalling US$42.8mn, as investors remain defensive.
  • Oil ETPs have experienced outflows in 14 of the past 15 weeks, totalling US$459mn over the period.
  • Highest inflows for copper ETPs in eight weeks, totalling US$6.1mn.

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Platinum ETPs receive largest weekly inflows in 18 months, totalling US$43.2mn. Platinum has been by far the laggard of the precious metals sector with just 0.7% gains, compared to the stellar performance of palladium with 43.2% in 2017. Bargain hunters are expecting this underperformance to turn around, driving inflows in three out of the past four weeks. Meanwhile, palladium ETPs have seen investors booking profits, with three consecutive weeks of outflows, totalling US$9.6mn over that period. Indeed, palladium ETPs are the only ones in the precious metals sector to record year-to-date outflows.

Gold ETP inflows resume, totalling US$42.8mn last week, as investors remain defensive. With global equity valuations remaining high and the bond market balloon fully stretched, investors remain prudent and looking to gold for some portfolio diversification. The threat of a December interest rate hike in the US and possible tighter monetary policy from UK is also likely to keep pressure on gold prices in the coming months. Looking ahead, although US Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Yellen is out of the race – the battle for the new Fed Chair position is reportedly down to two: Jerome Powell and John Taylor – we expect that the trajectory of the Fed’s policy rate path will remain unchanged in 2018. The market still underestimates the Fed and is pricing in less than one rate hike in 2018, compared to the central bank’s ‘dot plot’, which indicates that there will be three rate rises next year. As a result, rising rates and a stronger US Dollar will likely put some modest downside pressure on the gold price.

Oil ETPs have experienced outflows in 14 of the past 15 weeks, totalling US$459mn over the period. With oil prices trading at the upside of our expected US$45-60/bbl range as comments from Saudi officials suggest further OPEC cuts in the pipeline, the outflows from crude ETPs indicate investors do not feel that the recent rise in oil prices is sustainable. Brent reached the highest level since July 2015 last week, despite reports of expanding US production and inventory levels that remain well above longer-term average levels. With the differential between Brent and WTI at the second widest level (the spread was wider in late September 2017) in over two years, rising US production is likely to keep exports elevated and keep the global market well supplied in the near-term.

Highest inflows for copper ETPs in eight weeks, totalling US$6.1mn. Copper has been the best performer in the industrial metals sector over the past year, and investors believe this is likely to continue. We expect continued improving fundamentals as supply-side destruction, a multi-year supply deficits and increasing Chinese demand support prices in the industrial metals sector.

For more information contact

ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com

Important Information

General

This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (”ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the ”FCA”).

This communication is only targeted at qualified or professional investors.

The products discussed in this communication are issued by ETFS Commodity Securities Limited (”CSL”), ETFS Hedged Commodity Securities Limited (”HCSL”), ETFS Hedged Metal Securities Limited (”HMSL”), Swiss Commodity Securities Limited (”SCSL”), ETFS Foreign Exchange Limited (”FXL”), ETFS Metal Securities Limited (”MSL”), ETFS Oil Securities Limited (”OSL”), ETFS Equity Securities Limited (”ESL”), Gold Bullion Securities Limited (”GBS” and, together with CSL, HCSL, HMSL, SCSL, FXL, MSL, OSL and ESL, the ”Issuers”) and GO UCITS ETF Solutions Plc (the ”Company ”). Each Issuer (apart from SCSL) is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. The Company is an open-ended investment company with variable capital having segregated liability between its sub-funds (each a ”Fund”) and is organised under the laws of Ireland. The Company is regulated, and has been authorised as a UCITS by the Central Bank of Ireland (the ”Financial Regulator”) pursuant to the European Communities (Undertaking for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) Regulations, 2003 (as amended).

Italy: When being made within Italy, this communication is for the exclusive use of the ”qualified investors” and its circulation among the public is prohibited.

Switzerland: In Switzerland, this communication is only intended for Regulated Qualified Investors.

US: This communication is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares in the United States or any province or territory thereof, where none of the Issuers, the Company or any securities issued by them are authorised or registered for distribution and where no prospectus for any of the Issuers or the Company has been filed with any securities commission or regulatory authority. Neither this communication nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States. Neither the Issuers, the Company nor any securities issued by them have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 or the Investment Company Act of 1940 or qualified under any applicable state securities statutes.

This communication may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or correctness of any information contained herein and any opinions related to product or market activity may change. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data.

Any historical performance included in this communication may be based on back testing. Back tested performance is purely hypothetical and is provided in this communication solely for informational purposes. Back tested data does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of actual or future performance. Historical performance is not an indication of or a guide to future performance.

The information contained in this communication is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities nor shall any securities be offered or sold to any person in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchaser or sale would be unlawful under the securities law of such jurisdiction. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision.

ETFS UK is required by the FCA to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.

Risk Warnings

Securities issued by the Issuers and the Company may be structured products involving a significant degree of risk and may not be suitable for all types of investor. This communication is aimed at sophisticated, professional and institutional investors. Any decision to invest should be based on the information contained in the prospectus (and any supplements thereto) of the relevant Issuer or the Company which includes, inter alia, information on certain risks associated with an investment. The price of any securities may go up or down and an investor may not get back the amount invested. Securities may be priced in US Dollars, Euros, or Sterling, and the value of the investment in other currencies will be affected by exchange rate movements. Investments in the securities of the Issuers or the shares of the Company which provide a short and/or leveraged exposure are only suitable for sophisticated, professional and institutional investors who understand leveraged and compounded daily returns and are willing to magnify potential losses by comparison to investments which do not incorporate these strategies. Over periods of greater than one day, investments with a short and/or leveraged exposure do not necessarily provide investors with a return equivalent to a return from the unleveraged long or unleveraged short investments multiplied by the relevant leverage factor.

Investors should refer to the section entitled ”Risk Factors” in the relevant prospectus for further details of these and other risks associated with an investment in the securities offered by the Issuers and the Company.

The relevant prospectus for each Issuer and the Company may be obtained from www.etfsecurities.com. Please contact ETFS UK at +44 20 7448 4330 or info@etfsecurities.com for more information.

Issuers

General: The FCA has delivered to the regulators listed below certificates of approval attesting that the prospectuses of the Issuers indicated have been drawn up in accordance with Directive 2003/71/EC.

For Dutch, French, German and Italian Investors: The prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) for each of the Issuers (apart from SCSL) have been passported from the United Kingdom into France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands and have been filed with the l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) in France, Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin) in Germany, CONSOB and the Bank of Italy in Italy and the Authority Financial Markets (Autoriteit Financiële Markten) in the Netherlands. Copies of prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) and related regulatory documentation, including annual reports, can be obtained in France from HSBC France, 103, Avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris, in Germany from HSBC Trinkhaus & Burkhardt, AG, Konsortialgeschäft, Königsalle 21/23, 40212 Dusseldorf and in the Netherlands from Fortis Bank (Nederland) N.V., Rokin 55, 1012 KK Amsterdam. The prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) for each of the Issuers (apart from SCSL) may be distributed to investors in France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

This communication is not a financial analysis pursuant to Section 34b of the German Securities Trading Act (Wertpapierhandelsgesetz – WpHG) and consequently does not meet all legal requirements to warrant the objectivity of a financial analysis and is also not subject to the ban on trading prior to the publication of a financial analysis.

This communication is not addressed to or intended directly or indirectly, to (a) any persons who do not qualify as qualified investors (gekwalificeerde beleggers) within the meaning of section 1:1 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act as amended from time to time; and/or (b) in circumstances where other exemptions or dispensations from the prohibition the Dutch Financial Supervision Act or the Exemption Regulation of the Act on Financial Supervision apply.

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Industrial metal ETP inflows resume

Industrial metal ETP inflows resume

ETF Securities Weekly Flows Analysis – Industrial metal ETP inflows resume

Highlights

  • Industrial metal ETPs saw their first inflows in four weeks
  • Robotic ETPs saw highest inflows since March 2017.
  • Outflows from oil ETPs continued as early-week price gains fail to hold.

Download the complete report (.pdf)

Industrial metal ETPs saw their first inflows in four weeks.

As industrial metal positioning started to look stretched in August, we saw outflows begin and that continued as prices fell. However, last week as prices of most metals started to show signs of reaching a trough, inflows resumed. Speculative positioning in the futures market have pared back and volumes of trading in Shanghai have fallen indicating momentum trades are being shaken out. We saw US$5.0mn into long copper and US$4.4 into long nickel ETPs. Nickel is likely to benefit from growing demand for battery technology. Last week China announced that 10% of vehicles that automakers produce in 2019 must be low or zero emission, rising to 12% in 2020. With a higher loading of nickel expected in future batteries, the metal stands to benefit from regulatory driven changes in demand.

 

Robotic ETPs saw highest inflows since March 2017.

US$29.1mn of inflows marked the highest since March. Investors are impressed with a 35% return over the past year. Although technology stocks pared back gains in September, robotic stocks bucked the trend, posting over 4% gain.

 

Crude oil ETP outflows reached a 7-week high.

Oil prices received a boost earlier in the week as the autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq went to vote for independence. Investors took profits, withdrawing US$53.1mn from long crude oil ETPs. There is a risk that this oil-rich region, which produces more than ½ million barrels per day (mb/d) of Iraq’s 4½ (mb/d) output could be shut off from international markets as the Iraqi government bans the sale of oil from the region. This threat was largely ignored until the Turkish government claimed it will shut off the pipeline that carries the crude. Brent reached a 2-year high on Monday, rising almost 4% on the day. However the likelihood of Turkey following through is slim, given that it depends heavily on this source of oil and it is difficult to find alternatives at such short notice. Indeed the position of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is that they want the vote to open dialogue with the Iraqi government about independence rather than a declaration of independence itself. Despite the heated rhetoric and military drills, it is very likely that production will remain uninterrupted.

US$13.4mn of gold ETP outflows follow two weeks of inflows.

It looks like investors’ mind-sets are back on monetary policy after sabre-rattling between US and North Korea temporarily shifted their attention towards geopolitics. US Federal Reserve Chair Yellen emphasised in her speech last week that there are risks in moving too slowly in tightening. US 10-yr Treasures rose to 2.31% from 2.25% a week earlier, while the US dollar index gained 0.8%. Gold fell from US$1310/oz on Tuesday to US$1287.91/oz on Friday. Investors sold as gold prices fell.

 

For more information contact:

ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com

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Investors sold gold as geopolitical tensions abate

Investors sold gold as geopolitical tensions abate

ETF Securities Weekly Flows Analysis – Investors sold gold as geopolitical tensions abate

  • Investors reduced gold holdings as geopolitical tensions abate.
  • President Trump’s unclear commitment to pro-growth policies weaken the US dollar.
  • Oil ETPs saw outflows continue for fifth consecutive week.
  • Investors take profits on strong year-to-date emerging market local bonds performance.

Download the complete report (.pdf)

We saw US$107mn of outflows from our gold ETPs as geopolitical tensions eased. US July retail sales and the Empire Manufacturing Index for August surprised to the upside and resulted in a strengthening of the US dollar and rising US bond yields last week, while putting downward pressures on the gold. Gold price pared losses in the later course of the week while the US dollar shed some of its gains amid concern about outlook for President Donald Trump’s administration. President Trump’s announced that two business advisory councils were to shut down. On Friday, gold price rose on higher demand for safe haven assets after the two terrorist attacks in Barcelona.

Short USD inflows increase after FOMC minutes revealed no consensus at the Fed. The minutes of the latest meeting of the FOMC reflected the lack of consensus within the Fed on the conduct of next monetary policy actions. In addition, the unclear commitments of Trump’s administration around pro-growth policy also lent weaknesses to the US dollar. Last week inflows into short USD-long EUR ETPs rose by US$3.6mn, despite ECB’s concern about the strength of the euro as revealed in the minutes of the July meeting. In aggregate there were US$13.3mn of inflows into short USD ETPs since the beginning of the month.

Oil ETP outflows continue for 5th consecutive week, totalling US$214mn on the month. Investors have withdrawn US$17.9mn from long oil ETPs, probably taking profits as crude prices are still up nearly 7.8% over the past month. US crude production rose to a two-year high of 9,502 thousand barrels per day according to Energy Information Administration data on Wednesday, partly offsetting the efforts of the OPEC countries to scale down the global glut. We expect oil to continue to trade between US$40-55/bbl.

Outflows from Emerging Market government bond ETPs after four weeks of consecutive inflows. We saw US$21.5mn of outflows this week, while year-to-date inflows into emerging market debt ETPs remain elevated at US$63.7mn. After gains in local government bonds of around 11% this year, investors are taking profit from the strong performance of EM debt in local currency since January in anticipation of a stronger US dollar that could challenge EM assets.

Video Presentation

Morgane Delledonne, Fixed Income Strategist at ETF Securities provides an analysis of last week’s performance, flow and trading activity in commodity exchange traded products and a look at the week ahead.

For more information contact

ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com

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