Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management (DeAWM) has announced the launch of the db x-trackers II Markit iBoxx ABF Indonesia Government UCITS ETF (SH8) on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). The fund, which tracks the Markit iBoxx ABF Indonesia Government Index, offers exposure to local currency debt issued by the Indonesian central government and is the first out-and-out emerging markets bond ETF to be listed by DeAWM on SGX.

Citi has added a new emerging markets index to its fixed income index family. The Citi Emerging Markets Government Bond Index (EMGBI) measures the performance of fixed-rate, local currency sovereign bonds. The index currently comprises 233 bonds from 14 countries globally including Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Hungary, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, and Turkey.

iShares, the exchange-traded funds (ETF) platform of BlackRock, has announced the launch of two new funds on the London Stock Exchange (LSE): the iShares Global High Yield Corp Bond GBP Hedged UCITS ETF (GHYS) and the iShares Global Corporate Bond EUR Hedged UCITS ETF (CRPH). The two physically-replicated, monthly currency-hedged fixed income funds, the first of their type from iShares, aim to reduce the impact currency fluctuations can have on returns when investing in fixed income assets globally.

Markit, a leading provider of indices to exchange-traded funds, has announced the launch of the Markit iBoxx SGD, a family of bond indices designed to track the performance of sovereign and corporate debt denominated in Singapore dollars (SGD). The indices are the first to include comprehensive and detailed coverage of the SGD corporate bond market. The launch comes at a time when Singapore’s positive economic outlook and high credit rating are attracting a growing investor base to its local debt markets.

Markit, a London-headquartered provider of financial data, analytics and indices, has announced the launch of Markit ETP Analytics, an independent analytics service for the global exchange-traded products (ETP) market. The service is built on the foundation of Markit’s encyclopaedia and composition data, which spans over 5,100 unique ETPs.

iShares has revealed that UK financial advisers continued to increase their use of ETFs on wrap platforms in Q1 2013, with the amount of iShares’ assets held on major platforms reaching £985m, an increase of 16% on Q4 2012. Pollyanna Harper, Head of Intermediary Sales UK at iShares, said: “In the three months since the implementation of the RDR, we’re encouraged to see a steady increase in the amount of assets advisers are holding in ETFs through platforms. Advisers and investors are becoming more aware of what ETFs are and the benefits they can offer”.

Asset class performance has been very mixed so far this year with currency volatility re-awakened and softening global economic data suggesting more difficult times ahead, according to Stephen Cohen, Head of iShares EMEA Investment Strategy & Insight. So what can investors do? Cohen proposes four strategies: overweighting defensive equities and equity income; using developed market equities to access emerging markets; playing Japan via a currency-hedged solution; and mitigating interest rate risk in fixed income and looking at local currency emerging markets debt.

First Trust Advisors, a global provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), has rolled out its fourth actively managed ETF. Listed on the Nasdaq exchange, the First Trust Senior Loan ETF (FTSL) seeks to generate high current income and preserve capital by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of first-lien senior floating-rate bank loans. The fund attempts to outperform both the S&P/LSTA US Leveraged Loan 100 Index and the Markit iBoxx USD Leveraged Loan Index.

Expectations of a recovery for gold are mixed, according to a survey of Barclays Stockbrokers clients. Just under a third of respondents think the value of gold will bounce back above $1,500/oz in the next six months, while more than a quarter expect it to drop below $1,300/oz. The broker also revealed that the top five traded exchange-traded commodities (ETCs) in the week following the metal’s dramatic fall were all related to precious metals, comprising three gold ETCs – led by ETF Securities’ ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) – and two silver ETCs.

Markit, a leading provider of fixed income indices, has announced the launch of the Markit iBoxx US Non-Agency RMBS Indices, a family of cash bond indices based on a portfolio of US non-agency Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS). The new indices provide market participants with a means to assess the returns of the US non-agency RMBS market and are well suited for use a fund benchmarks and underlyings for index-linked products such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs).