Swedish leader: Lessons from financial crisis being ignored Regulators have "listened too much" to the powerful banking lobby, and the lessons of the financial crisis might be forgotten, said Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. "There are financial players that are trying to reshape society in such a way that high risk-taking should be rewarded in terms of their private finances when things go well and debts should be sent the way of taxpayers when things go badly," he said. "We simply can't accept that." Bloomberg (02 Jun.) U.S. companies leverage up to fund dividends, buybacks Profitable U.S. corporations with investment-grade credit ratings are taking on more debt to pay for stock buybacks and dividends, rather than for investments that might increase profit, according to The Economist. "[T]he sharp tick-up in corporate leverage ought to sound a warning to investors," the magazine notes. "It may suggest that increasing returns to shareholders are coming not from genuine growth but from stretching balance-sheets." The Economist (tiered subscription model) (31 May.)  | The NEW "Google" for Analysts: AlphaSense Significantly speed up your company research process with AlphaSense. Used by more than 200 investment firms worldwide. Easily search SEC and global fillings, transcripts, ppts, press releases, etc. A single search shows list results, sentence and in-context views on ONE screen. Literally saves hours. No more Control-F. Free, 2 week trial available. | | | | | Strong Wall Street showing boosts Asian-Pacific markets Asian-Pacific markets posted gains Monday on the heels of records set by the Standard & Poor's 500 index and Dow Jones industrial average last week. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 2.1%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.5%. South Korea's Kospi added 0.4%. India's Sensex was up 1.9%. Markets in Hong Kong and China were closed for a holiday. CNBC (02 Jun.), The Economic Times (India) (02 Jun.) | IMF allows €3.41B installment of Greek aid After six months of negotiations with the Greek government, the board of the International Monetary Fund has approved the release of €3.41 billion in rescue funds. The amount is twice what was expected because it took so long for the IMF and Greece to agree on austerity measures, IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said. Greek Reporter blog (30 May.)  | Part I: Introduction to Ethical Decision Making (18 June at 12:00 p.m. EDT and 10 September at 12:00p.m. EDT)
Part II: Exploring Additional Case Studies (28 May at 12:00 p.m. EDT and 24 September at 12:00 p.m. EDT) | | | | | CFTC reportedly wants information on trading incentives The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is looking into IntercontinentalExchange Group, CME Group and other exchanges regarding incentives aimed at market participants to promote trading, a source said. The CFTC reportedly is seeking such information as it prepares to host a public meeting to examine whether the market is being negatively affected by high-frequency traders. Bloomberg (30 May.) Analysis: Carney's criticism is on the mark Bank of England Governor Mark Carney's recent wide-ranging criticism of the financial sector might have come as a surprise to bankers, but it was certainly justified by facts, according to The Economist. "Though financiers may choke on their champagne at Mr Carney's remarks, he is surely right to say that 'financial capitalism is not an end in itself, but a means to promote investment, innovation, growth and prosperity,' " the magazine notes. "Where it does not, regulators like Mr Carney should be more willing to step in than they have been in the past; not after a crash has occurred, but while the boom is in full swing." The Economist (tiered subscription model) (31 May.)  | Advances in Asset Allocation Seminar Register now for the Advances in Asset Allocation Seminar, which is taking place in New York, 22–24 July 2014. This is a unique opportunity to learn more about state-of-the-art risk management and asset allocation processes for product innovation. Click here for more information or to register for the event. | | | | | ProShares plans dividend and alternative-asset ETFs ProShares has filed registration statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission for three exchange-traded funds pursuing dividend yield, as well as one investing in alternative assets. The three yield ETFs would invest in companies with a strong track record of raising dividends. The other ETF would buy shares in other ProShares alternative-asset ETFs. ETF.com (30 May.)  | Register now for this complimentary 12 June afternoon event in Washington, DC featuring former SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro, Richard Ketchum of FINRA, Susan Wolburgh Jenah of IIROC, and other experts. | | | | | Please contact one of our specialists for advertising opportunities, editorial inquiries, job placements, or any other questions.
| Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 | | |
