OREANDA-NEWS. Asian stock markets headed lower on Friday, led by greater China stocks, after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said overnight that policy makers are on track to raise interest rates later this year. The US dollar gained against most major currencies, while WTI crude sank below US\\$45 a barrel amid concern over anaemic global demand. In the September 2015 month thus far, the MSCI World Index has declined 3.5%, while the MSCI Asia Pacific Index has fallen 3.9%.

On the economic front, a private gauge of China’s manufacturing activity for September has slumped to its lowest since March 2009, stoking fears that the contraction in the world’s second-largest economy may deepen. The preliminary Purchasing Managers’ Index from Caixin Media and Markit Economics was 47 in September, and readings have stayed below 50 since March, underscoring the magnitude of the slowdown. Singapore’s August factory output has also shrunk a larger-than-expected 7% year-on-year, the biggest fall since April and reflecting the seventh consecutive monthly decline.

Over in the US, the latest report on jobless claims showed the labour market remains resilient and maintains its positive momentum. Weekly claims for jobless benefits rose 3,000 to 267,000, less than the 272,000 forecast by economists.

In line with the robust employment outlook, Fed Chair Janet Yellen confirmed the US central bank remains on track to lift interest rates this year, but reiterated its strategy of a gradual tightening cycle. “Most of my colleagues and I anticipate that it will likely be appropriate to raise the target range for the federal funds rate sometime later this year,” Yellen said Thursday in a speech in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Singapore’s 10 most active Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in the month thus far were iShares MSCI India Index ETF, SPDR® Straits Times Index ETF, SPDR® Gold Shares, db x-trackers FTSE China 50 UCITS ETF (DR), db x-trackers MSCI AC Asia Ex Japan Index UCITS ETF, db x-trackers MSCI China Index UCITS ETF (DR), iShares Barclays Capital USD Asia High Yield Bond Index ETF, db x-trackers MSCI Indonesia Index UCITS ETF, db x-trackers CSI 300 UCITS ETF and db x-trackers FTSE Vietnam UCITS ETF.

These 10 most active ETFs averaged a three-year total return of 1.5%, with seven of these ETFs generating gains and three posting declines. The three best performers in terms of three-year total returns were db x-trackers CSI 300 UCITS ETF, iShares Barclays Capital USD Asia High Yield Bond Index ETF and db x-trackers FTSE Vietnam UCITS ETF.

These 10 ETFs track a range of indices including the price of gold, high-yield Asian bonds, stock indices of India, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam, in addition to a regional equity index.

The three most active ETFS over the first 16 sessions of September were iShares MSCI India Index ETF, SPDR® Straits Times Index ETF and SPDR® Gold Shares.

The 10 most active ETFs in the September 2015 month-to-date are detailed below and sorted by MTD total return.

Name Stock Code Price MTD Turnover 2015 (\\$) MTD Turnover 2014 (\\$) 12M Turnover (\\$)
iShares MSCI India Index ETF I98 6.73 60539835.91 39962619.68 665591648.23
SPDR® Straits Times Index ETF ES3 2.89 24595138.50 15618020.00 378157744.00
SPDR® Gold Shares O87 110.17 24112731.00 80914450.83 507112812.99
db x-trackers FTSE China 50 UCITS ETF (DR) HD8 28.77 9579378.37 3308443.69 74107082.03
db x-trackers MSCI AC Asia Ex Japan Index UCITS ETF IH1 30.45 8850574.48 5246365.08 166612844.53
db x-trackers MSCI China Index UCITS ETF (DR) LG9 12.15 8194693.54 535042.42 70468512.39
iShares Barclays Capital USD Asia High Yield Bond Index ETF O9P 10.37 6014346.12 2131126.23 85264397.81
db x-trackers MSCI Indonesia Index UCITS ETF KJ7 9.81 5148963.00 6331063.62 92374251.57
db x-trackers FTSE Vietnam UCITS ETF HD9 23.45 5143282.77 4734044.39 54311924.17
db x-trackers CSI 300 UCITS ETF KT4 8.65 4721669.42 2882118.35 117680522.97

Source: SGX (data as of 24 September 2015)

Name Stock Code Total Return
MTD
Total Return
12M
3 Year Total Return
Annualised
3 Year
Total Return
30 day
Volatility
iShares MSCI India Index ETF I98 -2.5 -10.7 2.7 8.2 27.7
SPDR® Straits Times Index ETF ES3 -2.7 -10.7 0.2 0.3 19.8
SPDR® Gold Shares O87 1.6 -6.5 -13.7 -35.9 12.7
db x-trackers FTSE China 50 UCITS ETF (DR) HD8 -1.1 -8.1 3.1 8.9 37.8
db x-trackers MSCI AC Asia Ex Japan Index UCITS ETF IH1 -2.6 -16.0 -1.1 -3.3 28.4
db x-trackers MSCI China Index UCITS ETF (DR) LG9 -0.1 -7.3 3.8 11.7 37.9
iShares Barclays Capital USD Asia High Yield Bond Index ETF O9P 1.7 1.1 4.8 14.6 10.1
db x-trackers MSCI Indonesia Index UCITS ETF KJ7 -11.3 -33.6 -12.9 -34.7 40.9
db x-trackers FTSE Vietnam UCITS ETF HD9 0.7 -22.2 4.5 13.0 29.2
db x-trackers CSI 300 UCITS ETF KT4 -3.0 24.5 9.3 31.8 58.7
Average   -1.9 -8.9 0.1 1.5 30.3

ETFs are investment funds listed and traded intraday on a stock exchange. The majority aim to track the performance of an index and provide access to a wide variety of markets and asset classes, including local stocks, international securities, bonds, commodities or money markets.

Each ETF gives investors access to the performance of the asset that comprises the underlying index. Investing in the ETF is also less costly if one was to build a similar portfolio by buying the individual stocks. It also provides exposure to international markets and asset classes that may be inaccessible to individual investors.