Charles Schwab and Fidelity Investments are making hundreds more exchange-traded funds free to trade on their platforms –the latest salvo in a battle that has dragged prices lower on everything from advice and asset management to trading.
Below, some of the best analysis and insight from WSJ writers and columnists, the Dow Jones Newswires team and occasionally beyond, on investing, the wealth-management business and more.
PLANNING AND INVESTING
Unicorns Are Real but They Make Lousy Investments: The venture-capital business is booming. That’s great for private startup investors, but it might not be so great for investors in the public markets.
MARKET TALK
From Dow Jones Newswires
Amid China’s banking-and-insurance regulator calling for the orderly dismantle of shadow-banking risk, Fitch says a maintained “regulatory crackdown should…support the long-term stability of the financial system and reduce risks for asset managers.” Deleveraging efforts have been cited as a factor for the country’s ongoing economic slowdown, and the ratings firm says the process “is likely to continue to create funding challenges across the economy in the near term, particularly for private-sector enterprises.” But while China has been easing up on deleveraging efforts and enacting various stimulus measures, Fitch sees shadow-banking assets as a percentage of GDP falling to around 50{01de1f41f0433b1b992b12aafb3b1fe281a5c9ee7cd5232385403e933e277ce6} this year from 2018’s near-60{01de1f41f0433b1b992b12aafb3b1fe281a5c9ee7cd5232385403e933e277ce6} and 2017’s peak of around 70{01de1f41f0433b1b992b12aafb3b1fe281a5c9ee7cd5232385403e933e277ce6}. (john.wu@wsj.com)
The cost of three-month sterling options–which help investors protect themselves against large moves in the pound–has risen slightly, but it is still much lower than it was during mid-December last year. This suggests investors are now less worried about a disorderly Brexit. The cost of one-month sterling options has gone down. Still, companies and fund managers are more worried now than they were same time a year ago, given that the cost of three-month options has increased since January 2018. The U.K. parliament is due to vote on the Brexit withdrawal deal again on Thursday. The current Brexit deadline is March 29. (olga.cotaga@wsj.com)
BUSINESS & PRACTICE
Corporate HR Department Is Wall Street’s Next Battleground: Investment banks, stung by declines in securities-trading and principal investments, are jockeying for the reliable revenue that comes from managing employee-benefit programs.
IMPACT INVESTING
Survey of FTSE 100 Companies Finds Carbon Risk in Pensions: Employees at FTSE 100 companies in the U.K. remain exposed to climate change risks via their pension funds despite efforts by several funds to reduce such risks.
TALKING POINTS
An Expensive, Divisive Way to Fight Climate Change: Saving planet, creating jobs are noble ideas—but by combining them, Green New Deal exacts too high a cost.
TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE
Hawaii’s Big Island By Bike: A Heart-Racing, Spectacularly Scenic Trip: Once the lava rocks stopped flying, a determined cyclist set out—with little more than a credit card—on a five-day journey to circle Hawaii’s largest isle.
ABOUT US
The Wealth Adviser Briefing covers topics of interest to wealth managers, financial planners and other advisers. The content is curated by the Dow Jones Newswires team using articles from the Newswires, Barron’s, MarketWatch and The Wall Street Journal. The briefing is delivered to subscribers by email each workday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET. You can sign up here for email delivery.
For more information about our services for financial professionals, please visit DowJones.com
We welcome feedback. Please email newsletters@dowjones.com or contact Glenn Hall, global chief editor of Dow Jones Newswires at glenn.hall@wsj.com.
SOURCE: MoneyBeat – Read entire story here.
