The overall friendly environment on financial markets prevailed last week. While euro area macroeconomic data were on balance mixed, US data were slightly better than expected.

Markets took a breather after weeks of appreciation. European stocks underperformed, caught in between the repricing in govies yield and a rising Euro. Japanese and EM stocks were resilient.

Technology stocks have continued to outpace broader equity markets in 2018. Together Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook and Microsoft have a market cap value of $3.6 trillion and a net cash balance of just over $365bn. These quarterly earnings reports epitomise a virtuous circle of cash generation, investment and share gains - part of the technology sector fly wheel.

ETFGI reported today that assets invested in Smart Beta ETFs and ETPs listed globally increased by 32.3% during 2017 to reach a new high of US$658.35 Bn at the end of December. (All dollar values in USD unless otherwise noted.)

Solactive announces the launch of the Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index, a smart beta thematic index tracked by KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility ETF (Ticker: KARS) listed on the NYSE.