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19/04/2012

Russell Investments adds to index research team

Russell Investments has recruited Tom Goodwin to the new position of senior research director at Russell Indexes. Goodwin will be based in New York, and will aim to make Russell indices better known to clients, and to help them to use them as part of an asset allocation strategy. Before joining Russell, Goodwin, who has been an economist for 15 years, worked as chief economist for King County. Earlier in his career, he spent 13 years in several positions at Russell, including senior research analyst.
19/04/2012

Switzerland prepares to comply with GAFI recommendations

Switzerland is planning to apply the latest recommendations of the financial action group (GAFI) on the international war on financing for crime, Agefi Switzerland reports. The Federal Council yesterday created an interdepartmental working group to develop and present proposals. The body, led by the Federal finance department, will lay out proposals to be open for consultation by the beginning of 2013.
19/04/2012

Unigestion continues sustained pace of private equity fundraising

Unigestion is maintaining a good pace of fundraising in private equity, despite a difficult environment in the sector. The Swiss asset management firm, which has EUR10bn in assets (one quarter of them in France) has launched a vehicle dedicated to European midcaps, Agefi reports. The fund, a Luxembourg-registered Sicav, “will be made available on the French market in the form of an FCPR vehicle not investing primarily in France, so as to offer diversification. We hope to raise over EUR250m by third quarter 2012, one fifth of which will come from the French portion,” says Christian Dujardin, head of development for private equity activities at Unigestion. A themed fund focused on sustainable development held a first closing in June. Meanwhile, “a new vehicle will be launched in early 2013,” says Dujardin.
19/04/2012

Improvement in pension fund coverage in first quarter

The Swisscanto pension fund monitor reveals that in first quarter 2012 there was a “considerable improvement” in the financing situation for Swiss retirement planning institutions, due to the positive evolution of equity markets. Overall, average weighted coverage as a function of assets under management by all retirement planning institutions evaluated increased in first quarter from 97% to 98.8%. Due to this development, the financing situation for Swiss retirement planning institutions has approached its early 2011 levels. The retirement planning institutions evaluated have earned average returns, weighted according to asset volumes, of 2.4% since the beginning of 2012. The proportion of retirement institutions with insufficient coverage has declined. The estimated proportion of private pension institutions with inadequate coverage is considerably lower, at 17%, than at the end of 2011, when it was 26%.
19/04/2012

bfinance recruits for international and alternative activities

bfinance is adding to its teams. The consultant has announced the appointment of Douglas Hansen-Luke, who had previously been CEO of Robeco Middle East, as CEO for Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia. He will be assisted by Alex Denby, who joined bfinance as a partner in the Middle East, after working previously at Osborne & Partners and Robeco Middle East. Brian Cyr joins the bfinance office in Montreal as director of clients serving Canadian investors, after twelve years in assets management, with manager selection or institutional mandate management duties at Pyramis Global Advisors (an affiliate of Fidelity Investments), Standard Life PLC and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. In Germany, Michael Wolfram will soon join the bfinance office in Munich as institutional client representative. Since December, he has been working in the bfinance research team in London. Chris Jones, previously chief investment officer at Key Asset Management, has joined bfinance as head of alternative investments, a newly-created position.
19/04/2012

Bank downgrades may drive BlackRock to change partners

BlackRock has announced that it may have to reduce its trading volumes with banks that will be downgraded by Moody’s, the Financial Times reports. Some clients set minimal credit ratings for counterparties to some transactions. A downgrade could thus provoke a transfer to other partners, says Larry Fink, CEO of the asset management firm, whose statements were first reported by the New York Times.
19/04/2012

New non-food commodity fund from LBBW AM

LBBW Asset Management, an affiliate of the German Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW) has announced that on 11 April it launched a non-food commodities fund entitled LBBW Rohstoffe 3 Ex-Food, inspired by the LBBW Ex-Food-Rohstoff-Index ER index, currently composed of 18 commodities. It invests in futures contracts on ten commodities in the precious metals, base metals and energy sectors, as well as timber and cotton. Cash is placed in highly-rated bonds with a short maturity.The fund is available in R (retail) and I (institutional) share classes.CharacteristicsName: LBBW Rohstoffe 3 Ex FoodISIN codes:DE000A1H7292 (R share class)DE000A1H7284 (I share class)Front-end fee: 5% (R share class)Management commission:1.50% (R share class)0.80% (I share class)Minimal subscription: EUR75,000 (I share class)
19/04/2012

FMG launches a fund dedicated to Mongolia

The emerging market investment specialist FMG is launching a fund dedicated to Mongolia, FundWeb reports. FMG reports that the Mongolian economy will this year post record total growth of 23% to 26%. The FMG Mongolia Fund, in which minimum investment is set at USD10,000, is targeting the 25 most liquid companies on the Mongolian stock market. The three largest exposures of the fund are to the mining industry, for 42%, consumer goods for 39%, and construction, for 10%. The fund also includes allocations of 5% to real estate and 4% to the financial sector.
19/04/2012

EDHEC-Risk: Two hedge fund strategies show losses in Q1

In first quarter, only two hedge fund strategies out of 13 monitored by EDHEC-Risk show losses: CTA Global (-0.6%), and short selling, which shows losses of 12.5%, but lost only 0.93% in March.The best performance in the first three months of the year were for emerging markets (6.4%), distressed securities (6.3%) and long/short equity (6.2%).Since January 2001, the best results have been for distressed securities and emerging markets, with annual returns of 10.5% each.
19/04/2012

BBVA launches a partially guaranteed fund

On 13 April, the CNMV registered the BBVA Crecimiento Bolsa BP fund from BBVA Asset Management, a fund guaranteed at maturity, on 9 December 2015, with a redemption of 95% of the net asset value as of 8 June 2012. The fund carries the potential for additional gains depending on the evolution of the Ibex 35 index. If losses are limited to 5%, or 1.453% per year, gains for the fund will have a ceiling of 75% of a 25% rise in the index, or 5.026% per year. From 9 June, the fund will invest in bonds issued by EU governments or Spanish autonomous communities rated at least A-, with a maximum of 20% corporate bonds, covered bonds, or securitisations.CharacteristicsName: BBVA Crecimiento Bolsa BP, FIISIN code: ES0113466009Front-end fee: 5%Management commission: 1.97%Early withdrawal penalty: 5%
19/04/2012

Schroders launches Schroder ISF Global Multi-Asset Income

Schroders has announced the launch of Schroder ISF Global Multi-Asset Income. This fund will aim to provide sustainable quality income by dynamically investing in attractive income opportunities across a range of asset classes, regions and sectors. Aymeric Forest, senior Multi-Asset fund manager, will manage the fund with the objective to pay a 5% per annum distribution in equal quarterly or monthly instalments, with an expected 7% total return per annum over a full market cycle. “We are currently seeing interesting opportunities within equities in healthcare in the UK and Japan, consumer staples in the US and Asia, and telecoms in China and South Africa. We are also finding attractive yields in some US municipal bonds and high yield debt and in local currency emerging markets with a loose monetary policy. We are cautiously positioned within our exposure to financials and prefer bonds issued by US and UK insurers to those issued by banks,” he comments.
19/04/2012

Franklin Templeton cuts back UK fund range

Fundweb reports that Franklin Templeton has decided to absorb the Templeton UK Equity Fund into the Franklin UK Managers’ Focus Fund, and to absorb the Franklin US Equity Fund into the Franklin US Opportunities Fund. Meanwhile, the Franklin Biotechnology and Franklin Global Reit funds will be liquidated at the end of May. These moves will increase the efficiency of the range, which will concentrate on OEIC sub-funds, says Ian Wilkins, country head for Franklin Templeton in the UK.
19/04/2012

Profits and assets up at Sparinvest

In 2011, the Danish asset management firm Sparinvest has announced pre-tax profits ot EUR13.7m, of which EUR0.8m are due to the acquisition of EgnsInvest, compared with EUR12.5m in 2010, and EUR10.1m in 2009.As of the end of 2011, assets totalled EUR9.1bn, compared with EUR8.8bn and EUR7.5bn respectively at the end of 2010 and the end of 2009.However, ROE has fallen to 22%, compared with 29% in 2010.
19/04/2012

First closing for AllianceBernstein U.S. Real Estate Partners

On 18 April, AllianceBernstein announced the first closing for its first private equity real estate fund, the AllianceBernstein U.S. Real Estate Partners fund, with investment commitments of USD680m. These engagements come from several major institutional investors, such as the Singapore sovereign fund Temasek, the Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund, and other US, Hong Kong and Japanese institutionals, joined by “many” retail clients and employees of AllianceBernstein. Counting the co-investment capital provided by some strategic investors, the fund may have as much as USD900m in capital. So far, the fund has invested USD200m in six operations. It is aiming for investments per holding of USD20m to USD100m.
19/04/2012

CalPERS makes new rules on gifts to trustees

The Californian pension fund CalPERS has announced that it has put in place a new policy that limits the value of gifts that members of the board of trustees can accept from entities seeking or which already have business relationships with the pension fund. The value of these gifts is limited to USD50 per calendar year.
19/04/2012

France accused of tax discrimination against foreign funds

On 10 May, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) will pronounce a verdict on the difference in tax status for foreign OPCVM mutual funds and French-registered funds in France, Les Echos reports. The latter category of funds will not be taxed on dividends paid by French businesses, unlike the former. For over six years, foreign firms have been denouncing this imbalance. The French tax authorities have already received more than 10,000 reimbursement applications for this withholding tax, for total rebates of about EUR4.2bn, including interest, equivalent to 0.2% of French gross domestic product in 2010.
19/04/2012

Concerted action structure created for Votaccess

The French association of securities professionals (AFTI), supported by the national association of equity companies (ANSA), on 18 April announced the creation of a concerted action structure to bring together representatives of the financial industry, shareholders and share issuing businesses interested in setting up and developing electronic voting and the Votaccess electronic platform, which has been operational since November 2011, and who would like to have some influence to ensure harmonious and controlled growth in the service of the general wealth. The body, entitled the Votaccess scientific council, which met for the first time on 17 April, will be open to professional associations concerned that may be interested in participating in its efforts, to representatives of share-issuing businesses, banks, shareholder representatives, and academics. The body is responsible for monitoring the institution of electronic voting, managing a statistical tool, sharing experiential feedback, considering ways to promote electronic voting throughout Europe, and formulating proposals to improve Votaccess.
19/04/2012

SWIP restructures its sales team

Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP) has asked five members of its 14-member sales team to reapply for their positions, following a decision by the firm to redistribute roles, FundWeb reports. The size of the team will not be reduced, SWIP adds. In general, SWIP is hoping to move from a more silo-type client approach to a more holistic approach.
19/04/2012

Investment funds woo Groupama UK

The private equity firms Charterhouse and JC Flowers are front-runners to take over the activities of Groupama in the United Kingdom. The reports on the website Insurance Times have been confirmed to Agefi by a source familiar with the matter. Meanwhile, the CEO of Eiffage, Pierre Berger, on Wednesday announced at a general shareholders’ meeting that Groupama, its fourth-largest shareholder, is interested in selling its stake if the share price rises.
19/04/2012

Pimco to set up shop in Brazil

Pimco will open an office in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in September 2012. The new office will be Pimco’s first location in Latin America and will be led by Alec Kersman, a senior vice president and head of Pimco’s Latin America and Caribbean business. He joined Pimco in 2005. Pimco will operate in Brazil as Pimco Latin America Administradora de Carteiras Ltda., and will be regulated by the Comissao Nacional de Valores (CVM).
19/04/2012
Gestion d'actifs

La CCR dégage un rendement des actifs inférieur à 3% en 2011

Les placements de CCR se sont élevés à 7 313 millions d’euros en 2011, mais compte tenu de la situation sur les marchés financiers et immobiliers, les plus-values latentes nettes atteignent 603 millions d’euros, aussi le montant global des actifs financiers et immobiliers s'établit à 7 916 millions d’euros en hausse de 3 %. Au total, le rendement s’est établi à 2,9 % contre 3,3 % en 2010. A noter, que l’exposition aux risques souverains grec et portugais est nul et que la part de dette des autres pays fragilisés de l’Union Européenne (Espagne, Italie, Irlande) reste marginal à 1 % des actifs gérés. Enfin, CCR annonce qu’au 31 décembre 2011, elle couvrait 10,1 fois son besoin de marge de solvabilité au sens de la réglementation en vigueur, mais que selon les règles de Solvabilité 2, le ratio de couverture se serait établi à 155 %.
Gestion d'actifs
19/04/2012
Fonds

Amélioration de la couverture des fonds de pension au premier trimestre

Le moniteur des caisses de pension Swisscanto montre pour le premier trimestre 2012 une «bonne amélioration» de la situation de financement des institutions de prévoyance suisses en raison d’une évolution positive des marchés des actions. Au total, la couverture moyenne pondérée en fonction des actifs gérés de l’ensemble des institutions de prévoyance évaluées a augmenté au premier trimestre en passant de 97% à 98,8%. De ce fait, la situation de financement des caisses de pension suisses s’est rapprochée du niveau du début de 2011.Les institutions de prévoyance évaluées ont réalisé un rendement moyen pondéré en fonction de la fortune de 2,4% depuis le début 2012. Ainsi, la part des caisses en situation de sous-couverture a diminué. La part estimée des caisses de droit privé en situation de sous-couverture est avec 17 % (trimestre précédent : 26%) nettement plus basse qu'à la fin 2011.
Fonds
19/04/2012

Swip restructure son équipe de vente

Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (Swip) a demandé à cinq membres de son équipe de vente qui en compte 14 de représenter leur candidature suite à la décision de la société de redistribuer les rôles, rapporte FundWeb. Il n’est pas question de réduire la taille de l'équipe, précise-t-on chez Swip.Pour l’essentiel, Swip souhaite passer d’une approche clients plutôt en silo à une approche globale.
19/04/2012

bfinance renforce l'international et l'alternatif

bfinance étoffe ses équipes. Le consultant annonce la nomination de Douglas Hansen-Luke, qui était dernièrement directeur général de Robeco Middle East, au poste de directeur général pour la zone Moyen Orient-Afrique et Asie centrale. Il sera assisté par Alex Denby, qui a rejoint bfinance en qualité d’associé au Moyen-Orient après avoir travaillé chez Osborne & Partners et Robeco Middle East. Brian Cyr rejoint le bureau de bfinance à Montréal en qualité de directeur de clientèle auprès des investisseurs canadiens, après douze années passées dans la gestion d’actifs, sur des missions de sélections de gérants ou encore la gestion de mandats institutionnels chez Pyramis Global Advisors (filiale de Fidelity Investments), Standard Life PLC et Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.En Allemagne, Michael Wolfram rejoindra prochainement le bureau de bfinance à Munich en qualité de chargé de clientèle institutionnelle. Il travaille depuis décembre dernier au sein de l’équipe de recherche de bfinance à Londres.Par ailleurs, Chris Jones, précédemment directeur des investissements de Key Asset Management, a rejoint bfinance en tant que responsable des investissements alternatifs, une fonction nouvellement créée.
19/04/2012

M&G Investments ouvre un bureau à Singapour

M&G Investments vient d’ouvrir un bureau de représentation à Singapour composé de cinq personnes dont Andrew Hendry, nommé au poste nouvellement créé de managing director pour l’Asie.Il aura pour mission de bâtir une équipe à Singapour et à Hong Kong qui servira les partenaires de distribution de la société de gestion britannique dans la région.L’intéressé a rejoint la société de gestion britannique l’an dernier après avoir travaillé chez Capital International où il était responsable des relations distribution mondiale.
19/04/2012

Départ du patron de l'Asie du Sud-Est chez Coutts

La banque privée britannique Coutts a annoncé le départ de son responsable pour l’Asie du Sud-Est, Manfred Liechti, à la suite d’une restructuration, rapporte Asian Investor. Manfred Liechti avait rejoint Coutts en 2010 avec la responsabilité de Singapour, de l’Indonésie, de la Malaisie et de la Thaïlande.Coutts a dans le même temps nommé son successeur en la personne de Ranjit Khanna en tant que responsable pour l’Asie du Sud. Ce dernier était jusqu’ici responsable produits et services pour l’Asie.
19/04/2012
Fonds

FMG crée un fonds dédié à la Mongolie

Le spécialiste de l’investissement dans les pays émergents FMG lance un fonds dédié à la Mongolie, rapporte FundWeb. Selon FMG, l'économie mongole devrait afficher cette année une croissance record comprise entre 23% et 26%.Le FMG Mongolia fund, dans lequel l’investissement minimum a été fixé à 10.000 dollars, vise les 25 sociétés les plus liquides sur le marché boursier mongol.Les trois expositions les plus importantes du fonds sont l’industrie minière pour 42%, la consommation pour 39% et la construction pour 10%. Le fonds comprend également des poches de 5% pour l’immobilier et de 4% pour les financières.
Fonds
19/04/2012

Madrid veut porter son différend avec l'Argentine devant l'OMC

L’Espagne va demander à l’Union européenne de saisir l’Organisation mondiale du commerce afin que soit ouverte une procédure contre l’Argentine qui a pris le contrôle d’YPF, filiale de l’espagnol Repsol, a rapporté Reuters de source gouvernementale. Madrid a brandi la menace de rétorsions économiques et diplomatiques après la décision de la présidente argentine Christina Fernandez de nationaliser 51% d’YPF. Le gouvernement argentin a en outre décidé d’exproprier une société locale de gaz naturel détenue en partie par Repsol.
19/04/2012

François Hollande promet d'amender la procédure du LBO

A la rencontre dans l’Oise des salariés de Still Saxby, François Hollande a promis de revenir sur la procédure du LBO en cas d'élection. «Au départ, cette procédure dite LBO était destinée à des cadres ou à des salariés qui voulaient reprendre eux-mêmes leur entreprise. C'était un bon principe, mais ça a été détourné au profit de groupes financiers», a déclaré le candidat socialiste. «Et donc le législateur aura à revenir sur ce dispositif de façon à le réserver exclusivement aux salariés ou aux cadres d’une entreprise», a-t-il ajouté.
19/04/2012

Timothy Geithner salue la décision chinoise sur le yuan

Le secrétaire américain au Trésor a qualifié la décision de la Chine d’élargir la bande de fluctuation du yuan de «très importante et très prometteuse». Timothy Geithner a toutefois souligné lors d’une conférence organisée par la Brookings Institution que «bien entendu, ils ont encore un long chemin à parcourir dans ce processus, notamment sur le taux de change».

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