Le 19 mai, Russell Investment a lancé six produits de sa nouvelle gamme d’ETF «investment discipline» sur la plate-forme NYSE Arca. Se fondant sur son expérience de la sélection de gérants et de la construction d’indices, Russell ambitionne de proposer avec ces nouveaux produits des ETF de nouvelle génération pour permettre aux investisseurs de construire des portefeuilles et de gérer leur risque. D’après le gestionnaire, les ETF «investment discipline» constituent la première gamme d’ETF à fournir une exposition ciblée, transparente et cohérente aux grandes capitalisations américaines au travers de six politiques d’investissement les plus communément utilisées par les professionnels de la gestion d’actifs.La nouvelle équipe chargée de ces nouveaux produits est principalement basée à San Francisco, mais elle peut compter sur l’appui du réseau mondial d’experts du groupe.Les six premiers produits de la gamme sont les fonds Russell Aggressive Growth ETF (NYSE: AGRG), Russell Consistent Growth ETF (NYSE: CONG), Russell Growth at a Reasonable Price ETF (NYSE: GRPC), Russell Equity Income ETF (NYSE: EQIN), Russell Low P/E ETF (NYSE: LWPE) et Russell Contrarian ETF (NYSE: CNTR). Chacun réplique l’indice Russell Investment Discipline correspondant, et est constitué à partir de sociétés figurant dans l’indice Russell 1000.
Paul Jeffries, l’ancien responsable de la sélection de fonds actions de Railpen Investments, la société qui gère le fonds de pension des cheminots britanniques, va rejoindre Permal, filiale de Legg Mason, fin juin, selon Financial News. Il sera responsable de l’activité institutionnelle au Royaume-Uni.
Le français Carmignac Gestion a fait enregistrer par la CNMV son nouveau fonds diversifié Emerging Patrimoine (lire notre article du 25 janvier), qui peut désormais être distribué en Espagne.
Le gestionnaire américain Pimco (groupe Allianz Global Investors) fait enregistrer plusieurs de ses fonds par la CNMV pour être commercialisés en Espagne. Il s’agit du fonds Pimco GIS Emerging Multi-Asset, qui fait partie de la sicav à compartiments irlandais Global Investor Series (41 compartiments, 46 milliards de livres d’encours), du PIMCO GIS EqS Emerging Markets, un fonds actions émergentes piloté de Londres (lire notre article du 28 avril) et, enfin, du Pimco GIS Euro Income Fund, dont l’objectif est une performance annuelle de 5 % avec une distribution mensuelle.
Ricardo Comín rejoindra dans les prochaines semaines le bureau madrilène de BlackRock après avoir passé un an et demi comme senior sales manager pour l’Espagne chez Pioneer Investments, rapporte Funds People. BlackRock Espagne est dirigé depuis fin 2008 par Armando Senra, le responsable des ETF iShares étant Iván Pascual.Selon les dernières statistiques de l’association espagnole Inverco des sociétés de gestion, BlackRock affiche en Espagne des encours de 3,3 milliards d’euros, ce qui le place en troisième position des gestionnaires étrangers, après JP Morgan AM et Amundi.
Axa Investment Managers Deutschland (Axa IM) a annoncé avoir revendu un actif immobilier (Via Viola à Rome) de son fonds immobilier offert au public Axa Immoselect (DE0009846451). Cette cession s’est effectuée à un prix supérieur à la valeur vénale ainsi qu’au prix où l’immeuble avait été acquis en 2003.Ian Gordine, le gérant du fonds, a précisé qu’avec cette transaction, l’Axa Immoselect augmente son taux de liquidité de presque deux points à 12,7 %.Rappelons qu’Axa IM avait bloqué les souscriptions pour ce fonds de plus de 2,6 milliards d’euros dont les remboursements sont gelés depuis le 17 novembre 2009 (lire notrer article du 28 avril).
Le 23 mai, WGF Finanzgruppe a annoncé avoir reçu de la BaFin l’autorisation d’exploiter WGF Immobilien Investment GmbH, une société de gestion de fonds immobiliers institutionnels. Elle proposera des produits sur mesure aux assureurs, caisses de retraite et organisations ecclésiales, notamment.Les investissements seront décidés par un comité se composant de clients et du management de la société.WGF Immobilien Investment GmbH est dirigée par Hans-Dieter Martin (président du comité de direction), qui a été l’un des responsables de LB ImmoInvest GmbH, également une société de gestion de fonds immobiliers institutionnels, et par Walter J. Helbach, qui a été l’un des dirigeants de ECE Projektmanagement GmbH après avoir occupé des postes de responsabilité chez Deka Immobilien Investment GmbH.
«Pour l’année 2011, nous essayons de prospecter pour trouver des produits pouvant être des sous-jacents sur des structurations, ce qui nous permet, dans la mesure du possible, de faire un peu mieux que le marché monétaire», explique d’emblée Danielle Martel, chef du service trésorerie finances de la CCI de Nice Côte d’Azur. En fait, la CCI de Nice a créé un GIE avec la CCI de Paris et dispose donc d’un certain nombre de disponibilités, ce qui l’incite à avoir une gestion active de ses investissements. «Si on reste sur du monétaire, ce n’est pas rentable, observe Danielle Martel. Et au niveau des actifs, on va faire par exemple, du BMTN ou de l’EMTN, une coquille, en fait, avec une garantie en capital auquel on adosse un sous-jacent qui dégage un certain potentiel». La CCI essaie d’avoir une gestion assez diversifiée, à la fois sur le marché actions, obligataires, matières premières, sur la gestion alternative (stratégies d’arbitrage) mais aussi sur le monétaire et les contrats de capitalisation. «Ces montages ont cependant un bémol, car suivant la structuration, on est contraint parfois de rester jusqu'à l'échéance», souligne Danielle Martel. Pendant la crise, la CCI n’avait pas d’actions investis en direct mais sur des produits structurés derrière lesquels se trouvaient des sous-jacents action indice. La chambre de commerce n’a pas tout désinvesti mais a été plus vigilante dans sa surveillance.
«Nous avons quasiment tout investi sur deux livrets et des placements à vu à deux ou trois ans mais nous n’avons pas de monétaire car c’est trop risqué», indique Pascale Martin, Responsable de la gestion administrative de la CCPB de Monaco. Cette stratégie qui subsiste depuis 2009, est clairement liée à la crise qui a détournée la caisse monégasque des placements selon une volonté de son conseil d’administration qui décide des investissements. De plus, elle ne noue de partenariat avec aucune société de gestion mais travaille avec les banques. Pourtant, cette politique hyper prudentielle n’a pas toujours constitué le quotidien de la caisse qui avant 2009, investissait dans des fonds avec pour seule obligation, de ne pas investir sur des actifs risqués. «On investissait beaucoup dans des SICAV mais aujourd’hui, cela n’a plus vraiment de sens et mieux vaut se replier sur les dépôts à terme», souligne Pascale Martin. La responsable de la gestion administrative rappelle alors que la mission de la caisse est de gérer les cotisations pour payer les congés payés trois ou quatre fois dans l’année. «Nous ne sommes pas là pour faire de l’argent et des bénéfices», ajoute-t-elle tout en admettant qu'à Monaco, la pression règlementaire est beaucoup moins lourde par rapport aux caisses de congés payés de l’Hexagone.
Goldman Sachs Asset Management is currently in the final phase of its expansion strategy, which has included over 1,000 recruitments worldwide, Financial Times Fund Management reports. In the past 18 months, the asset management firm has recruited sales staff in Italy, Germany, Benelux, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Spain, and France. Nick Phillips, head of distribution for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at GSAM, tells FT FM that the group hopes to become one of the five largest asset management firms in Europe in the next five years. It is planning to take advantage of the introduction of the UCITS IV directive.
Asset management firms with less than 10 funds have captured 26% of net inflows of European cross-border funds in first quarter, compared with 9% in 2010, and 3% in 2009, according to Lipper FMI, cited by Financial Times Fund Management. The market share for the major players, those with over 60 funds, has fallen to 64%, the lowest level since 2002. In France, small management firms such as Moneta, Metropole, Schelcher Prince Gestion and Rouvier have attracted large inflows, FT FM says.
State Street Corporation on 23 May announced that it has formed an agreement with the AllianceBernstein group (AllianceBernstein) to provide AllianceBernstein (Luxembourg) s.à.r.l. with integrated production and management of services related to the publication of Key Investor Information Documents (KIID). The contract covers its complete range of funds domiciled in Luxembourg and compliant with UCITS IV standards.
The ratings agency Fitch Ratings on 23 May announced that it has revised its asset manager rating for DB Advisors upward, to “M2+” from “M2” previously. The ratings upgrade reflects a return to growth and modest profitability in 2010, Fitch says, pointing to the firm’s efforts to enlarge its range of products and services for institutional investors. The ratings agency also points to the particular attention paid to risk management.
The legally-appointed trustee for the affairs of Bernard Madoff, Irving Picard, has filed lawsuits against the Swiss Banking establishment Banque Syz & Co, which he claims knew about Madoff’s fraudulent activities, Agefi reports. Picard, who has filed over 1,000 lawsuits, expects to recuperate USD73.3m with the suits.
The US Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) on 23 May announced that it has fined the management firm Nuveen Investments USD3m for failure to appropriately inform intermediaries of the liquidity risks association with auction-rate preferred stock (ARPS) in its closed funds. Nuveen Investments did not distribute the securities directly, but was supposed to inform brokers about their characteristics in sales brochures, which presented them as products with no liquidity risks. The market went on to collapse in February 2008.
The US management firm Pimco (Allianz Global Investors group) has registered its Pimco GIS EMErging Multi-Asset fund, a sub-fund of its Irish Global Investor Series (41 sub-funds, GBP46bn in assets), the PIMCO GIS EqS Emerging Markets fund, an emerging markets equity fund managed in London (see Newsmanagers of 28 April), and the Pimco CIS Euro Income Fund, which aims for annual returns of 5% with monthly distribution, with the CNMV for sale in Spain.
The French management firm Carmignac Gestion has registered its new diversified fund Emerging Patrimoine (see Newsmanagers of 25 January) with the CNMV, so that the fund may now be offered for sale in Spain.
On 23 May, WGF Finanzgruppe announced that it has received permission from BaFin to operate WGF Immobilien Investment GmbH, an institutional real estate fund management firm. It will offer custom products for insturers, pension funds and religious organisations, among others.Investments will be decided on by a committee composed of clients and management at the firm.WGF Immobilien Investment GmbH is led by Hans-Dieter Martin (chairman of the board of directors), who was one of the heads of LB ImmoInvest GmbH, also an institutional real estate management firm, and by Walter J. Helbach, who was one of the directors of ECE Projektmanagement GmbH, after serving in senior positions at Deka Immobilien Investment GmbH.
Bernd Vorbeck, CEO, has announced in an interview with the Börsen-Zeitung that Universal Investment is planning to add to its product range with the launch of institutional real estate funds from this autumn. Universal has recruited Alexander Tannenbaum from Aberdeen to manage the portfolios. The firm is aiming for a market share of 15% in the mid-term. The market currently measures EUR30bn.
BlackRock on 23 May announced that it has added direct private equity investment to its range of alternative investments. The activity will be led by three reputable professionals in private equity: Nathan Thorne, George Bitar, and Mandy Puri, who launched the activity at Merrill Lunch in the 1990s.The three have joined BlackRock as managing directors, and will build a team to direct BlackRock’s international platform dedicated to private equity, which will include 20 professionals by next year.They will report directly to Matthew Botein, managing director and head of BlackRock Alternative Investors (BAI). As of 31 March 2011, assets under management at BAI totalled Usd115.3bn, including hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, real estate, private equity funds of funds, opportunity-driven investment vehicles, commodities, and currencies.
For the second quarter of its current fiscal year (ending on 30 April), net income attributable to Eaton Vance Corp shareholders totalled USD62.48bn, compared with USD37.53bn for the quarter ending on 31 January, and USD36bn in the corresponding period of last year. For the first half of the fiscal year, profits totalled USD100.01m, compared with USD82.24m in the six months to the end of April 2010.As of 30 April, assets under management totalled a record USD203bn, 6% higher than at the end of January (USD191.7bn), and 15% higher than one year previously (USD176.2bn).Net subscriptions to long-term funds and mandates between the end of February and the end of April totalled USD2.9bn, compared with USD1.8bn the previous quarter, and USD5.3bn in the second quarter of the fiscal year, to 31 October 2010.
Following the departure of Franz Bartmann, who has joined BCA Austria, Jörg Westebbe has been appointed as a member of the board of directors and head of asset management at HSBC Global Asset Management Austria. He will work in concert with Walter Gleissinger, head of coordination of banking activities for HSBC in Austria, to direct the firm.Westebbe joined the asset management activities at HSBC Germany more than ten years ago, and worked primarily to set up distribution of open-ended funds in Germany and Austria. He will also remain as head of wholesale distribution for HSBC GAM in Germany.
Morningstar announced on Monday, 23 May, that it has appointed Christophe Tardy as director of strategy at Morningstar France. Tardy had previously been director of strategy at Morningstar. The newly-created position is part of the firm’s strategy on the French market, which has developed new product ranges including “Equity & Credit Research,” “Morningstar Indexes,” LIM Commodities,” “Variable Annuities,” and others, a statement says. Tardy joined Morningstar in 2006, and for 2 years was director of the group’s affiliate in South Africa.
According to information received by Newsmanagers, by this summer, and perhaps as soon as next month, Robeco Gestion will have successfully reconstituted its sales teams, following the movements of last year, and restored normality, with the recruitment of a director of sales. Two other sales personnel will be joining the firm in the relatively near future.
On 19 May, Russell Investment launched six products in its new range of “investment discipline” ETFs on the NYSE Arca platform. With these new generation ETF products, Russell hopes to offer solutions that allow investors to construct portfolios and manage risks, on the basis of its expertise in manager selection and index construction. According to the management firm, the “investment discipline” ETF line represents the first range of ETFs to offer targeted, transparent and coherent exposure to US large caps, via six of the investment policies most commonly used by asset management professionals.The new team to manage the new products is mostly based in San Francisco, but may also rely on the support of the group’s global network of experts.The first six products in the range are the Russell Aggressive Growth ETF (NYSE: AGRG), Russell Consistent Growth ETF (NYSE: CONG), Russell Growth at a Reasonable Price ETF (NYSE: GRPC), Russell Equity Income ETF (NYSE: EQIN), Russell Low P/E ETF (NYSE: LWPE) and Russell Contrarian ETF (NYSE: CNTR). Each product replicates the corresponding Russell Investment Discipline index; the indices are composed of companies of the Russell 1000 index.
NYSE Euronext on 23 May announced the admission to trading on its Paris platform of a new ETF from HSBC, based on China. It is the HSBC MSCI China ETF, whose benchmark index is the MSCI China. The Irish-registered fund (IE00B44T3H88) charges fees of 0.60%, and brings the number of funds listed on the European markets of NYSE Euronext to 558, of which 109 are new listings since the beginning of this year, of 83 new ETFs.
The fund of hedge fund management firm Palmer Square Capital Management has announced the launch of the Palmer Square Absolute Return Fund, its first open-ended mutual fund. The objective for the fund, launched in partnership with Montage Investments, is capital appreciation, with the emphasis on absolute returns and low correlation with equities and bond markets. The fund will rely on seven institutional managers, who will use a wide range of strategies, including event-driven, long/short, global macro, long/short international, and domestic equity, as well as convertibles arbitrage. Montage Investments currently manages about USD9bn on behalf of institutional and high net worth investors.
Pimco has launched a fund dedicated to banking sector debt, in partnership with the family office Fleming & Family Partners, with the objective of taking advantage of the new Basedl III regulations, Investment Week reports. The Pimco Capital Securities fund, domiciled in Dublin, will be managed by Philippe Bodereau, executive vice president and head of European credit. The fund will invest in high yield debt issued by banks, including cocos (contingent convertibles), as well as Tier One debt.
Investment Week reports that the British management firm Castlestone Management is planning to launch a fund dedicated to frontier markets. The fund will invest in countries of the CIVETS group: Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey, and South Africa; it may be launched this autumn. Castlestone is also planning to offer a UCITS-compliant version of its Next 11 fund, which also invests in some CIVETS countries – Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, and Turkey. The UCITS-compliant version of the Next 11 fund, currently domiciled in the Virgin Islands, will be launched later this year.
The multi-management firm of the Axa group, Architas, has launched three multi-asset class funds of funds, which will invest in passive strategies, Investment Week reports. The three funds, Dynamic, Growth, and Reserve Multi-Asset Passive, will have a total TER ratio of 1.3%. The weighting of the funds between bonds, equities and real estate will be determined by the financial modelling firm eValue FE.