Natixis, the retail bank of the BPCE group, has confirmed the sale of Natixis Commodity Markets (NCM), its London-based commodity brokerage affiliate, to China’s GF Securities, Agefi reports. The sale price cited by the Financial Times (about USD40m, or EUR30m), has not been confirmed by the bank, but according to some sources, this may be close to the actual price.

In first half 2013, Amundi, the asset management affiliate of Crédit Agricole (75%) and Société Générale (25%), posted new inflows of EUR4.5bn, Crédit Agricole has announced in a financial statement released this morning. But all inflows took place in fist quarter. Amundi posted net subscriptions of EUR11.1bn in the first three months of the year. Given the total for the half, the asset management firm must thus have seen outflows of EUR6.6bn in second quarter. In the first half, inflows continued to be driven by institutional customers (+8.7 billion euros), the international networks (+2.2 billion euros) and employee savings management (+1.7 billion euros). Including 100% of the joint ventures in Asia, assets under management amounted to 746 billion euros at 30 June 2013 (up 0.9% on 31 December 2012). Amundi’s net income Group share was 160 million euros in the first half of 2013, up 12.1% on the first half of 2012, restated for the 60 million euro pre-tax gain on the disposal of Hamilton Lane in the first quarter of 2012. Net income Group share for the second quarter of 2013 was 81 million euros, reflecting revenue growth of 8.3% by comparison with the second quarter of 2012, while expenses remained stable over the same period (+0.5%). The cost/income ratio was 54.8% in the second quarter of 2013, an improvement of 4.2 percentage points year-on-year.

The private equity group KKR has launched its first publicly-traded closed fund, the KKR Income Opportunities Fund. The stock market listing raised USD305m.The fund, which aims for a high level of income as well as capital appreciation, says that it aims to achieve these objectives through investments in secured and non-secured loans, as well as high yield corporate debt instruments.

Assets under management at the US-based group Och-Ziff Capital Management totalled USD36.6bn as of 30 June, up 12%, or USD4bn, compared with the end of December 2012, Och-Ziff has announced in a statement. This development is the result of a net inflow of USD2bn, and a positive market effect, also of USD2bn. As of 1 August 2013, assets under management totalled USD36.7bn, due to a positive market effect of about USD300m, partly offset by a net outflow of about USD200m since 30 June 2013.

The Italian bank BNL (BNP Paribas group) will launch a fund of EUR150m after this summer, which will invest in Italian small cap corporate bonds, Il Sole – 24 Ore reports. The fund is reserved for institutional investors, and will replicate an analogue product in France. It will buy senior bonds issued by small and mid-cap businesses with a maximal duration of 5 years. 30 to 40 bond issues, created ad-hoc, will be targeted. Il Sole – 24 Ore notes that many initiatives of this type are being created at present, due to a dearth of bank financing.

Mirova, the arm of Natixis Asset Management dedicated to socially responsible investment, is launching three funds in Italy, Bluerating reports. Mirova Global Climate Change is an equity fund based on the theme of climate change, Mirova Europe Sustainable Equity, a European responsible equity fund, and Mirova Euro Sustainable Corporate Bonds, a socially responsible corporate bond fund.

The introduction in France and Italy of a financial transaction tax has taken a bite out of demand for equities, providing a glimpse of the impact that a pan-European tax could have on the recovery of activity on equity markets, the Reuters news agency reports. Monthly trading volumes in Europe were up 14% this year compared with 2012, but in France and Italy, activity is down 10%. Since the introduction of the TTF, in August 2012 in France, and in March 2013 in Italy, their respective market share ha fallen by 30% and 45%, respectively, according to statistics from Thomson Reuters Equity Market Market Share Reporter. In terms of revenues, this erosion of trading volumes may bring in only one fifth of the EUR1bn estimated by the government in Italy, according to projections by the Italian brokers’ association Assosim. A source in Brussels indicates that France may bring in only one third of the EUR800m estimated.

Franklin Templeton has recruited Toby Hayes, a former manager at Insight and Armstrong, to manage a new multi-asset class range, Investment Week can reveal. Hayes will report to Brent Smith, CIO of Franklin Templeton Multi_Asset Strategies. Hayes previously worked at Pacific Real Estate Capital Partners.

The Hedge Fund Association, an international organisation including hedge funds, funds of funds, family offices, financial advisers and service providers, on 5 August announced the appointment of two alternative management experts to head the Latin American chapter, due to the departure of the first head of that chapter, Victor Hugo Rodriguez, who had served since the chapter opened in March 2011. The Latin American chapter will now be led by two co-directors, Juan Garrido and Les Baquiran. Garrido is the global head of investment solutions at BBVA Global Private Bank in New York, while Baquiran had been principal at Park Hill, an alternative investment placement agency of the Blackstone group.

Samir Mane, chairman and CEO of the Balfin group, has become the first known billionaire from Albania, according to the wealth specialist website Wealth-X. The wealth of Mane, who opened the first shopping centre in Albania, is estimated at about USD1.2bn.

The HFRX Global index gained 1.01% in the month of July, bringing its performance since the beginning of the year to 4.20%. The HFRX Market Directional, for its part, gained 1.87% ni July. The HFRX Equity Hedge index is up 2.57% in July, with positive contributions from Fundamental Value (+2.91%), Growth (+2.32%), and Market Neutral (+0.60%) strategies. The HFRX Special Situations index has posted growth of 2.08% in July, meaning that in the first eight months of the year, it is up 11.78%. The HFRX Macro index, for its part, is down by 0.54% in July.

The German alternative management specialist Aquila Capital has recruited Dorothee Goerz, with plans to offer a new strategy that may be launched this autumn, Citywire reports. Goertz previously worked in London at Aremus Partners, where she managed event-driven and long/short equity strategies.

Euro zone stock markets posted strong gains in the month of July, according to Russell indices as of 29 July, with monthly returns of 5.46% for the Russell Eurozone index, following returns of 3.75% in first half 2013. These results compared with returns of 2.78% for the Russell Global ex-U.S. Index for July, after returns of 2.09% for first half 2013. In the countries which constitute the Russell Eurozone index, Ireland (20.5%), France (12.8%) and Germany (9.7%) top the performers since the beginning of the year as of 29 July, while Austria (-0.02%), Luxembourg (-3.32%) and Greece (-12.36%) earned the weakest returns in the same period. Among member countries, Spain (+9.47%) has posted the best returns from the beginning of the month to 29 July, while Greece (-1.29%) takes last place in the rankings of the index in the same period.

The Italian asset management firm Arca Sgr has agreed to acquire all capital in its rival Carige Asset Management Sgr from Banca Carige for a price of EUR101m, a statement released on Friday announces. The acquisition will allow Arca Sgr to increase its assets under management by EUR4.2bn to EUR23.5bn. The Italian asset management firm also extends its network, with access to 677 branches of the Banca Carige group. The sale is accompanied by a strategic agreement which includes “a long-term preferential commercial relationship” in asset management between the banking group and Arca Sgr.

Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management has appointed Massimo Aslvadori in Italy as head of its Tuscany team, Bluerating reports. He is already part of the Florentine team at the German firm. The firm has also recruited Alessandro Cecchinato to serve clients from Verona.

Hedge fund firms based in New York and London are reorganizing as family offices in order to avoid oversight by regulators, Financial Times fund management reports. “Single family offices” are exempt from Dodd-Frank legislation in the United States and the AIFM directive in Europe. George Soros was the first to make such a move earlier this year.

GIC, the Singapore sovereign fund, has earned real annualised returns over the past 2 0years of 4% per year as of the end of March 2013, compared with 3.9% as of the previous year, the fund has announced in its 2012-2013 annual report. The Singapore sovereign funds has also announced that it anticipates an improvement in the Western banking sector, which may lead to increased investment in the finance sector.

Aviva Investors will close its US Equity Income fund to new investors in early October, slightly two years after its launch, and is planning to launch a new fund to meet investors’ appetite for the strategy, Investment Week reports.The fund, with GBP366m, is managed by Henry Sanders and Thomas Forsha. Since its launch in July 2011, it has earned returns of 29.3%, compared with 23.2% for the IMA North America sector.

Funds on sale to retail clients in the United Kingdom in second quarter posted their strongest net quarterly inflows in two years, according to the most recent edition of the Pridham Report, cited by Fund Web. Net inflows to retail funds totalled GBP5.3bn, as the market rally compensated for the negative effects of RDR. Standard Life Investments takes first place in terms of net subscriptions in the three-month period, with GBP920.2m. M&G leads for gross inflows with GBP2.3bn.

The Spanish boutique Abante Assessores has launched a multi-asset class strategy, which will be led by Alberto Espelosin, Citywire reports. The new strategy, Abante Global Fund Pangea, will be part of the Luxembourg-based Sicav range from the firm. The fund may invest up to 100% in shares in companies registered in OECD countries. The fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in shares in companies from outside the OECD.

53% of hedge fund managers have launched a ’40 Act mutual fund (a liquid alternative fund), are in the process of launching a ’40 Act fund or are considering doing so, according to a survey led by Infovest21 on ’40 Act funds - “Hedge Fund Use of ’40 Act Registered Investment Funds”. Another 25% are a subadvisor to a ’40 Act fund or considering becoming a subadvisor. 8% have decided not to launch a ’40 Act fund.While launching a liquid alternative fund is considered by most to be a recent development, almost 30% of the respondents have been managing a ’40 Act fund for more than 10 years.In fact, 42% of those surveyed have more than one ’40 Act mutual fund.As one would expect, the manager’s generally reported that their hedge fund performance has been higher than its mutual fund counterpart. On a year-to-date basis (January -June), hedge funds have returned 6.8% compared with 4.1% for the ’40 Act fund. Over 130 hedge fund managers responded to Infovest21′s which was conducted in June.

CCR Asset Management on 5 August announced in an informational letter that it is dissolving the CCR Flex Bamboo Sicav, due to “persistently low asset levels.” The deputy CEO of CCR AM, Jean François Sarlat, says in the letter that the strategy of the Sicav, which had been based on the use of quantitative models, requires “sufficient assets to permit management in the interests of shareholders.” However, “due to the persistently low level of assets, the General Shareholders’ Meeting voted to dissolve the Sicav without waiting for assets to fall belwo the threshold defined by regulations. This dissolution was approved by the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) on 30 May 2013. The conclusion of liquidation was approved on 2 August 2013, and the net proceeds of the liquidation, after settlement of debts, will be distributed by the appointed trustee to shareholders, by 9 August, 2013, at the latest.” After a peak of EUR3.6m in mid-2012, assets in the fund have since fallen below EUR1.8m, and according to a document obtained by Citywire, they may have fallen as low as EUR300,000 in May 2013.

OGEO FUND, cinquième plus grand fonds de pension en Belgique avec 934 millions d’euros d’actifs sous gestion, a revu sa politique de placement en 2012. Afin de limiter au maximum les risques, OGEO FUND joue la carte de la diversification en utilisant plusieurs classes d’actifs différentes. Pour chacune de ces classes d’actifs, des bornes minimales et maximales ont été fixées afin de pouvoir migrer rapidement d’une classe à l’autre en fonction de l'évolution des marchés. De même, il est demandé aux gestionnaires d’actifs d’avoir la plus grande diversification possible au sein de chacune des classes d’actifs, et d’opter pour celles qui présentent le couple rendement/risque le plus intéressant. OGEO FUND a sélectionné les quatre gestionnaires d’actifs suivants : Banque Degroof Amundi Dexia Asset Management KBC Asset Management Une politique de placement diversifiée Une performance théorique adéquate pour garantir le paiement des rentes Placements immobiliers OGEO FUND, en partenariat avec Integrale, a choisi d’avoir un contrôle direct sur ses biens immobiliers. Les placements immobiliers d’OGEO FUND sont essentiellement locatifs, répartis géographiquement sur l’ensemble de la Belgique. Cette politique immobilière est développée essentiellement en partenariat avec Integrale Caisse Commune d’Assurance. Le principe est de rechercher des bâtiments occupés par des locataires de qualité qui s’engagent pour des périodes de minimum 9 ans, avec des loyers indexés. A fin décembre 2012, le montant total des investissements immobiliers réalisés en partenariat avec l’Integrale s'élevait à 62 millions d’euros. Le rendement attendu est de l’ordre de 6%. Total espaces d’archives : 26.284 m2 Total espaces de bureaux : 69.804 m2 Total places de parkings : 1.466 En complément, OGEO FUND a développé d’autres projets immobiliers. Ces investissements, préalablement audités par PwC (Pricewaterhouse-Coopers), ont également été mis en place au travers de sociétés dédiées, notamment, dans une perspective de contrôle. OGEO FUND est donc investi dans les sociétés LIG (Land Invest Group) et UrBa Liège, qui mènent des projets de grande envergure et à haut potentiel de rendement. Les partenaires d’OGEO FUND Ethias Services S.A. a pour mission principale de liquider les rentes de pension. Integrale Insurance Services S.A., filiale commune avec l’Integrale CCA, délivre les prestations suivantes : calculs actuariels, comptabilité, audit interne. Au travers de ce partenariat, OGEO FUND et Integrale peuvent se positionner comme un pôle fédérateur « best in class ». ESOFAC endosse le rôle d’actuaire désigné, en surveillant les aspects techniques de financement et en vérifiant les méthodes de calculs employées par IIS. PwC est la société de révisorat agréée qui audite entre autres les comptes annuels et le calcul des provisions techniques.

Le régulateur américain de l’industrie de la gestion, la Finra, a infligé une amende de 1,42 million de dollars à Oppenheimer & Co pour avoir vendu des «penny stocks» non enregistrées et mis en place des protections défaillantes contre le blanchiment d’argent. Le dossier concernait sept courtiers d’Oppenheimer aux Etats-Unis.

La banque centrale roumaine a réduit hier son taux directeur de 50 points de base (pb) hier pour le ramener à 4,50%, alors que le consensus Bloomberg tablait sur une baisse plus modérée de 25 pb. La semaine dernière, le FMI et l’Union européenne ont accordé une nouvelle ligne de crédit de 4 milliards d’euros au pays, la troisième depuis 2009. Le FMI a revu à la hausse sa prévision de croissance de 1,6% à 2% en 2013 et à 2,25% en 2014.

«Ce que nous essayons de faire à présent est de dégager un excédent primaire cette année, d’achever nos réformes structurelles et de revenir à un taux de croissance positif. Si nous y parvenons, le reste de nos problèmes sera résolu», a indiqué hier le ministre des Finances grec, Yannis Stournaras. Le FMI a estimé la semaine dernière que le pays aura certainement besoin d’une nouvelle aide pour atteindre ses objectifs.

«Je suis d’avis qu’à moins que nous ne recevions quelques données dérangeantes… nous devrions débuter en septembre [l’allègement du QE3]», a déclaré Richard Fischer, président de la Fed de Dallas, membre non votant du FOMC.

Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) travaille à une réforme de ses tarifs souhaitée par le gouvernement afin d’optimiser le réseau TGV existant à défaut d’engager la construction de nouvelles lignes, comme le préconise le rapport Duron, selon le journal Les Echos. Les péages acquittés par la SNCF à RFF, propriétaire des infrastructures, ont augmenté «de 7,5% par an en moyenne ces dernières années, ce qui a plongé dans le rouge un tiers des dessertes», ajoute le quotidien économique. Ces tarifs, actuellement fixes, pourraient être indexés sur le nombre de passagers ou sur la recette commerciale, indique le journal, précisant que cette formule offrirait plus de choix aux clients et augmenterait les recettes des deux entreprises en faisant circuler plus de trains. Fin juin, le rapport Duron a mis l’accent sur la desserte de proximité et l’amélioration des réseaux existants plutôt que sur la création de nouvelles lignes TGV.

La croissance de l’activité dans le secteur des services américain a rebondi en juillet en raison notamment d’une vive hausse des nouveaux contrats, selon les chiffres publiés par l’Institute of Supply Management (ISM). L’indice ISM des services est revenu à 56,0 le mois dernier après 52,2 en juin.

L’indice PMI d’activité a atteint en juillet son plus haut niveau depuis deux ans et passe en zone d’expansion pour la première fois depuis janvier 2012