La banque suisse Neue Helvetische Bank, créée il y a deux ans par Thomas Matter et Daniel Hefti, deux anciens banquiers de Swissfirst, a enregistré au titre de l’année 2012 une perte de 695.000 francs suisses. D’ici à mars 2014, les dirigeants de l'établissement prévoient de publier des comptes à l'équilibre. C’est l’activité Corporate Finance qui contribue principalement au chiffre d’affaires, alors que les activités gestion de fortune et conseil en gestion de patrimoine sont moins satisfaisantes que prévu, indique Finews. Pour redynamiser ces deux activités, NHB devrait bientôt lancer de nouvelles offres à destination de sa clientèle. La banque gère à fin 2012 642 millions de francs suisses. Actuellement, le quotidien estime que les encours devraient atteindre les 800 millions. NHB espère dépasser le milliard au cours de l’année.

Onze des treize stratégies alternatives d’Edhec-Risk étaient bien orientées au mois d’avril. La meilleure stratégie du mois sous revue a été la CTA Global, qui affiche un gain de 2,08%. Les stratégies dédiées aux actions ont enregistré des gains compatibles avec leur modèle, avec +0,65% pour le long/short equity, 0,00% pour l’equity market neutral et 0,82% pour l’event driven.La stratégie de short-selling s’est en revanche inscrite dans le rouge, avec une performance négative de 2,90% sur le mois. A noter la bonne tenue de l’indice des fonds de fonds qui a progressé de 0,70% et qui confirme ses bonnes dispositions du début de l’année.

Le fonds de pension des enseignants coréens (KTPF, Korea Teachers Pension Fund) vient de nommer Park Min en qualité de chief investment officer, rapporte Asian Investor.C’est la première fois, relève le site asiatique, que le fonds de pension attribue ce poste par le biais d’une promotion interne. Les actifs sous gestion du fonds de pension s'élevaient à un peu plus de 11 milliards de dollars à fin décembre 2011, selon les données disponibles.

Le gestionnaire austro-allemand C-Quadrat Investment fait état pour le premier trimestre 2013 d’un bénéfice net de 1,93 million d’euros contre 0,68 million pour la période correspondante de l’an dernier, ce qui reflète en partie la première consolidation des gestionnaires BCM (Londres/Genève) et APM (Vienne).L’acquisition de 50,01 % de Kepler-Chevreux par QC Partners (160 millions d’euros, une filiale de C-Quadrat) en partenariat avec Q-Advisers et le management de la société n’a été bouclée qu'à fin avril.Sur douze mois, la hausse des encours de C-Quadrat atteint 47 %, à 4,47 milliards d’euros fin mars.Les recettes de commissions de gestion sont ressorties à 11,68 millions contre 10,38 millions pour le premier trimestre 2012 tandis que celles de commissions de performance se situaient à 2,28 millions d’euros contre 0,2 million.

Le gestionnaire américain Harbor Funds (74 milliards de dollars au 31 mars) a indiqué avoir choisi la filiale américaine de l'écossais Baillie Gifford (142 milliards de dollars) pour reprendre à compter du 21 mai la gestion en tant que sub-advisor du Harbor International Growth Fund (acronyme : HAIGX) dont l’encours se situe à quelque 220 millions de dollars. Depuis le 1er mars 2004, le «sub-advisor» de ce fonds était Marsico Capital Management.Le gérant unique du fonds, chez Marsico, était un ancien de Goldman Sachs, James Gendelman. Il sera remplacé par une équipe de quatre gérants de portefeuille de Baillie Gifford Overseas Limited composée de Gerard Callahan, Iain Campbell, Joe Faraday et Paul Faulkner. Gerard Callahan est chair of the international focus portfolio construction group et head of UK equities chez Baillie Gifford.

Banca Generali a recruté Elisa Feliciani, l’ancienne directrice de la succursale de Banca Albertini Syz à Rome, rapporte Bluerating. L’an dernier, la banque avait déjà embauché Ernestina Anceschi chez Albertini Syz.

Société Générale Securities Services en Italie a été mandaté par Rinascimento Sicav pour agir en tant qu’agent de transfert local. SGSS fournira des services d’agent payeur et de gestion des relations de l’OPCVM avec les investisseurs en Italie. SGSS en Italie fournit une gamme de services titres incluant les services de conservation et de banque dépositaire, d’administration de fonds, de gestion des liquidités et des services d’agent de transfert. Rinascimento Sicav est un OPC ouvert enregistré au Luxembourg.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The ETF provider Lyxor Asset Management is adding to its physical replication range, adopting this mode of replication for seven UCITS ETFs which replicate EuroMTS Investment Grade indices. Lyxor thus strengthens its presence in two strategic priority areas: the development of its range of physical replication ETFs and of its bond offerings.“For each underlying index, Lyxor has defined the fund structure which optimises investment performance compared with the index,” a statement from Lyxor says.Each fund will invest directly in investment grade government bonds with varying maturities issued in the euro zone which constitute the respective EuroMTS Investment Grade Government indices, without the use of sampling techniques, in order to achieve the highest possible correlation with the performance of the index.The management process will exclude all securities lending operations, as these will not bring sufficient improvement in returns on investment to justify counterparty risks. Lyxor aims to offer clients the solution which offers the best risk/reward profile.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Russell Investments is now offering the new Russell Absolute Return Bund Fund (ticker: RARBF), a sub-fund of its Irish Sicav, in France. According to a statement, the US asset management firm is aiming to “capture a wider range of opportunities than traditional bond funds” with the product, by using complementary strategies to generate absolute returns while also generating “solid” risk-adjusted returns.The management team will use a range of active strategies on fixed income markets (developed and emerging countries), currencies and credit, combined with long/short strategies. “Unlike a traditional bond fund, which would be long duration, and consequently exposed to the risk of interest rate increases, the RARBF is constructed to take short positions in order to maximise gains for investors,” Russell states. The primary characteristics of the fund are available as an attachment.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Thomas de Saint-Seine, head of equities, CEO and founding partner of Reyl Asset Management, is planning to launch a second emerging market fund at the end of June, Citywire Global reports. The fund will have a larger capacity than the existing Reyl Emerging Markets Equities fund, which will be closed with about USD2.5-3bn. It will also invest in larger cap sizes than the first fund, and its strategy will be slightly different.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } One day after launching on NYSE Euronext Paris, Lyxor Asset Management has listed the Lyxor ETF Unleeraged S&P 500 VIX Futures Enhanced Roll fund (ISIN code: FR0011376565), which replicates the S&P 500 VIX Futures Enhanced Roll Index combined with the federal funds effective rate, on the XTF segment of Xetra (Deutsche Börse). Depending on the volatility observed, the proportion of the VIX portfolio may vary between 50% and 100%. The fund charges fees of 0.40%.The XTF segment now lists 1,020 ETFs.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } 11 out of 13 Edhec-Risk alternative strategies showed gains in the month of April. The best strategy in the month under review was CTA Global, which gained 2.08%. Strategies dedicated to equities posted gains compatible with their model, at +0.65% for long/short equity, 0.00% for equity market neutral, and 0.82% for event-driven.The short-selling strategy, however, showed losses, with negative performance of 2.90% for the month.The fund of fund index did well, with gains of 0.70%, continuing its positive orientation early in the year.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Property Business division of Henderson Global Investors (HGI), whose assets total about GBP12.7bn, has recruited Tony He as director of property, China consultancy. He had been chief financial officer at Tesco Property China.He will be primarily based in the HGI office in Beijing, and will work in close collaboration with the real estate team at the British asset management firm for the Asia-Pacific region.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Swiss bank Neue Helvetische Bank founded two years ago by Thomas Matter and Daniel Hefti, two former bankers from Swissfirst, has posted a loss of GBP695,000 for 2012. By March 2014, the directors of the firm are hoping to publish balanced books The Corporate Finance activity is primarily contributing to earnings, while wealth management and wealth management advising activities are less satisfactory than expected, Finews reports. In order to bring new dynamism to these two activities, NHB will soon launch new offers for clients.As of the end of 2012, the bank has CHF642m in assets under management. Currently, the newspaper estimates that assets are about CHF800m. NHB hopes to top CHF1bn during the year.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } As part of the EUR2.5bn Renewable Energies & New Technologies (RENT) investment programme by its parent company Munich Re, the German asset management firm MEAG has announced that it has acquired three wind farms from Eolus Vind AB which are already connected to the Swedish power grid. The units have a total power generation capacity of 30 megawatts. Eolus will continue to be responsible for the operation of the installations. The sale price has not been disclosed.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } According to the third annual Global Fund Investor Experience report by Morningstar, foreign funds in sale in Spain are more costly than Spanish funds, except for money markets funds, Funds People reports. In other words, foreign funds drive up the average price of products sold in Spain.On average, the TER for diversified funds is 0.95% for funds domiciled in Spain, and 1.64% for all diversified funds, including foreign funds. For bond funds, the TER is 1.01% for Spanish funds and 1.31% for all products in the class. The difference is minimal, however, for equity funds, with 1.88% for Spanish funds and 1.90% for all funds overall.For money markets, the overall average is 0.40%, while the average TER for Spanish money market funds is 0.51%.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Quilvest & Partners, the private equity activity of the Quilvest group, on 23 May announced that it has closed fundraising for three funds: QS PEP 2012, QS REP II and QS Capital Strategies, with totals of USD150m, USD300m and USD230m, respectively. QS PEP 2012 and QS REP II have exceeded their fundraising objectives, while QS Capital Strategies has been oversubscribed and subjected to a hard cap. The USD80m committed by investors to QS Capital Strategies may be complemented by an additional USD150m, via Small Business Administration (SBA) debt financing in the United States. However, this supplementary financing is subject to the issuance of a license by the US authorities.Meanwhile, Quilvest & Partners has announced the launch of QS PEP Core, a four-year investment programme in private equity funds worldwide, which succeeds the annual Quilvest flagship programme, QS PEP. Quilvest aims to raise up to USD400m for the first generation of QS PEP Core. The fund will concentrate on the core strategy of Quilvest & Partners, which is to identify the best private equity funds from small and mid-sized LBO and capital development firms, with a selection process to select about 10 funds per year.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Last week, the US authorities issued subpoenas to four top directors of the alternative asset management firm SAC Capital Advisors as part of an investigation into insider trading, the Wall Street Journal reports.The individuals belong to the inner circle of Steven A. Cohen, CEO and founder: they are the chairman of SAC, Thomas Conheeney, Steven Kessler, head of compliance, Solomon Kumin, COO, and Philipp Villhauer, head of trading.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } As part of a two-year campaign, BNY Mellon Wealth Management is planning to increase its sales personnel by 50%, and also to recruit private bankers, mortgage specialists, portfolio managers, and sales support personnel, the group has announced. This may result in the creation of 100 jobs.As a partner in this recruitment drive in the United States and worldwide, BNY Mellon has selected Futurestep, an affiliate of Korn/Ferry International Company.As of the end of March, assets in the wealth management unit of BNY Mellon totalled USD188bn for retail clients.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } T. Rowe Price has announced that it has filed an application with the SEC for a new series of eleven target date funds, the T. Rowe Price Target Retirement Funds. The new funds are designed based on an investment of 42.5% in equities before the retirement date, compared with 55% for existing retirement funds, which as of the end of March had assets of USD88.1bn. The new range will be available from 22 August 2013.The Target Retirement Funds are aimed at investors seeking a strategy which places less emphases on long-term income flows as well as investors seeking to reduce long-term volatility at the time of their retirement, or who are seeking only moderate growth potential.For these new products, T. Rowe Price has selected Jerome Clark and Wyatt Lee as co-managers, who are rexpectively principal portfolio manager and associate portfolio manager for the Retirement Funds series.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The US firm Morgan Creek Capital Management will acquire the fund of fund activity of the alternative asset management firm Signet Capital Management, the New York Times reports. Assets under management in this activity total about USD700m. Senior asset management teams at Signet, as well as the founder of the firm, Robert Marquardt, and its CEO and co-head of management, Serge Umansky, will join Morgan Creek. The transaction is expected to be completed during second quarter.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } BNP Paribas Securities Services has appointed Annalisa Winge Bicknell as regional head of sales and relationships with institutional investor clients, Hedgeweek reports. Bicknell had previously worked at SEB, where she had been head of customer services for the Scandinavian countries, Luxembourg and Germany.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Societe Generale Securities Services in Italy (SGSS S.p.A.) has been appointed by Rinascimento Sicav to act as its local transfer agent in Italy, providing it with paying agent and investor relations management services with reference to investors located in Italy. SGSS in Italy offers a complete range of securities services, including settlement, custody and trustee services, fund administration, liquidity management and transfer agent services. Rinascimento Sicav is a Luxembourg-registered open-ended collective investment fund.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Banca Generali has recruited Elisa Feliciani, former director of the branch of Banca Albertini Syz in Rome, Bluerating reports. Last year, the bank had recruited Ernestina Anceschi from Banca Albertini Syz.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Italian financial market authority, Consob, has levelled pecuniary administrative sanctions against seven representatives of BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management Italy Sgr, and the firm itself, totalling EUR148,000, Bluerating reports. The Italian regulator accuses the individuals of “late and inadequate” planning for management of funds aimed at retail investors, and poor management of conflicts of interest.

Rasini Fairway Capital est la dernière société de gestion en date à avoir re-domicilié son fonds, Stafford SICAV Global Equity Fund, au Luxembourg dans un cadre Ucits, rapporte Investment Europe. Pour cela, la société basée à Zurich et Londres a utilisé la plate-forme Alceda Ucits. Précédemment, la Sicav était domiciliée dans les Iles Vierges britanniques.

KBL European Private Bankers (KBL epb) a annoncé le 23 mai la nomination officielle de trois nouveaux membres au Comité de Direction de la société : Frédéric Genet, CEO Professional Services, dont l’arrivée a été signalée par Newsmanagers le 28 février dernier ; Marc Lauwers, Chief Operating Officer et Yves Stein, CEO, Private Banking.Chacun de ces professionnels expérimentés de l’industrie financière, basé à Luxembourg, assume une responsabilité au niveau du Groupe, en renforçant ainsi la présence de la KBL epb dans neuf pays en Europe. En qualité de CEO, Professional Services, Frédéric Genet mettra l’accent sur le renforcement des services offerts par les departments Global Investor Services, Global Financial Markets, Assets & Liabilities Management et Credit du Groupe. Il a précédemment occupé le poste de CEO à la Société Générale Bank & Trust, deuxième plus grande banque au Luxembourg. Marc Lauwers, qui a travaillé récemment en qualité de Directeur de la division Banque de détail et commerciale de Belfius Bank en Belgique, a trois mandats principaux chez KBL epb : Operations, IT et Facilities & Logistics. Auparavant, il a occupé le poste de Chief Operating Officer de la Dexia Bank Belgique après avoir été CEO de Dexia Banka Slovensko, en Slovaquie. Dans son rôle stratégique de CEO, Private Banking, Monsieur Stein contribuera à la croissance du métier de base du Groupe, le Private Banking, en Europe et à l’international. Il a occupé auparavant le poste de CEO chez Union Bancaire Privée (Europe) à Luxembourg et précédemment, de Directeur Général, Private Banking, chez BNP Paribas (Suisse). Messieurs Genet, Lauwers et Stein rejoignent, au sein du Comité de Direction, Jacques Peters, Group CEO ; Olivier de Jamblinne de Meux, CEO, Luxembourg et Yves Pitsaer, Chief Finance and Risk Officer.

Le climat des affaires a rebondi nettement plus que prévu en mai après deux mois de baisse d’affilée, ce qui suggère que l'économie se redresse après un premier trimestre morose, selon l’indice Ifo. L’indicateur du climat des affaires s’est redressé à 105,7 contre 104,4 en avril. La composante des conditions actuelles s’est également redressée, à 110,0 après 107,3 le mois dernier (révisé de 107,2). Celle des attentes s’est maintenue à 101,6. Le moral du consommateur allemand s’est, quant à lui, encore amélioré en juin pour atteindre son meilleur niveau depuis octobre 2007, ce qui est de bon augure pour l’accélération de la croissance de la première économie de la zone euro au deuxième trimestre, a annoncé le cabinet d'études GfK vendredi. Son indice le mesurant est ressorti à 6,5 contre 6,2 en mai. A noter que l’indicateur général du climat général des affaires en France est resté stable à un bas niveau en mai, le redressement constaté dans l’industrie étant neutralisé par une nouvelle dégradation dans le bâtiment et le commerce de gros, selon les données publiées vendredi par l’Insee. Il s’inscrit ainsi comme en avril à 84 points, soit son plus bas niveau depuis août 2009. L’indicateur de l’industrie manufacturière a repris de son côté quatre points, à 92.

Pierre Moscovici annonce dans un entretien aux Echos, s'en remettre à l'"autorégulation exigeante".

Les indices PMI de mai sont légèrement meilleurs que ceux d'avril. L'écart se creuse entre la France et l'Allemagne