Dirk Springer, responsable obligataire de la banque Berenberg Bank basée à Hambourg, a quitté la société, croit savoir Citywire Global. Les circonstances de son départ restent inconnues et on ne sait pas s’il va rejoindre une autre société de gestion.
Selon les milieux financiers, rapporte la Börsen-Zeitung, Klaus Kaldemorgen abandonnerait la gestion des deux fonds vedettes de DWS, le Vermögensbildungsfonds I, qui pèse 5 milliards d’euros, et le DWS Akkumula Fonds, dont l’encours se situe à 2,9 milliards d’euros.Il passerait le témoin à André Köttner, gérant-star d’Union Investment où il avait la responsabilité du fonds UniGlobal avec 7,26 milliards d’euros d’actifs. André Köttner a quitté son ancien employeur fin septembre (lire Newsmanagers du 28 septembre), où il a été remplacé par Gunther Krammert.
Skandia prévoit d’investir dans sa nouvelle gamme de fonds «Select» avec un capital d’amorçage venant de son activité d’assurance vie, rapporte Investment Week. La société va sous peu annoncer les noms des 50 fonds qui peupleront sa gamme.
Invesco Perpetual a confié à son gérant britannique Stephen Anness son fonds Global Opportunities (53 millions de livres) dans le cadre d’un remaniement de sa division actions, rapporte Investment Week. Il rejoindra parallèlement l’équipe actions mondiales. Jusqu’ici le fonds était géré par les gérants du Global Equity Group de la société.Par ailleurs, la société indique que son directeur du marketing, Rick White, a quitté l’entreprise au bout de douze ans, en octobre. Parallèlement, Invesco Perpetual a aussi perdu son directeur des ventes Craig Newman et son sales manager Simon Dale.Rick White et Craig Newman seront remplacés au début de l’an prochain.
La société de gestion spécialiste des marchés émergents Ashmore Investment Management propose de fermer son fonds situations spéciales, Ashmore Global Opportunities Limited, investi principalement dans le private equity et la dette distressed, selon Financial News. Le fonds, coté à Londres, se négocie avec une décote d’environ 31 % par rapport à sa valeur nette liquidative.
Le 14 décembre, db x-trackers (groupe Deutsche Bank) a fait admettre à la négociation sur le London Stock Exchange ses trois premiers ETF à réplication physique. Il s’agit de fonds luxembourgeois qui suivent le FTSE 100 et l’Euro Stoxx 50 ainsi que du premier ETF, selon l'émetteur, à répliquer l’Euro Stoxx 50 ex Financials. Ces produits doivent par ailleurs être lancés sur le segment XTF de la plate-forme allemande Xetra (Deutsche Börse) le 19 décembre.Parallèlement, le gestionnaire indique qu’il fait coter à Londres deux ETF à réplication synthétique existants, le db x-trackers FTSE 100 ETF et le db x-trackers Euro Stoxx 50. On trouvera la liste des nouveaux produits en annexe.
Fidelity Worldwide Investment va fermer aux nouvelles souscriptions sa stratégie FAST Europe le 2 janvier après que les encours ont atteint 2,6 milliards d’euros à fin septembre, révèle Investment Week. Le fonds, géré par Anas Chakra, a la possibilité d’être acheteur et vendeur d’actions (long/short) en Europe.
S’il veut continuer à croître, le marché européen des ETF va devoir attirer de nouvelles typologies d’investisseurs, estime Delef Glow, responsable de Lipper EMEA Research, dans une note publiée vendredi sur l’avenir du secteur.Dans cette optique, «il est important que les promoteurs d’ETF accomplissent des efforts majeurs pour éduquer les clients afin de s’assurer qu’ils comprennent clairement comment les ETF peuvent être utilisés pour les aider à atteindre leurs objectifs d’investissements individuels», écrit le dirigeant.Parmi ces nouveaux investisseurs, Detlef Glow cite les gérants de fonds de gestion active qui pourraient avoir besoin des ETF pour des transitions de portefeuilles ou pour avoir une poche de liquidité.La gestion de fortune est un autre marché sur lequel les promoteurs d’ETF pourraient gagner des parts. En effet, les investisseurs fortunés sont de plus en plus conscients des coûts des produits qu’ils détiennent en portefeuilles.Enfin, les investisseurs particuliers (retail) sont aussi une cible importante pour les promoteurs d’ETF. Dans cette perspective, les promoteurs d’ETF devront s’ouvrir à de nouveaux canaux de distribution comme les plates-formes de fonds.Pour Detlef Glow, la croissance du marché pourra aussi être tirée par l’offre. Entre le 30 septembre 2011 et le 30 septembre 2012, les encours du secteur européen des ETF ont progressé de 46,64 milliards d’euros, soit 21 %, pour atteindre 267 milliards d’euros.
C’est en France que l’on trouve les trois plus gros fonds ISR (investissement socialement responsable) en Europe, selon une étude de Vigeo et Morningstar dévoilée par Il Sole – 24 Ore. Il s’agit de Bnp Paribas Mois (Bnp Paribas AM), Amundi Trèso ISR (Amundi AM) et Fonsicav (Natixis AM). La France est aussi le plus gros marché de l’ISR selon Vigeo avec 44 % des encours ISR. Ces derniers ont atteint 95 milliards d’euros en Europe en juin 2012, soit une hausse de 12 % sur 12 mois. L’Italie est dans les derniers avec 2 milliards d’euros d’encours.
Les fonds coordonnés ont terminé le mois d’octobre sur une collecte nette de 40,5 milliards d’euros alors qu’ils avaient subi le mois précédent des rachats pour un montant net de 10 milliards d’euros, selon les statistiques communiquées par l’association européenne des gestionnaires d’actifs (Efama). Une illustration sinon d’un début de sortie de crise du moins d’une réduction des incertitudes sur l’avenir de la zone euro.La collecte des fonds Ucits de long terme (c’est-à-dire hors fonds monétaires) s’est élevée à 34,2 milliards d’euros en octobre contre 13 milliards d’euros en septembre. Les fonds obligataires ont notamment drainé 25 milliards d’euros, affichant ainsi une hausse significative par rapport au mois précédent (9 milliards d’euros).La collecte des fonds actions est demeurée stable à 3,4 milliards d’euros alors que les fonds diversifiés ont enregistré une collecte nette de 4,5 milliards d’euros contre 1,8 milliard d’euros en septembre.Les fonds monétaires ont enregistré en octobre une collecte nette de 6,3 milliards d’euros alors qu’ils avaient subi des rachats le mois précédent pour un montant net de 23 milliards d’euros.La collecte des fonds non coordonnés s’est inscrite à 12,7 milliards d’euros durant le mois sous revue contre 3,6 milliards d’euros en septembre. Les fonds dédiés ont notamment collecté 10,1 milliards d’euros contre 2,6 milliards d’euros en septembre.Les actifs des fonds coordonnés s'établissaient fin octobre à 6.249 milliards d’euros, en hausse de 0,4% d’un mois sur l’autre, les actifs des fonds non coordonnés affichant de leur côté une croissance de 0,3% à 2.479 milliards d’euros.
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena va recruter 100 banquiers privés à partir de début 2013, lesquels viendront s’ajouter aux 400 déjà présents dans le réseau de la banque.Aujourd’hui, ce réseau s’organise autour de 82 centres “private” et 11 centres “family office”. Dans les prochaines semaines, six nouveaux centres “private” seront ouverts.
Le groupe financier des caisses d’épargne, Ahorro Corporación, vient de porter à 16 le nombre de gestionnaires étrangers accessibles sur sa plate-forme de fonds Central de Compras : il vient en effet d’y ajouter M&G investments et Pioneer Investments, rapporte Funds People.Les quatorze maisons déjà présentes sont Allianz, Amundi, BlackRock, BNP Paribas, BNY Mellon, Carmignac Gestion, DWS Investments, Fidelity Worldwide Investments, Franklin Templeton, Invesco, JPMorgan AM, Pictet, Pimco et Schroders.
Compte tenu de la forte augmentation des actifs gérés, le suisse Mirabaud a recruté trois professionnels confirmés pour son équipe de gestion de fortune en Espagne, rapporte Funds People. Il s’agit de Remedios Parra, Jaime Medem Mac-Lellan et de Marcelino Blanco Garnacho, ce dernier devant aussi diriger l’équipe de conseil patrimonial de la société.
Fidelity, le gestionnaire américain a acheté 1,1 % du capital d’Amadeus, ce qui porte sa participation dans le site de réservations à 2,11 %, rapporte Cotizalia. Aux prix du marché, la nouvelle acquisition représente 89 millions d’euros et l’exposition totale de Fidelity correspond à 175 millions d’euros.Récemment, HSBC a revendu 2,7 % d’Amadeus. Fidelity est le septième actionnaire par importance de la société espagnole, après Air France, le gouvernement de Singapour; BNP Paribas, Deutsche Lufthansa, BlackRock et MFS Investment.
The International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems (CPSS) on 14 December published a disclosure framework and an evaluation methodology to establish new Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures (PFMI) for financial market infrastructures (FMI). The disclosure framework and methodology were the subject of a consultation launched in April. The dislcosure frameowrk will be used by FMIs to explain their activities and practices in the area of risk management with full transparency. The methodology is aimed more at international external valuators, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and other national authorities.
The failure of the European Union and the United States to respect the deadline of 1 January 2013 to apply new banking solvency rules does not raise doubts about the Basel III agreement, regulators have announced.The Basel commission on 14 December announced, following a two-day meeting, that 11 countries are prepared to begin applying the new rules. “We are expecting regulations to be finalised in other jurisdictions during 2013, and they will join all other interim deadlines, under the initial agreement,” the chairman of the commission, Stefan Ingves, said in a statement. He says that this will be the case even if the parties concerned are not able to implement the rules in early 2013 as planned.“As a result, by the end of 2013, nearly all jurisdictions of the Basel commission will apply Basel III, in line with the calendar defined,” Ingves, who is also governor of the Swedish central bank, adds. “This is an absolutely crucial move to strengthen the global banking system.”
Net inflows to UCITS surged in October to EUR 41 billion, as all fund categories recorded net inflows. This compares to net outflows of EUR 10 billion recorded in September, according to statistics from the European financial and asset management association (EFAMA). This is a sign that the crisis has begun to end, as uncertainties about the future of the euro zone fade. Long-term UCITS (UCITS excluding money market funds) jumped in October to EUR 34 billion, up from EUR 13 billion in September. Net inflows into bond funds amounted to EUR 25 billion, marking a significant increase compared to September (EUR 9 billion).Equity funds recorded net inflows of EUR 3 billion for the second successive month, while balanced funds enjoyed increased net sales in October of EUR 5 billion, up from EUR 2 billion in September. Net sales of money market funds returned to positive territory in October recording net inflows of EUR 6 billion, after registering net outflows in September of EUR 23 billion. Total net sales of non-UCITS increased in October to EUR 13 billion, up from EUR 4 billion in September. Special funds (funds reserved to institutional investors) registered a jump in net sales to EUR 10 billion, compared to EUR 3 billion in September. Total net assets of UCITS increased 0.4% in October to EUR 6,249 billion, whilst non-UCITS net assets increased 0.3% in the month to stand at EUR 2,479 billion.
If it wants to continue to grow, the European ETF market will have to attract new investors, Delef Glow, head of Lipper EMEA Research, says in a report on the future of the industry published on Friday. From this point of view, “it is important that ETF promoters make a significant effort to educate clients to ensure they clearly understand how ETFs can be used to help them reach their individual investment targets,” the director writes. Among the new investors, Detlef Glow cites actively managed mutual funds, who may need ETFs for portfolio transitions or portfolio liquidity. Wealth management is another market in which ETF providers could gain market share. High net worth investors are increasingly aware of the costs of products in their portfolios. Lastly, retail investors are also a major target for ETF providers. With this in mind, ETF providers need to open to new distribution channels, such as fund platforms. Detlef Glow predicts that market growth may also be driven by supply. Between 30 September 2011 and 30 September 2012, assets in the European ETF sector increased by EUR46.64bn, or 21%, to EUR267bn.
The largest SRI (socially responsible investment) funds in the world are in France, according to a study by Vigeo and Morningstar reported by Il Sole – 24 Ore. They are the Bnp Paribas Mois (Bnp Paribas AM), Amundi Trèso ISR (Amundi AM) and Fonsicav (Natixis AM). France is also the largest SRI market, according to Vigeo, with 44% of SRI assets. These assets totalled EUR95bn in Europe in June 2012, an increase of 12% in 12 months. Italy is near the bottom of the rankings with EUR2bn in assets.
The Börsen-Zeitung reports that according to financial industry sources, Klaus Kaldemorgen is to step back from the management of two flagship funds from DWS, Vermögensbildungsfonds I (DE0008476524), with EUR5bn in assets, and DWS Akkumula Fonds (DE0008474024), with assets of EUR2.9bn. He will hand off to André Köttner, the star manager from Union Investment who had been responsible for the UniGlobal fund (DE0008491051) with EUR7.26bn in assets. Köttner left his former employer at the end of September (see Newsmanagers of 28 September), and was replaced by Gunther Krammert.
The US Federal Reserve (Fed) on 14 December unveiled a draft directive which could toughen the prudential management requirements applicable to major foreign banks present in the United States. The plans primarily concern banks and non-banking financial establishments whose consolidated global assets total over USD50bn. They would require them to submit to the same stress tests as US banks. The central bank says that the move implements terms of the Wall Street reform law of 2010. According to the text of the bill made public by the Fed, the new standards would come into effect on 1 July 2015, in order to give the establishments concerned time to comply.
Federal authorities are investigating SAC Capital Advisors, the alternative asset management firm of Steven A. Cohen, The Wall Street Journal reports. They are seeking to establish whether or not insider trading was involved in a transaction on 14 February 2011, when SAC Capital purchased options on shares in Weight Watchers, which rose from USD44.08 to USD65.39 on 17 February after the publication of results which were far higher than expectations.As a result of this deal, SAC Capital probably made gains of USD8m, while its counterparty, Goldman Sachs, would have lost at least USD3m.
The investment firm East Capital Explorer, listed in Stockholm, will be liquidating the East Capital Power Utilities Fund, in which it had been invested, and from which it expects to recuperate EUR14.2m, as announced. The remaining assets will be distributed in early 2013. The participation of East Capital Explorer in the fund represented EUR25.4m, which corresponds to 9% of the firm’s net asset value. East Capital Power Utilities Fund aimed to benefit from concentration and liberalisation in the Russian utility sector. But the sector has not developed as expected, East Capital Explorer explains. Investment in the fund also resulted in annual pre-tax losses of 2.6% between December 2007 and 30 November 2012.
FTSE Group announced that Jack Ehnes, CEO of CalSTRS (California State Teachers’ Retirement System) will serve as the new chairman of the FTSE Environmental Markets Committee. The FTSE Environmental Markets Committee is the independent advisory body responsible for setting the rules governing the classification system and the two sets of indices based on it, the FTSE Environmental Technology and FTSE Environmental Opportunities indices. Jack Ehnes replaces Winston Hickox, who is stepping down after five years chairing the Environmental Markets Committee, which is comprised of investment industry practitioners.
The European insurance and occupational pensions authority (EIOPA) has issued an alert about declining coverage levels for defined-benefit pension plans in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. In its semiannual report on financial stability, EIOPA says that coverage rates in the United Kingdom are now under 80%. In this environment, “a clear and realistic timetable for the establishment of Solvency II would represent a significant contribution to financial stability efforts in Europe,” the Authority says in a statement.
The Singapore-based firm Oclaner Asset Management, which assists family office and high net worth clients, has formed partnership with the Monaco-based private investment firm Codima, Asian Investor reports. Under the terms of the agreement, Oclaner will become the asset management arm of Codima, or the Compagnie d’Investissements Monaco-Asie. Meanwhile, Oclaner becomes the unit dedicated to direct investment of Codima, which will allow the Singapore firm to offer a wider range of private assets in Asia and Europe.
The Canadian pension fund Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has set up two new units in Asia, as part of a process to increase personnel in the region, Asian Investor reports. The pension fund has set up a private debt desk, which will invest directly in leveraged loans, high yield bonds and debt structures including mezzanine. It will participate in event-driven operations (acquisitions, refinancing, restructuring and recapitalisation). CPPIB Has recruited Nina Tao as head of the private debt desk in Hong Kong. The pension fund has also set up a public equity private investment activity in Hong Kong. Assets under management by the pension fund not total about CAD170bn, nearly CAD20bn of which is in the Asia-Pacific region.
BNY Mellon Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gerald L. Hassell today announced several executive appointments designed to accelerate the company’s success as the global leader in investment management and investment services.The following appointments will be effective Jan. 1, 2013:Karen B. Peetz will become President of BNY Mellon. Peetz is currently Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Financial Markets & Treasury Services. As President, Peetz will lead Global Client Management, Regional Management, Treasury Services and Human Resources.Timothy F. Keaney will be named Chief Executive Officer of Investment Services. He is currently Vice Chairman and Executive Officer of Aset ervicing, and will direct Asset Servicing, Corporate Trust, Depository Depositary Receipts, Global Markets, Global Collateral Services, Broker Dealer Services and Pershing. Brian T. Shea becomes President of Investment Services and head of the Global Operations and Technology group. He remains Chief Executive Officer of Pershing. Vice Chairman Curtis Y. Arledge remains Chief Executive Officer for Investment Management. Peetz, Keaney and Arledge will report to Gerald L. Hassell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BNY Mellon.
The Liechtenstein-based firm LGT Capital Partners has announced that its affiliate, LGT Capital Partners Holding (USA) Inc., has acquired the New York firm Clerestory Capital Advisors, LLC (CCA), an investment and advising firm for real estate investment via funds, co-investments and secondary investments, for an undisclosed amount. The firm was founded by Joanne Douvas and Tommy brown in 2007, when the firm’s first fund of funds was laynched. CCA will now become known as LGT Clerestory.
Fidelity Worldwide Investment will be soft-closing its FAT Europe strategies on 2 January, after assets reached EUR2.6bn as of the end of September, Investment Week reports. The fund, managed by Anas Chakra, can adopt long/short positions on European equities.