The average coverage rate for liabilities of US corporate pension funds fell in October by 1.4 percentage points, to a total of 73.6%, according to estimates by BNY Mellon. In the month under review, a rally on international equity markets did not offset a decline in the US markets. Assets in pension funds fell by 0.7% in October, while liabilities, for their part, increased by 1.1%. The discount rate fell by six basis points to 3.72%, for business with an Aa rating.

The Italian asset management firm Banca Generali has reported net inflows in third quarter of EUR174m, compared with EUR65m in the previous quarter, Investment Europe reports. Assets under management totalled EUR1.36bn as of 30 September. The firm, which has recruited 40 asset management professionals in the first nine months of the year, has announced that it is planning to continue to recruit staff in the next few months.

Irving Picard, the court-appointed trustee for the business interests of Bernard Madoff, has announced that he has recuperated or completed agreements to recuperate more than USD9.2bn of the USD17.3bn in principal lost by investors due to the fraud, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Funds People reports that iShares has registered 20 of its ETFs listed in Germany in Spain, bringing its product range on sale in the country to 155 products.Among the new arrivals are 19 physical replication ETFs based on sub-indices of the Stoxx Europe 600, and the twentieth is the UBS Commodity Swap ETF.

On 2 November the CNMV issued a sales license for the guaranteed fund BBVA Plan Rentas 2016, launched on 16 October, a bond product for which the subscriber will receive at maturity (on 27 October 2016) the capital invested in December 2012, plus fifteen quarterly payouts in the meanwhile, of a gross EUR58.20 per EUR10,000 invested, an annual rate of return of 2.302%.CharacteristicsName: BBVA Plan Rentas 2016 D, FIISIN code: ES0133767006Minimal subscription: EUR600Front-end fee: 5% from 27 December 2012 (or before, when assets total EUR20m), and until 26 October 2016Management commission: 0.02% until 26 December 2012, inclusive, then 1.7%Depository banking commission: 0.01% until 26 December 2012, inclusive, then 0.05%

Oddo Asset Management, Alliance Bernstein and Aberdeen Asset Managment have each recently announced the launch of a fund of fund on the Banca Generali platform, Investment Europe reports. The products are now available via the Luxembourg Sicav BG Selection, launched by the Italian firm in 2008. Piermario Motta, CEO of Banca Generali, says that the Sicav is an easy means for an international brand to reach the Italian market. BG Selection has attracted over EUR5bn since its launch. It now includes 46 sub-funds managed by 26 asset management firms, and that number is set to increase. Motta may launch a sub-fund with a small caps specialist.

The Börsen-Zeitung reports that the open-ended real estate fund KanAm grundinvest, which is in the process of liquidation, has succeeded in selling the former headquarters of Deutsche Bank in London to an Asian sovereign wealth fund. The sale took place above the purchase price, but the market value of the asset was not disclosed.The DEGI International fund from Aberdeen, meanwhile, a fund which is also in the process of liquidation, has sold a property in Canada to a local institutional investor, at a price below its most recent expert valuation.

Glenn Carlson will resign from his position as CEO of Brandes Investment Partners on 1 February, according to a letter sent to clients and obtained by MFWire. He will be replaced by Brent Woods, managing director of investments. Glenn Carlson will remain at Brandes as a senior partner and member of the investment supervisory board.

Greg Johnson, chairman and CEO of Franklin Resources, is in acquisition mode, Financial Times Fund Management reports. The goal is to strengthen the alternative management activity of the group, better known by the name Franklin Templeton Investments. Despite recent alternative acquisitions, Greg Johnson says that he would like to “have a more significant presence” at a time when he feels that institutional and retail demand for alternative management is increasing. The director would like to acquire a private equity firm in particular.

On the eve of the US presidential election, the market for invesment grade corporate issues has set records, with an amount never before seen in a single day of USD22.1bn, IFR reports. Among the issues on 5 November are AbbVie, the pharmaceuticals activity from Abbott, for a total of USD14.7bn. In the space of three trading days during the presidential elections, corporate debt issues have totalled USD47.45bn, IFR points out.

As of 30 September, GAMCO Investors had record assets of over USD36.94bn, 3.6% more than USD35.7bn as of the end of June, and 17.95% more than USD31.1bn as of the end of September 2011.In third quarter 2012, CAMCO underwent net redemptions of USD356bn, compared with net subscriptions of USD111m in April-June, and USD899m in the corresponding period of last year.Net profits in July-September 2012 totalled USD19bn, compared with USD15.1bn in second quarter, and USD7.7bn in third quarter 2011. In the first three quarters of the year, net profits totalled USD57.94m, compared with USD45.99m for January-September 2011.

Tony Williams, previously chairman and COO of Artio Global Investors, a US affiliate of Juilus Baer, has been appointed as CEO of the firm. In this position he replaces Richard Pell, who will now concentrate exclusively on investment management. Francis Ledwidge, director of the firm will serve as chairman of the board.

The hedge fund Permian Investment Partners, which has gained some notoriety since its founder, Cara Goldenberg, was invited to lunch by Warren Buffett, has earned returns of 16.2% since the beginning of the year, according to the website Valuewalk. Assets in the fund, which invests primarily in a long/short strategy, total about USD200m. Among the major long positions of Permian are Kroton, Atos SA and Merck.

Agefi reports that a Los Angeles federal judge yesterday issued a provisional ruling blocking the sale of TCW by Société Générale to Carlyle, following a lawsuit filed by the fund EIG Global Energy Partners. The fund claims that it would suffer damages for a common fund with TCW which competes with the product range from Carlyle, the newspaper explains.

In the first nine months of the year, the asset management business line at BNP Paribas posted net redemptions totalling an undisclosed amount. The bank, which is releasing its quarterly results this morning, has simply announced that “Asset Management’s asset inflows into money market and bond funds were more than offset by asset outflows in the other asset classes.” In first half, outflows from the business line already totalled EUR1.9bn, and in 2011, they totalled -EUR35.7bn for the year as a whole.Assets under management in asset management fell to EUR408bn.The other professions in the Investment Solutions unit (wealth management, insurance, and others), to which asset management belongs, have posted net subscriptions. Net asset inflows for the first nine months of the year totalled 0.9 billion euros and were penalised by a client’s (fund manager) decision in the third quarter to insource a distribution contract. Excluding this effect, net asset inflows were +12.2 billion euros for the first nine months of the year. Investment Solutions’ assets under management rose 5.2% compared to 31 December 2011 and 4.1% compared to 30 September 2011, to 886 billion euros (842 billion euros as at 31 December 2011).For the first nine months of the year, Investment Solutions’ revenues moved up 1.9% compared to the first nine months of 2011, the 6.0% drop in Wealth and Asset Management, a result of reduced managed assets in Asset Management, being offset by the 13.3% rise in revenues from Insurance (+5.8% at constant scope and exchange rates) and 5.1% revenue growth from Securities Services. Operating expenses edged up 2.0% compared to the first nine months of 2011, given business development investments in Insurance and Securities Services, but they were down 3.3% at Wealth and Asset Management due to the adjustment of costs to the new environment. The cost/income ratio was thus stable at 69.2% compared to the first nine months of 2011. Pre-tax income was 1,515 million euros, up 14.9%.

Activist investor Nelson Peltz has bought a 1 per cent stake in Danone, worth about EUR300m, according to people familiar with the situation cited by the Financial Times. He is expected today to call for the French food group to cut costs and be more disciplined with its use of cash.He is expected to call for moderate improvements, such as improving operating margins by 100 basis points to 15.1 per cent by 2015 and the return of all excess cash flow in the form of share buybacks.

The former head of Asian bonds at First State Investments, Murray Collis, will join Standish Mellon Asset Management, AsianInvestor has learned. He may be responsible for establishing an Asian product range for the American bond specialist firm.

Last month, the flagship bond fund from Bill Gross, the Pimco Total Return Fund, attracted over USD2.4bn in net subscriptions, beating out the DoubleLine Total Return Bond Fund managed by Jeff Gundlach, which attracted USD1.9bn, Mutual Fund Wire reports.US mutual bond funds have posted net inflows of USD238.27bn in the first ten months of the year, while equity mutual funds have seen net outflows of USD82.97bn, according to statistics published by Reuters.

The German energy market EEX, and its French counterpart Powernext, which are already co-shareholders in the European electricity trading market Epex-Spot, on 6 November announced that they are joining forces to create a pan-European natural gas market, based on a joint IT platform. In detail, EEX and Powernext will remain two distinct gas markets, and will not create a joint affiliate, a joint statement says, but the two groups will both offer their products on a joint Trayport platform, using the same technology used by Powernext since 2004. According to the two groups, the project will be completed in first quarter 2013, pending the necessary regulatory approval.

Since October, Andreas Zöllner has become a member of the management at the Munich-based independent asset management firm Eyb & Wallwitz, along with partners Georg, count of Wallwitz, and Ernst Konrad. He will additionally be responsible for the management of funds and institutional mandates.Previously, Zöllner had spent 11 years as manager of institutional funds for pension funds and foundations at Hauck & Aufhäuser Asset Management.

BlackRock has topped rankings of the 500 largest asset management firms worldwide undertaken by Towers Watson (as of 31 December 2011). Allianz, State Street Global, Vanguard and Fidelity follow it. The top French firm is BNP Paribas, in eighth place, followed by Amundi (12th) and Natixis (15th). Investment Europe has published the full list on its website.

The British Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on 6 November opened a consultation which opens the way for infrastructure investments to double for pension funds of local councils. Investment in infrastructure, currently limited to 15%, may increase to 30%, according to proposals by the DCLG. According to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, the modification to the limit could allow for as much as GBP22bn to be injected into job-creating infrastructure projects.

The Swiss asset management firm Bellevue Asset Management has announced the appointment of Heiko Ulmer as head of distribution in Germany. Bellevue is planning to meet increasing demand for investment products in the areas of “Health/biotechnologies, Africa and Entrepreneur,” the firm, a part of Bellevue Group, says in a statement published on 6 November. Ulmer previously worked for JP Morgan and UBS.

Credit Suisse is tightening its ties with Qatar Holding, one of the largest shareholders in the second-largest Swiss banking group. The two partners are founding Adventicum Capital Management, a joint venture active in institutional management. The firm will be based in Doha, and will commence its activities in early 2013. The new firm plans to offer institutional clients investment opportunities in the Middle East, Turkey and other new markets. Adventicum Capital Management is planning to open a second location outside the region during 2013, Credit Suisse announced on 6 November. The new firm will have a license from the Qatar Financial Centre. The creation of Adventicum represents a major step in the growth of Doha as a financial centre for the region, says Ahmad Al-Sayed, head of Qatar Holding, cited in the statement. With its expertise in institutional management and its experience in emerging markets, Credit Suisse represents the ideal partner, Al-Sayed continues. Adventicum will be led by Aladdin Hangari, director of Credit Suisse Qatar, and Martin Keller, head of the Asset Management activities of Credit Suisse in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Standard Life Investments has announced that Adam Rudd has been appointed as an investment director within the Multi Asset Investment (MAI) team. Adam Rudd, who previously worked for JP Morgan in New York, will be part of a 25 strong team providing analysis, investment recommendations, implementation strategies and management for our range of MAI funds. Adam will report directly to Guy Stern, head of Multi-Asset Fund Management, at Standard Life Investments. Between 2010 and 2012, Adam Rudd was vice-president, equity derivatives strategist, J.P. Morgan, in New York.

Syz & Co has announced the launch of Oyster Global High Dividend, a new sub-fund of its UCITS IV-compliant Luxembourg Sicav Oyster, investing in equities that pay a high dividend worldwide. The sub-fund will be managed by Roberto Magnatantini at SYZ Asset Management, and combined quantitative and fundamental analysis, with a particular emphasis on growth in dividends. “At a time when returns from dividends are often higher than bond returns, this type of strategy is increasingly attractive,” Syz&Co points out. For the moment, Oyster Global High Dividend is limited solely to institutional clients, but may soon be registered in several countries in Europe and Asia to become available to the public, a statement says. CharacteristicsUSD : LU0821216339, management commission 1.50%EUR : LU0821216685, management commission 1.50%CHF : LU0821216768, management commission 1.50%USD D : LU0821216412, management commission 1.50% Institutional share classes I USD : LU0821216842, management commission 0.75%I USD D : LU0821217063, management commission 0.75%I EUR : LU0821217147, management commission 0.75%I CHF : LU0821217220, management commission 0.75%

Baptiste Janiaud, trésorier de Veolia Environnement dans un article paru dans Option Finance numéro 1193 : Sur quels supports placez-vous votre trésorerie? Nous disposons d’environ 4 milliards d’euros de trésorerie, que nous plaçons quasiment pour moitié dans des OPCVM monétaires. L’autre moitié se répartit entre les certificats de dépôts bancaires, à hauteur de 45%, et le solde entre des billets de trésorerie ainsi que des commercial papers étrangers. Cette dernière allocation, conçue comme un outil de diversification, est purement opportuniste. Sa part évolue donc en fonction des entreprises émettrices et des rendements offerts, pour des maturités allant de un à trois mois. Dans un contexte de taux bas, avez-vous modifié votre allocation afin de maximiser le rendement offert? Notre allocation n’a pas changé significativement au cours des derniers mois. Certes, les rendement offerts par les OPCVM monétaires ont diminué de plusieurs dizaines de points de base (pb). Mais cette tendance est avant tout liée à la baisse du taux de référence interbancaire, l’Eonia, qui est passé, depuis janvier, de 0.40% à 0.10 % environ. En effet, les spreads sont, quant à eux, restés stables, quand ils n’ont pas légèrement progressé. Certains OPCVM nous offrent ainsi des rendements à Eonia + 60pb, voire au-delà. Cette situation s’explique notamment par le fait que les gérants ont investi sur des titres de plus longue maturité, afin de bénéficier de taux plus élevés. En outre, ils ont diversifié leurs investissements en sélectionnant des profils dont la qualité de crédit se révèle légèrement inférieure pour obtenir du rendement. Au final, nous nous contentons des rémunérations actuelles, d’autant que nous nous appuyons sur un nombre limité d’OPCVM très liquides - cinq à six fonds, dont l’encours dépasse 5 milliards d’euros - , ce qui nous permet d’en sortir dès que nous le souhaitons. En raison de la concurrence bancaire pour attirer les dépôts, les placements bancaires sont-ils aujourd’hui plus intéressants que les OPCVM? La rémunération des dépôts bancaires est très hétérogène parmi les établissements européen. L'écart de rendement offert peut ainsi varier d’Eonia + 64 pb, soit une différence de 70 pb ! En moyenne, les OPCVM restent néanmoins plus avantageux. Au premier semestre, le rendement moyen de nos différents placements a atteint environ 1 %. Nous continuons toutefois à déposer des liquidités sur des comptes à terme ainsi qu'à souscrire à des certificats de dépôt car cette pratique s’inscrit dans le cadre de notre relation globale avec nos banques historiques. Mais, comme pour les OPCVM, nous choisissons des supports qui nous permettent de récupérer l’argent placé dès que nous le voulons.

Le gouvernement brésilien pourrait exclure jusqu’à 42 milliards de réaux (16 milliards d’euros) de dépenses publiques du calcul de l’excédent budgétaire primaire cette année, a indiqué le ministre des Finances Guido Mantega. Le recours à un ensemble de règles alternatives pour calculer cet indicateur devrait permettre à la présidente Dilma Rousseff de respecter son baromètre de discipline budgétaire.

Selon Bloomberg, le système de trading alternatif a déposé auprès de la Financial Services Authority une demande de licence pour obtenir le statut de plate-forme d’échange enregistrée. Actuellement considérée comme une MTF (Multilateral Trading Facility), la structure entend grâce à cette licence attirer des investisseurs particuliers et des gérants. Cela ferait de Bats Chi-X Europe la troisième place de marché au Royaume-Uni, derrière le LSE et ICAP Securities & Derivatives Exchange (ISDX).

Face à la crise de la zone euro, les institutions redoublent d’efforts pour assurer la pérennité de l’union monétaire. Le moment est venu de vous demander votre avis sur les directives établies pour réglementer le secteur financier.