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19/06/2012

Julius Bär confirms interest in BofA private banking operation

Julius Baer on 19 June confirmed in a statement that it is in talks to acquire the private banking activities of Bank of America (BofA) outside the United States. The division, inherited from the Merrill Lynch investment bank taken over by BofA at the height of the financial crisis, manages USD90bn ina ssets.Due to the early stage of talks, the outcome is still entirely open, the bank says in a statement.According to some sources, UBS, Credit Suisse and Wells Fargo are also said to be interested in the acquisition.
19/06/2012

UBP AM launches dividend fund in Italy

UBP Asset Management, which belongs to Union Bancaire Privée, has launched its new European equity fund, UBAM – Europe Equity Dividend Plus+, a sub-fund of the Luxembourg Sicav UBAM, in Italy, FondiOnline reports.
19/06/2012

Felix Ronner (ex UBS) joins Reuss Private

The independent wealth management firm Reuss Private has announced that Felix B. Ronner, former CEO of UBS, has become a senior partner and head of products at the firm.
19/06/2012

Private investments highly sought after in times of turbulence

Professional investors are increasingly seeking investments in the private market segment, meaning private debt, private equity, direct investment in real estate and investment in infrastructure, the Swiss Funds Association (SFA), the organisation representing the Swiss investment fund and asset management sector, reports. “Currently, volumes in private markets represent, in the private debt segment alone, more than 30% of the approximately EUR160bn invested in third-party capital,” the association reports in a statement published on 18 June.Swiss and German investors are nonetheless increasingly moving into investment portfolios composed of mortgages and corporate debt from top-calibre businesses. According to the SFA, this development is due to the fact that government bonds and investments in financial sector businesses, once considered safe, are increasingly risky.Hans-Jörg Baumann, chairman and CEO of Swiss Capital Alternative Investments, and also president of the commission which includes promoters of alternative investments within the SFA, says that the government bond and financial sector investment segments have the highest growth rates over time periods of more than 10 years, but that they are currently undergoing some re-rating.
19/06/2012

Eaton Vance acquires 49% of HexaVest

The US firm Eaton Vance Corp (USD197.5bn in assets as of the end of April) has announced an acquisition of a 49% stake in the Canadian firm Hexavest Inc (USD9.9bn as of 31 May), based in Montreal, which will continue to be controlled and managed by shareholder employees. The amount of the transaction, which will be completed in cash, has not been disclosed.Hexavest provodes discretionary management of equity and tactical allocation portfolios for some 100 institutional clients in Canada.When the transaction is completed, Eaton Vance will take over development of activities at Hexavest outside Canada. In addition, the US asset management firm is planning to launch a new range of mutual funds on United States and international markets, which will be sub-advised by Hexavest.
19/06/2012

Losses in May for several alternative strategies

Of 13 hedge fund strategies regularly monitored by the Edhec-Risk Institute, 10 saw losses in May, with the heaviest lsoses (5.83%) for funds specialised in emerging markets. However, funds specialised in short-selling earned returns of 7.23%, but they were the only ones, along with emerging markets (-0.4%) to post a loss for the first five months of the year (-5.9%). The largest gains in January-May were for distressed securities (4.6%) and convertible arbitrage (4.2%).
19/06/2012

JP Morgan head plans to launch a hedge fund

Deepak Gulati, currently head of proprietary international equity trading activities at JP Morgan, is planning to leave the group and launch a hedge fund, the news agency Bloomberg reports. According to Bloomberg, Gulati is not expected to launch his project before next year. Gulati is said to be leaving the firm with at least part of his team, which includes 20 traders.
19/06/2012

Chinese AUM to triple

The Chinese fund industry is set to triple in size, to CNY6.8trn by 2015, whereas assets under management have fallen by 30% since 2007, according to Z-Ben Advisors, cited by Financial Times Fund Management. About 40 foreign firms have established joint ventures in the country since 2002, but seven of the nine largest companies in terms of assets continue to be controlled by national groups.
19/06/2012

max.xs recruits three people

The German financial services provider max.xs has announced that it has recruited Christian A. Kratochwil as director of institutional sales. Kratochwil has 13 years of experience in investment banking, largely in financial markets and asset management. He was most recently a partner at IO Capital Partners, in charge of institutional sales, product development, and portfolio management. Dirk Wechmann has also joined max.xs as PR/communications manager; he was previously a public relations consultant for the RedRobin agencies, in charge of Strategic Public Relations and achtung!, and several financial sector budgets.The customer service unit has also been strengthened with the arrival of Romina Jones, previously an assistant at Citigroup and MainFirst.
19/06/2012

Credit Suisse recruits a Wegelin veteran

Sandro Bund, director of institutional sales at the Swiss private bank Wegelin for Germany and Austria, is joining Credit Suisse as director of financial institutions in the asset management unit of Credit Suisse Germany in Frankfurt, Institutional Money reports, relayed by Finews. Bund will report directly to Henning Busch, CEO for asset management at Credit Suisse for Germany and Austria.Before joining Wegelin, Bund was responsible for key accounts in Boston and Munich at State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) from 2001 to 2009.
19/06/2012

MFS develops abroad

At a presentation of its new logo on 18 June, CEO Robert Manning has announced that the US asset management firm MFS Investment Management (USD280bn in assets) is planning to open two new fund management centres, one in Hong Kong, and one in São Paulo, Funds People reports. The firm is also planning to open a sales office in Australia.
19/06/2012

S&P cuts ratings for AllianceBernstein

The ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) on Friday announced that it is lowering the long-term and short-term ratings for AllianceBernstein (USD400bn as of the end of May) to A+ and A-1, respectively, from AA- and A-1+, with a negative outlook.The ratings downgrade is due partly to ongoing net redemptions, which have reduced operating revenues, and on the other hand to distortion of portfolios, with bond assets representing more than half of the total, so that they would be at risk if debt markets were to deteriorate. The negative outlook is due to the disappointing performance of large cap products, which may lead to a continuation of outflows.However, S&P recognizes that the financial risk profile of AllianceBernstein is healthy.
19/06/2012

Trian fund acquires 5.1% stake in Lazard bank

The US investment fund Trian Fund Management on 18 June announced that it has amassed a stake of about 5.1% in the French-American bank Lazard, to become one of the bank’s largest shareholders. Trian, which has acquired 6.3 million ordinary shares in Lazard, claims in a statement that the bank is a top-calibre global financial services business with a high-value brand. The Lazard model, based on commissions, is positioned to naturally profit from long-term financial market trends. Trian supports the new strategic plan at Lazard, unveiled on 27 April, which focuses on increasing margins, and estimates that Lazard shares are significantly undervalued.
19/06/2012

KKR acquires Prisma Capital Partners

Agefi reports that the private equity firm KKR is acquiring the fund of hedge fund management firm Prisma Capital Partners, for an undisclosed amount. Prisma CP, founded by three partners from Goldman Sachs, has USD7.8bn in assets under management, 90% of them institutional. The acquisition is a symptom of a larger desire on the part of private equity firms to diversify their activities, the newspaper remarks.
19/06/2012

Swedish asset management firms count cost of funds

Several Swedish asset management firms have decided to calculate the “Normanbeloppet,” or the cost of a fund in Swedish crowns for an investor who saves SEK1,000 per month for ten years, Dagens Industri reports. Amf Fonder, Folksam LO Fond, Handelsbanken Fonder, Nordea Fonder, SEB Fonder and Skandia Fonder have done so. However, East Capital Asset Management and Carnegie Fonder have no plans to do so. The “Normanbeloppet” is intended to provide some transparency about the cost of a fund, and to allow comparison. But many asset management firms think the figure is unuseful and tends to confuse matters.
19/06/2012

Man appoints a new CFO

Kevin Hayes, who joined Man Group plc as finance director in 2007, is leaving the company to pursue other professional and personal interests. Jonathan Sorrell, currently Man’s head of strategy and corporate finance, is taking over as finance director with immediate effect.
19/06/2012

TCI calls for conversion of Lloyds cocos

The Children’s Investment Fund has called on regulators to require Lloyds Banking Group to strengthen the bank’s capital reserves, the Financial Times reports. The fund’s CEO, Christopher Hohn, has written to the British Financial Services Authority to call on it to require Lloyds to replace GBP10bn in coco bonds with ordinary shares.
19/06/2012

LRI Invest launches a securitisation platform

The Luxembourg firm LRI Invest has announced that in June it opened a securitisation platform via LRI Invest SA and LRI Invest Issuance SA. The objective is to offer originators and investors custom solutions for fully structured products, which carry no issuer risks. LRI Invest is in a position to combine these new services with a Luxembourg special investment fund (SIF) formula, CEO Markus Kierke says.LRI Invest has 90 employees, and manages or administers 230 funds with total assets of EUR8bn.
18/06/2012

L’UE songerait à doubler la durée de ses prêts à l'Irlande

Les créanciers internationaux de l’Irlande songent à porter de 15 à 30 ans la durée moyenne d’une partie des 85 milliards d’euros de prêts consentis à la République d’Irlande, a rapporté la chaîne de télévision publique RTE, citant des sources proches des créanciers. La prolongation ne concernerait que les fonds prêtés par l’Union européenne, précise RTE, et pas ceux alloués par le FMI. Une telle décision aurait pour objectif de faciliter le retour de l’Irlande sur les marchés du financement à long terme avant que le plan d’aide ne soit épuisé, fin 2013. Un tel projet a toutefois été démenti par un porte-parole du président de la Commission européenne.
18/06/2012

David Cameron appelle les banques centrales à l'action

«Nous ne pouvons nous permettre de laisser les banques centrales de la planète rester dans l’expectative si nous voulons atteindre la croissance dont nous avons besoin», devait déclarer le Premier ministre britannique David Cameron devant les dirigeants du G20. Et le locataire du 10 Downing Street d’ajouter : «il est de plus en plus évident que le cœur de la zone euro, la Banque centrale européenne comprise, doit faire davantage pour soutenir la demande et partager le fardeau de l’ajustement».
18/06/2012

L'indice NAHB au plus haut depuis cinq ans

Le moral des promoteurs immobiliers aux Etats-Unis s’est amélioré en juin pour atteindre son plus haut niveau depuis cinq ans, montre l’enquête mensuelle de la fédération professionnelle NAHB. L’indice NAHB/Wells Fargo du sentiment des promoteurs a progressé d’un point à 29, son plus haut niveau depuis mai 2007, alors que les économistes interrogés par Reuters l’attendaient inchangé à 28, un signe supplémentaire suggérant que le marché immobilier américain connaît une lente reprise.
18/06/2012

L’IIF plaide pour une approche spécifique de la finance parallèle

Dans un rapport dont la publication coïncide avec le G20 au Mexique, l’Institute of International Finance (IIF), un lobby bancaire, estime que «l’industrie et les régulateurs devraient adopter une approche proportionnée, activité par activité, face aux activités non bancaires qui présentent des risques spécifiques pour les investisseurs, la stabilité financière ou l’économie au sens large, tout en cherchant à préserver les bénéfices que la finance non-bancaire peut apporter».
18/06/2012

Le G20 assure que l’Europe «fera le nécessaire»

L’Europe s’accordera pour prendre «toutes les mesures politiques nécessaires» afin d’assurer la stabilité et l’intégrité de la zone euro, a confié à Reuters une source du G20 citant un projet de communiqué préparé pour le sommet des chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement du groupe. Le texte appelle les pays de la zone euro à trouver les moyens de briser la «boucle» qui lie pour l’instant les Etats souverains et les banques. Le G 20 entame ce lundi une réunion de deux jours à Los Cabos, au Mexique.
18/06/2012

Jörg Asmussen juge prématuré un retrait des soutiens de la BCE

Au vu des tensions sur les marchés financiers, il est encore trop tôt pour que la Banque centrale européenne retire les mesures d’urgence adoptées ces dernières années pour soutenir le crédit et l'économie, a déclaré Jörg Asmussen, l’un des membres du directoire de l’institut d’émission. Il s’est en outre prononcé au cours d’un débat organisé par les Verts allemands contre le fait d’accorder davantage de temps à la Grèce pour remplir ses objectifs, estimant qu’un tel sursis ne ferait qu’accroître le poids de la dette.
18/06/2012

Fitch prend acte du risque réduit de sortie de la Grèce de l'euro

L’agence de notation a constaté que la courte victoire du parti Nouvelle Démocratie, favorable aux mesures d’ajustement budgétaire, lors des législatives grecques de dimanche se traduisait par une diminution du risque de défaut désordonné d’Athènes sur sa dette et de sortie du pays de la zone euro. «La pression baissière sur les situations de crédit et les notes souveraines des Etats souverains de la zone euro augmentera tant qu’une voie crédible vers une union plus étroite et une réponse politique plus cohérente et plus unie n’existera pas», ajoute toutefois l’agence. «Cela implique un renforcement supplémentaire des pare-feu financiers contre la contagion». De son côté, Angela Merkel a dit ne pas pouvoir accepter le moindre assouplissement des engagements grecs en matière de réformes.
18/06/2012

L'Inde surprend en n'abaissant pas les taux

La banque centrale indienne n’a modifié ni ses taux directeurs ni le coefficient des réserves obligatoires lundi, affirmant que détendre la politique monétaire pourrait aggraver la situation sur le front de l’inflation. Elle a ce faisant surpris les marchés qui anticipaient une baisse des taux. Le taux d’intervention de la Banque de Réserve (BRI) reste ainsi à 8% et le ratio des réserves obligatoires à 4,75%. Fitch Ratings a annoncé lundi avoir abaissé de stable à négative la perspective sur la note «BBB-" de l’Inde, expliquant sa décision par le risque de voir le potentiel de croissance du pays se détériorer si d’autres réformes structurelles ne sont pas mises en places.
18/06/2012

L'UE prépare une émission à 10-15 ans

L’Union européenne doit contacter des banques cette semaine pour sa prochaine émission obligataire, a annoncé IFR, un service de Thomson Reuters. Ce dernier cite des sources bancaires en discussion avec l'émetteur. L’UE envisage une émission de deux à 2,5 milliards d’euros, avec une échéance de 10 à 15 ans, qu’elle espère placer avant la fin juillet en fonction des conditions du marché. Le produit de l'émission financera des paiements à l’Irlande.
18/06/2012

Axa Private Equity lève un fonds record pour le secondaire

Axa PE a bouclé à hauteur de 7,1 milliards de dollars son fonds dédié aux rachats des parts de fonds de private equity. Lancé fin 2010 sur ce « marché de l’occasion » porté par les cessions bancaires et réorganisations de portefeuilles, Axa Secondary Fund V devient ainsi le plus gros fonds jamais levé pour cette activité devant Lexington Capital Partners VII (7 milliards) et GS Vintage Fund V (5 milliards) selon le cabinet spécialisé Preqin.
18/06/2012

Nouvelle démission chez Man Group

Man Group, le premier fonds alternatif mondial coté, a annoncé le départ surprise de son directeur financier, qui est ainsi le deuxième haut responsable à quitter le groupe en une semaine. Kevin Hayes sera remplacé par Jonathan Sorrell, fils de Martin Sorrell, le directeur général du publicitaire WPP. Ce départ est annoncé le jour même où le titre Man est retiré du Footsie 100, après avoir plongé de 70% en raison notamment des mauvaises performances du fonds AHL, qui représente 70% de ses revenus.

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