L’américain BlackRock vient de recruter une équipe de sept gérants issus de BNP Paribas Investment Partners spécialisés sur la dette émergente, rapporte Money Marketing.Le chief investment officer de l’obligataire émergent chez BNP Paribas IP, Sergio Trigo Paz, devrait prendre la direction de l'équipe dédiée à la dette émergente chez BlackRock à Londres. Les autres membres de l'équipe sont Raphael Marechal, Chris Kelly, Laurent Develay, Michel Aubenas, Jane Yu ainsi qu’Ernesto Bettoni. Ils devraient tous prendre leurs fonctions durant l'été.Sergio Trigo Paz pilotait la gestion de 3,8 milliards de livres d’actifs de dette émergente chez BNP Paribas IP. L'équipe dette émergente de BlackRock gère actuellement quelque 2,6 milliards de livres dans des fonds d’obligations émergentes domiciliés au Luxembourg.
La banque RBC a conclu mardi 3 avril un accord avec Dexia en vue d’acquérir la participation de 50 % de Dexia dans RBC Dexia Investor Services (RBC Dexia IS), a indiqué l'établissement dans un communiqué. Cette transaction qui devrait être conclue d’ici mi-2012 est soumise aux autorisations réglementaires.
Le 3 avril, iShares (BlackRock) a lancé sur BATS les ETF iShares Emerging Markets High Yield Bond Fund (acronyme : EMHY) et iShares Global ex USD High Yield Corporate Bond Fund (HYXU) qui seront suivis le 5 avril des fonds iShares Global High Yield Corporate Bond Fund (GHYG) et iShares Morningstar Multi-Asset Income Index Fund (IYLD).Les trois premiers sont des fonds de haut rendement et le dernier un ETF d’ETF iShares.Le iShares Emerging Markets High Yield Bond Fund est chargé à 0,65 % tandis que le iShares Global ex USD High Yield Corporate Bond Fund affiche un TFE de 0,55 %.
La société Immobilière Dassault, cotée sur le Compartiment C de NYSE Euronext Paris (*) a annoncé qu’à compter du 5 avril 2012, son titre passera à un mode de cotation en continu. «Cette annonce fait suite à la décision de NYSE Euronext du 3 avril 2012, qui a entériné le changement de catégorie de cotation des titres d’Immobilière Dassault sur le Compartiment C de NYSE Euronext Paris», précise un communiqué.A compter du 5 avril 2012, à 9h, la cotation d’Immobilière Dassault sera transférée de la catégorie de cotation fixing à la cotation continue de 9h à 17h30, avec une phase préalable d’accumulation des ordres ouverte dès 7h15. Ce changement de méthode de cotation offrira une meilleure liquidité aux actionnaires.La Société annonce également qu’elle a décidé de porter de 160.000 euros à 240.000 euros le montant affecté au contrat de liquidité de son titre.(*) Code ISIN : FR0000033243
Le capital-investisseur «middle market» Bowmark Capital a vendu Data Explorer, un fournisseur de données mondiales sur le prêt de titres fondé en 2002, à l’agence d’information financière Markit, annonce cette dernière.Le montant de la transaction n’a pas été divulgué.Les bases de Data Explorers couvrent 12.000 milliards de dollars de valeurs dans les programmes de prêts de titre de plus de 20.000 fonds institutionnels. En combinant les données de Data Explorers avec des produits et services, Markit pourra lancer de nouvelles offres permettant à ses clients d’optimiser leur utilisation du collatéral. De plus, Markit compte développer des produits pour les intervenants sur le marché actions dans les domaines des ETF, des prévisions de dividendes et de la recherche quantitative.
L’Agefi rapporte que la banque allemande vendra sans doute sa filiale de gestion d’actifs au fonds américain Guggenheim Partners pour 1,5 à 1,6 milliard d’euros, qui cite Reuters et deux personnes proches du dossier. Les actifs vendus représentent plus de 400 milliards d’euros de valeur et emploient 1.500 personnes.
A compter du deuxième quadrimestre 2012, DekaBank, soucieux de regagner au moins une partie du terrain perdu (lire par ailleurs), propose aux particuliers Deka-BasisAnlage qui allie une gestion patrimoniale profilée en unités de compte avec une grande facilité d’utilisation et des minima de souscription faibles. Le produit Deka-BasisAnlage A20 sera exposé jusqu'à 20 % des fonds d’actions, le A40, jusqu'à 40 %, le A60, jusqu'à 60 et le VL, de 60 à 100 %. L’univers couvre environ 1.000 fonds d’investissement (actions, obligations et monétaires)Pour les trois premières variantes, le gestionnaire central des caisses d'épargne vise sur un horizon défini à l’avance au moins la préservation du capital hors droit d’entrée, à 4 ans pour le A20, 6 ans pour le A40 et 8 ans pour le A60. Pour le VL, il n’est pas prévu de préservation du capital. Le système comporte un effet de cliquet qui pérennise les plus hauts niveaux atteints par chaque portefeuille quelle que soit la date d’entrée. Ces différents produits sont accessibles sous forme de plan d'épargne à partir de 25 euros mensuels ou avec un versement unique initial de 50 euros. Les droits d’entrée sont fonction de la proportion de fonds d’actions, à savoir 2 % pour la variante A20, 3 % pour la A40, 4 % pour la A60 et 5 % pour la formule VL avec des commissions de gestion de 0,50 % (A20), 0,60 % (A40), 0,75 % (A60 et 0,90 % (VL). Toutes les versions comportent un forfait de frais de 0,10 %.
Le Handelsblatt rapporte que selon plusieurs sources proches du dossier citées par Reuters, Guggenheim Partners et la Deutsche Bank sont désormais très proches d’un accord sur la vente de la totalité de la gestion d’actifs (hors DWS Europe et Asie) de la seconde au premier pour un montant plus proche de 1,5 milliard d’euros que de 2 milliards, probablement 1,6 milliard.Il reste à finaliser les modalités juridiques de séparation et à boucler le financement pour le rachat de ce pôle de 400 milliards d’euros d’encours, et il semble que la Deutsche Bank s’engagera à verser un dédommagement à l’acquéreur si les recettes prévues ne sont pas au rendez-vous.Quant à Kevin Parker, le patron de la division, qui va quitter la Deutsche Bank en juin, il a eu une part déterminante dans les négociations et espère bien être repris par Guggenheim.
The Swiss Sarasin group has recruited Timon Tam Hang, from China Construction Bank, as head of investment consulting for North Asia. Sarasin has also recruited five relationship managers for Greater China, including three from Clariden Leu, one from UBS and one from Deutsche Bank PWM. Other recruitments are planned in the next few weeks. Sarasin is hoping to compensate for the loss of a team of eight client representatives who moved to Julius Baer.
The British asset management firm M&G has promoted Randeep Somel to the position of co-manager of the Managed Growth Fund, whose assets under management total GBP1.2bn, Investment Week reports.Somel, who had previously been deputy manager of the Managed Growth fund, will manage the fund alongside Graham French, who has managed the fund since 1996. Somel has been employed at M&G since 2005.
China has virtually tripled the amount that foreign firms may invest in capital markets, the Financial Times reports. The Chinese regulator announced on Tuesday that managers of international funds would be allowed to invest a cumulative total of USD80bn on Chinese capital markets, up from USD30bn previously, under the qualified foreign institutional investor (QFII) programme. China has also increased the total amount of renminbi which foreign investors are allowed to raise in Hong Kong for investments in mainland China to RNB70bn.
Standard Life Investments announced on April 3 that it has registered its SICAV range of funds in Switzerland. This allows Swiss investors to access the GARS SICAV (Global Absolute Return Strategies), European Corporate Bond SICAV, Global Inflation-Linked Bond SICAV, Global High Yield Bond SICAV and other Standard Life Investments funds.The new registration widens the Standard Life Investments distribution footprint in the European markets. Standard Life Investments’ SICAV funds already have public distribution status in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, the UK and Spain. It also distributed in Hong Kong. Toby Rockingham, investment director for Europe, said:"In recent months we have seen growing interest in Switzerland for multi-asset investment solutions, as volatility is of increasing concern. (...)». «Much of our SICAV range, which demonstrates expertise across equities, bonds and real estate, should appeal to Swiss retail and institutional investors, intermediaries and platform providers alike (…)», he adds.
Handelsblatt reports that, according to several sources familiar with the matter cited by Reuters, Guggenheim Partners and Deutsche Bank are new very close to an agreement to sell all asset management activities (excluding DWS in Europe and Asia) from Deutsche Bank to Guggenheim for an estimated total nearer to EUR1.5bn than to EUR2bn.The legal terms of the separation need to be ironed out, and financing needs to be finalised for the acquisition of the unit, with EUR400bn in assets. It appears that Deutsche Bank will agree to make payments to the buyer if revenues are not as high as expected.Kevin Parker, head of the division, who will be leaving Deutsche Bank in June, has had a determining role in the negotiations, and is hoping to be kept on by Guggenheim after the acquisition.
Agefi reports that the private equity firm Carlyle (USD147bn in assets under management) may float 10% of its capital at its upcoming initial public offering, a regulatory document submitted yesterday indicates. Carlyle has been announcing that the IPO will run to USD100m.
The French financial market authority (AMF) on 3 April announced that Parvus Asset Management has acquired a 16.58% stake in the capital and voting rights of Havas.Parvus Asset Management states, however, that it has no plans to take full control of Havas. The firm no longer works in collaboration with other actors, and is not planning to seek a seat on the board of directors of Havas.
The middle market private equity investor Bowmark Capital has sold Data Explorers, a provider of global data on securities lending founded in 2002, to the financial information agency Markit, the latter has announced.The sale price has not been disclosed.Data Explorers databases cover USD12trn in shares in securities lending programmes by more than 20,000 institutional funds.Combining the Data Explorers data with the products and services of Markit will open the way to new offerings which will allow clients to optimise their use of collateral. In addition, Markit is planning to develop products for participants on equity markets in the areas of ETFs, dividend forecasting and quantitative research.
The investor confidence index calculated by John Hancock Financial Services has risen 21 points in first quarter, falling an incrase of 15 points in fourth quarter 2011, for the largest increase since the launch of the index at the start of 2011.More than half of investors are optimistic about equities (56%) and diversified funds (54%). However, opinion is divided on bonds and negative on short-term products.
DekaBank, which has recently been decapitated as the chairman of its board, Franz S. Waas, was dismissed on 2 April, has posted an “economic profit” (pre-tax profit by IFRS accounting standards, plus the results of a valuation of financial instruments) in free-fall in 2011, down 58.6% to EUR383.1m, and net redemptions of EUR5.861bn, compared with net subscriptions of EUR908m, Oliver Behrens, interim chairman of the board, has announced.Real estate funds had net subscriptions of EUR965m (and EUR650m in first quarter 2012), while securities funds saw net outflows of EUR6.8bn, compared with EUR793m in 2010.The central asset management firm for the German savings bank is planning to react to these outflows from its open-ended funds firstly by accelerating its Vermögenskonzept structured products programme, which has already attracted EUR870m in assets since 2007, and secondly by extending its custom product ranges, with the help of the savings banks network, which now controls all of the capital in Deka, previously 50% owned by the Landesbanken.
Lazard Asset Management has released the Lazard Global Fixed Income Portfolio. The fund, dedicated to retail and institutional investors, is managed by Yvette Klevan and Jared Daniels. The portfolio of the product is invested in global bonds, with cautious exposure to currencies.
With the International High Yield Bond ETF (acronym IHY), Market Vectors ETF Trust (Van Eck) claims to have launched the first ETF available in the United States to be focused on international (non-US) high yield bonds. The fund aims to replicate the performance of the BofA Merrill Lynch Global Ex-US Issuers High Yield Constrained Index (HXUS) as nearly as possible before fees. The index covers bonds which are not in the investment grade, issued by businesses domiciled outside the United States. But these bonds may be denominated in major currencies (euros, US dollars, Canadian dollars and pounds Sterling). As of 27 March, the index included 1,008 issues from 546 companies in 69 countries (33% of this emerging market debt).In addition to delivering a yield to worst of 8.3%, these securities performed 1.2 percentage points better than those of US high yield bonds in the BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Master II index.The new fund, which is the 46th ETF of the Market Vectors brand, has a TER capped to 0.40% until at least 1 September 2013.
On 3 April, iShares (BlackRock) launched the iShares Emerging Markets High Yield Bond Fund ETF (acronym: EMHY) and the iShares Global ex USD High Yield Corporate Bond Fund (HYXU) on BATS. These funds will be followed on 5 April by the iShares Global High Yield Corporate Bond Fund (GHYG) and iShares Morningstar Multi-Asset Income Index Fund (IYLD).The first three products are high yield funds, while the last is an ETF of iShares ETFs.The iShares Emerging Markets High Yield Bond Fund charges 0.65%, while the iShares Global ex USD High Yield Corporate Bond Fund has a TER of 0.55%.
The additional retirement institution for public sector employees (ERAFP) has announced the appointment by decree of the president of the Republic of France, as declared in the official journal of 22 March 2012, of Philippe Soubirous as vice president of the ERAFP, which he has directed since 2009.Soubirous, also the federal secretary of the general workers union FGF FO, in charge of retirement issues for public employees, has a degree in public law from the University of Paris XI.Soubirous is a specialist in public pensions, sits on the retirement steering council, and is a member of the board of directors at Préfon (national retirement planning entity for public employees, where he served as vice president and president from 2008-2011).
The British hedge fund management firm Lewis Chester and its Pentagon Capital Management company have been fined a total of USD92.8m by a court finding in favour of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which accused the firms of market abuse, the Financial Times reports. This is the largest fine ever imposed by the US regulator on a foreign firm. Lewis Chester and Pentagon are accused of profiting from late trading.
From May, 2012, DekaBank, seeking to win back at least some of the ground it has lost (see article in today’s Newsmanagers), is offering retail clients of Deka-BasisAnlage a combination of profiled unit-linked wealth management with ease of use and minimal subscription fees. The Deka-BasisAnlage A20 product will be 20% invested in equity funds, while the A40 will invest up to 40% in equities, the A60 up to 60%, and the VL, 60% to 100%. The universe includes about 1,000 investment funds (equities, bonds and money markets).For the first three variants, the central asset management firm for the German savings banks is aiming for capital preservation over a pre-defined horizon excluding front-end fees, with 4 years for the A20, 6 years for the A40 and 8 years for the A60. For the VL fund, there is no guarantee of capital preservation. The system includes a high watermark which retains the highest levels reached by each portfolio, regardless of the date of subscription.The various products are available in the form of savings plans from EUR25 per month, or with a single initial payment of EUR50.Front-end fees depend on the proportion of the fund invested in equities, with 2% for the A20 version, 3% for the A40, 4% for the A60 and 5% for the VL version, with management commissions of 0.50% (a20), 0.60% (A40), 0.75% (A60) and 0.90% (VL). All versions charge a fee of 0.10%.
The US management firm Wellington Management in January released a UCITS-compliant long/short fund of government bonds, the Government Relative Value Portfolio. The German-registered product invests in US, European, Japanese, Canadian and Australian securities, with the objective of identifying market inefficiencies. Long and short positions are achieved with futures.Wellington is aiming for 5-7 percentage points of outperformance exceeding the Eonia, with long-term volatility of 5-7%. The currency of reference for the product is the euro.CharacteristicsName: Government Relative Value PortfolioISIN code: DE000A1JE550TER: 0.64%Outperformance commission: 20%, with high watermarkHurdle rate: Eonia (cap: 4%)
Since 3 April, the specialist segment of the Deutsche Börse has listed 12 new German-registered ETC funds from Commerzbank, with total expense ratios of 0.40% to 0.60%. The products are based on platinum, palladium and gas oil, in long and short versions, and a version of each fund with leverage of 2. The new ETCs bring the number of ETCs listed in Frankfurt to 276.
The US firm BlackRock has received a sales license for Germany for two new long/short sub-funds, known as 130/30 funds, from its Luxembourg Sicav BlackRock Strategic Fund (BSF), the Asia Extension Fund and the Emerging Markets Extension Fund (see Newsmanagers of 29 March).
The US firm BlackRock has recruited a team of seven managers from BNP Paribas Investment Partners, specialised in emerging market debt, Money Marketing reports. The chief investment officer for emerging market bonds at BNP Paribas IP, Sergio Trigo Paz, will become director of the team dedicated to emerging market debt at BlackRock in London. The other members of the team are Raphael Marechal, Chris Kelly, Laurent Develay, Michel Aubenas, Jane Yu and Ernesto Bettoni. They will all begin in their new positions this summer. Paz had been manager of GBP3.8bn in emerging market assets at BNP Paribas IP. The emerging markets team at BlackRock currently manages about GBP2.6bn in its Luxembourg-domiciled emerging market bond funds.
The CEO of the British asset management firm Aberdeen Asset Management, Martin Gilbert, reportedly wants Katherine Garrett-Cox, manager of the Alliance Trust, whose assets under management of GBP2.1bn, being dropped in favour of Aberdeen, Investment Week reports, citing information in the Telegraph newspaper.Aberdeen cites its track record in management of trusts, and adds that putting the trust in the hands of Aberdeen would also be a good occasion to reduce its total expense ratio, currently 0.98%.
The asset management firm for Danish pension funds PKA has founded a firm dedicated to investment in private equity, infrastructure, forestry and agriculture, the firm has announced in a statement. Over three years, the new affiliate, entitled PKA Alternative Investment Partners, will aim to invest DKK12bn, or about EUR1.6bn. The new business is created as of 1 April. Among its partners are Jens Henrik Staugaard Johansen, Anders Dalhoff and portfolio manager Christian Drews-Olesen. As of the end of 2012, the firm will have 5 to 6 employees.