Open-ended funds sold in Italy have seen net outflows in October of EUR5.125bn, following outflows of EUR4.732bn in September, according to the most recent statistics from Assogestioni, the Italian association of asset managers. Since the beginning of the year, redemptions have totalled EUR18.516bn, bringing assets in open-ended funds to EUR431.658bn. In October, all categories of funds are in the red, but outflows have been particularly heavy from money market funds (-EUR2.059bn), and bond funds (-EUR1.763bn). In terms of fund domicile, Italian-registered products have seen the heaviest redemptions (-EUR3.197bn), while foreign-registered funds have lost EUR1.928bn. With the addition of closed funds and discretionary management, the Italian asset management industry has seen net outflows in October of EUR5.799bn, and assets totalled EUR958.300bn. In terms of asset management firms, Credit Suisse has done well, with net inflows of EUR119.8m, followed by Azimut (EUR112m) and Axa (EUR68.7m). At the other end of the spectrum, Pioneer has once again set a monthly outflow record, with EUR1.784bn, followed by Intesa Sanpaolo (EUR1.6bn) and AM Holding (EUR666.5m).

The New York firm Business Capital Investors (BCI), which had promised annual returns of 15.5%, is suspected of funneling USD100m in a Ponzi scheme from 4,000 victims into a vast network of international accounts in Germany, Switzerland, Lithuania, Spain and Canada, Fondsprofessionell reports. Three German citizens have been arrested.

A study by the Kommalpha agency of 150 decision-makers at institutional investors about the image of depository banks and asset management firms in terms of their perceived availability to clients, flexibility, and characteristics of expertise in their core professions, has found that 74% of respondents see image and brand as an important element in the selection of providers. The full results of the study will be made available in forst quarter 2012, Clemens Schuerhoff, a managing board member at Kommalpha, has told Newsmanagers.Dirk Bedarz, another board member at Kommalpha, points out that the first overall result is all the more important as depository banks and asset management firms, for their part, tend to strongly underestimate the importance of their image in winning over new clients.

Since 29 November, the XTF segment of the Xetra electronic trading platform lists 898 ETF funds, as Amundi has added four more French-registered equity products to trading.The new funds are the Amundi ETF MSCI Spain (FR0010655746), which charges 0.25%, the Amundi ETF MSCI World (FR0010756098), which charges 0.38%, and two ETFs for which the commission is set at 0.45%, the Amundi ETF MSCI EM Latin America (FR0011020973) and Amundi ETF MSCI EM Asia (FR0011020965).

In a SEC filing (form N1-A), Legg Mason ETF Trust has announced plans to launch the Legg Mason Western Asset Ultra-Short Duration ETF “as soon as possible.” The product will be a short-duration, actively-managed bond ETF fund. Fees for the product, which will be “sub-advised” by the firm’s affiliate Western Asset Management (Wamco) have not yet been set. The managers are Martin Hanley, Kevin Kennedy and Stephen Walsh. In normal conditions, the filing states, the effective duration of the portfolio will be at most one year.

La Française AM and Energy Funds Advisors have teamed up to launch LFP EFA Vision Pétrole, a French-registered, UCITS IV-compliant fund, in the diversified category, which aims to benefit from the geological rarity, delay in developing substitute products, and continuing growth in demand for oil.La Française AM will rely on the expertise of the financial investment advising firm Energy Funds Advisors (EFA), whose two founders have complementary experience as energy market specialists: Luca Baccarini, an expert at Energy trading, is former deputy CEO of Gaselys, and Olivier Rech, an energy economist, formerly of the French oil institute and the International energy institute.The fund will be diversified, and will invest in equities, currencies, bonds, and money market instruments, as well as instruments backed by commodities.CharacteristicsISIN code: FR0011091891Management fee: 1.70% (T.T.C.) maximumOutperformance commission: 20% (T.T.C.) on performance exceeding the benchmarkFront-end fee: 4% (not paid to fund)Withdrawal penalty: NoneSubscribers targeted: All investors, particularly institutionalsMinimal initial subscription: EUR150,000Benchmark index: MSCI World Index (net dividends reinvested) denominated in eurosCurrency: EuroValuation periodicity: Weekly (Thursdays)

According to a study by the strategy consultant Booz, withdrawals of money and taxes paid by Swiss banks in the next two years due to tax agreements with Germany and the United Kingdom will represent about CHF47bn, Handelsblatt reports.Of the USD2.05trn in assets deposited in Switzerland by foreigners at the end of 2010, CHF60bn was from the United Kingdom and CHF210bn from Germany. Booz finds that about 60% of this money had not been declared to the tax authorities, and the 35 specialists surveyed by the agency estimate that 25% to 30% of that amount will be withdrawn from Switzerland, which will lead to a fall in revenues of CHF600m for banks.The owners of sums declared to the tax authorities may ask banks to lower fees. That may lead to a further gap for Swiss banks to make up of CHF500m, from 2013.

In third quarter, UCITS-compliant funds have posted a net outflow of EUR83bn, compared with net inflows of EUR18bn in second quarter, according to statistics from the European financial and asset management association (EFAMA). For the first time since the outbreak of the sovereign debt crisis in second quarter 2010, UCITS funds have seen redemptions.Long-term UCITS funds, i.e. all funds except money market funds, finished the quarter with a net outflow of EUR78bn, a level not seen since first quarter 2009. Equity funds in particular have seen a net outflow of EUR43bn, compared with a net outflow of EUR8bn in second quarter. Bond funds have posted a net outflow of EUR22bn, following a net inflow of EUR10bn one quarter earlier. Diversified funds have seen a net outflow of EUR15bn, following a net inflow of EUR23bn in second quarter.Money market funds have also seen an outflow of EUR5bn in third quarter, compared with EUR30bn in second quarter.AUM in UCITS funds were down 7.1% in Q3, to EUR5.472trn as of the end of September. Taking into account non-UCITS-compliant funds, total net assets were down 5.4% in third quarter, to EUR7.667trn. Assets totalled EUR7.154trn as of the end of 2009, and EUR8.142trn as of the end of 2010.Despite events since March 2011, the earthquake in Japan, the Arab spring, and the sovereign debt crisis in the euro zone, “the asset management sector still manages EUR1.7trn more than in March 2009. This figure allows us to put developments since the beginning of the year in perspective. Which doesn’t mean that we are not worried,” says the president of EFAMA, Claude Kremer, in a statement. “It is now clear that the crisis which broke out in 2007 will have a much more marked impact on our economies than we would have thought even a few months ago. In the meanwhile, our sector of activity should remain mobilised to play a central role in the return of consumer confidence,” Kremer adds.

The Hedge Fund Association has announced the opening of a chapter dedicated to Southern Europe. The office will be led by José Castellano, managing director of Pioneer Investments, and will aim to represent and promote hedge funds domiciled in Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Eurekahedge reports that 406 hedge funds are based in Switzerland, Italy and Spain, with a total of over USD68.3bn in assets. HFA opened its first European office in London in September 2010.

Pour 33 millions de dollars en actions, BNY Mellon acquiert Penson Financial Services Australia Pty Ltd (PFSA), qui deviendra filiale de sa boutique Pershing. La transaction devrait être bouclée avant la fin de l’année.PFSA est une société de compensation qui propose des services d’exécution et de compensation ainsi que le traitement des transactions sur les actions cotées locallement ainsi que pour les options traitées en Bourse.

Schroders will next month launch an onshore version of its Luxembourg-domiciled US equity alpha fund, Money Marketing reports.The fund, whose launch is slated for 14 December, will bring together the best ideas from the team dedicated to US large caps, led by Joanna Shatney.The fund, which will start with capital of GBP5m, will invest in 20 to 30 positions on companies with a market capitalisation of at least GBP1bn. It may have a cash allocation of up to 15%.The fund has a performance objective of 3.5% after commissions. Commissions are 1.5% per year, with a total expense ratio of 1.75% at most. The minimal investment is GBP1,000.

The British asset management firm Brooks Macdonald Asset Management has recruited the former star manager from New Star, Toby Thompson, as chief investment officer, Money Marketing reports. Over his career, Thompson has managed funds at Newington and Eagle Star Investment Managers.

“Sometimes, I wonder what the point of my ratings is,” admits Valéry Lucas-Leclin, a senior SRI analyst at BofA Merrill Lynch in London, at a conference organized by Novethic on extra-financial ratings and measurement of ESG (environmental, social and governance) risks. “Even the best ESG analysis can’t predict a crash on the stock market,” he adds.Making a comparison with financial research, Lucas-Leclin notes that equity analysts establish recommendations based on the financial valuation of a share in 12 months’ time, while credit analysts calculate the likelihood of a default in the next 5 years. “These are two predictive and verifiable professions,” he says.For extra-financial analysis, things are more blurry: “Do we want to create a sort of standard by saying that companies shouldn’t behave in this or that way, or predict something?” he asks.Participating in the same round table, Nicole Notat observes that a growing number of investors want to use SRI as a way to control risks. But that process rarely results in a monetisation of risks.Notat points out that ratings by extra-financial ratings are used by investors to forge their own opinions. “We hope that we will never get to the point of what happens to financial ratings agencies, where the rating of a share is a sign to buy or sell,” says Notat.

Marie-Anne van den Berg, chairman of the managing board at LBBW Luxembourg, has been appointed as a managing board member at Hauck & Aufhäuser Banquiers Luxembourg. She joins Michael O. Bentlage and Bernd Sinnwell on the managing board of the wholly-owned subsidiary of Hauck & Aufhäuser Privatbankiers KgaA.On Tuesday evening, the website of the Luxembourg bank had not yet been updated to reflect the appointment.

L’administrateur de la filiale britannique du courtier en faillite a recouvert environ la moitié du milliard de dollars d’actifs gelés et prévoit de rembourser de manière importante les clients avant la date limite de dépôt des plaintes en mars 2012. Des cessions d’actifs supplémentaires devraient intervenir prochainement.

Alors qu’une première consultation sur les fonds indiciels cotés (ETF) a été bouclée en septembre, l’Autorité européenne des marchés financiers prévoit d’en conduire une deuxième au début de l’année prochaine afin de présenter ses propositions. Son président, Steven Maijor, a fait part hier de la volonté de l’institution à introduire de nouvelles règles « qui réduiront les risques et accroîtront la transparence pour les investisseurs particuliers exposés à de tels produits ». L’Esma souhaite que les ETF soient tenus d’utiliser un « identifiant » et d’indiquer dans leurs prospectus s’ils recourent au prêt de titres, ainsi que d’autres informations spécifiques sur la qualité du collatéral. Pour les problèmes découlant des activités de prêt de titres, Steven Maijor précise que l’approche de l’Esma consiste à couvrir tous les types de fonds Ucits – ETF et non-ETF – engagés dans un tel mécanisme.

La Société Générale a indiqué dans un communiqué que la vente de sa filiale de gestion californienne n'était toujours pas d’actualité contrairement à des informations de l’agence Bloomberg. L’agence évoquait une cession ou une entrée en Bourse avec une valorisation d’un milliard de dollars. La banque a répété qu’une IPO était envisageable dans les deux ou trois prochaines années.

L'Alfi évoque une confusion entre risque pays et risque « Ucits », et appelle les autorités européennes à s'ouvrir aux régulateurs des pays tiers

L'Isda n'a pas réussi à dire si les CDS sur la dette du groupe italien devaient être déclenchés suite au report d'un paiement de coupon

Les Européens restent en quête d’une capacité d’intervention immédiate sur le marché obligataire. Le FMI est à l’affût sur l’Italie

Budapest, qui a perdu la confiance des investisseurs, devra procéder à d'autres relèvements après celui d'hier pour endiguer la chute du forint

La Grande-Bretagne augmentera de 111 milliards de livres ses emprunts en cumul sur cinq ans

Le gouvernement britannique a annoncé une enveloppe de 20 milliards de livres. Les banques bénéficiaires devront augmenter sensiblement leurs prêts

La Grande-Bretagne augmentera de 111 milliards de livres ses emprunts en cumul sur cinq ans

La vice-présidente de la banque centrale estime qu’il reste de la marge pour un stimulus additionnel. Une thèse qui ne fait pas l’unanimité

Le fonds de John Paulson aurait accepté de couvrir toutes les pertes de «92nd Street Y», une institution non financière culturelle, qui pourrait se monter à quelque 4 millions de dollars, selon le journal. «Cette institution a des dirigeants particulièrement généreux, dont John et nombre d’autres» indique un directeur de «92nd Street Y» au journal.

Le quotidien relève que «le directeur général du Fonds stratégique d’investissement, Jean-Yves Gilet, a été convoqué hier à l’Elysée». Le dirigeant s’est tout de même vu «conforté dans ses fonctions». Hier, «l'évolution du capital de la Saur» et le rôle à ce sujet de la filiale à 51% de la Caisse des Dépôts ont «cristallis(é) les tensions». Le FSI ferait preuve de «réticences» à épauler le groupe Séché, qui cherche à prendre le contrôle de la Saur, quatre fois plus gros que lui, «sans en avoir les moyens». Ce montage industriel serait pourtant bien «au cœur des missions du FSI» aux yeux de l’Elysée.

Le marché du logement neuf a intégré au troisième trimestre la perspective d’une rechute en récession de l'économie française avec un fléchissement des ventes et des mises en chantier, selon les données publiées mardi par le ministère du Logement. Plus de 26.400 logements ont été vendus au troisième trimestre, soit près de 2.700 de plus qu’au deuxième trimestre mais 12,9% de moins que pour la période correspondante de 2010. Sur les quatre derniers trimestres, le nombre de ventes s'élève à 101.300 soit 10,7% de moins qu’au cours des quatre trimestres précédents.

L'économie suédoise a enregistré une croissance de 1,6% au troisième trimestre par rapport au deuxième et le produit intérieur brut a augmenté de 4,6% sur un an, selon des données, nettement supérieures aux attentes, publiées mardi par bureau des statistiques. La croissance du deuxième trimestre en rythme annuel a été révisée en légère baisse, de 4,9% à 4,7%.

Le déficit budgétaire des Pays-Bas sera plus élevé qu’initialement prévu cette année en raison de l’impact de la crise de la dette de la zone euro et d’une baisse des recettes fiscales. Ce déficit devrait représenter en 2011 4,5% du PIB, soit 0,3 point de plus que ce qui avait été estimé en septembre.