Avec une embellie sur la dette grecque et de meilleures nouvelles macroéconomiques en provenance des Etats-Unis et du Japon, les investisseurs sont sortis timidement de leur réserve début juillet. Selon les données d’EPFR Global, durant la semaine au 6 juillet, les fonds actions ont ainsi enregistré une collecte nette de 6,19 milliards de dollars, dont 1,36 milliard de dollars à mettre sur le compte des fonds dédiés aux actions émergentes.Les fonds obligataires ont drainé 3,19 milliards de dollars en net alors que les fonds monétaires accusaient une décollecte nette de 2,26 milliards de dollars. A noter par ailleurs que les relèvements de taux opérés par la Banque centrale européenne et la Banque de Chine ont remis les inquiétudes concernant l’inflation sur le devant de la scène, ce qui a suscité un mouvement jamais vu depuis plus d’un an en faveur des obligations indexées sur l’inflation.

Le 7 juillet, Pimco ETF Trust (groupe Allianz Global Investors) a notifié à la SEC que la future version ETF du mutual fund obligataire Pimco Total Return géré par Bill Gross (242,8 milliards de dollars) sera assortie d’une commission de gestion de 0,55 %.

La situation italienne devrait provoquer une réunion d’urgence ce matin, détournant les responsables européens du plan français sur la Grèce

L’indice pourrait redescendre à 3.700 points, voire un peu plus bas, avant de remonter vers les 4.170 points

Sous la houlette de Pierre Lagrange, son cofondateur, le gérant de hedge funds britannique duplique en format OPCVM la plupart de ses fonds offshore

Comme en mai, les créations d'emplois ont été très faibles en juin. Le rendement à dix ans des Treasuries s'est rapproché de 3 % vendredi

Comme en mai, les créations d’emplois ont été très faibles en juin et le taux de chômage poursuit sa remontée, ce qui fait planer des doutes sur la conjoncture aux Etats-Unis. Faisant office de valeur refuge, les Treasuries ont vu leur rendement se rapprocher de 3 % vendredi.

David Kalfon, directeur des investissements chez EFG AM France

Jean-Louis Mourier, économiste chez Aurel BGC

Samir Bederr, gérant analyste à La Banque Postale AM

Malgré des risques de dégradation de note et la situation de Tepco, l’indice Nikkei est revenu à 46 points de son niveau d’avant le tsunami

Marjorie Sonigo et Florence Mosse, à la gestion privée de Credit Suisse France

Les prix ont encore baissé de 0,8 % en juin selon LSL Property / Acadametrics. L'étude pointe du doigt le risque que ferait peser une hausse des taux

Les résultats des stress tests sont attendus vendredi. Les Etats pourraient intervenir en cas d'échec

Les résultats des stress tests sont attendus vendredi. Les Etats pourraient intervenir en cas d'échec

Nordine Naam, stratégiste taux et change chez Natixis

Tous les acteurs du monde de l’assurance n’attendent pas avec le même degré d’anxiété la mise en œuvre début 2012 de Solvabilité 2. L’Agefi, en partenariat avec Ofi AM, lance un baromètre de l’état de préparation des institutions soumises à cette directive. Sa première édition fait apparaître que près d’un tiers d’entre eux n’en mesure pas encore aujourd’hui les «impacts réels». Du fait de la diversité de leurs profils, près de la moitié estiment d’ailleurs que Solvabilité 2 n’est pas «de nature à modifier l’organisation de (leurs) placements». Pour accéder à l’article et à l'étude CLIQUEZ ICI

Silvio Berlusconi affirme dans un entretien publié vendredi au quotidien de gauche La Repubblica qu’il s’effacera lors des prochaines élections législatives italiennes en 2013 et désigne le ministre de la Justice Angelino Alfano comme son successeur pour mener la droite à la victoire.

Le gouverneur de la banque centrale chinoise, Zhou Xiaochuan, a souligné vendredi que la politique monétaire de la Chine avait à la fois pour objectif de soutenir la croissance économique et de contrôler l’inflation. Le gouverneur, qui s’exprimait lors d’un forum à Pékin, a toutefois précisé que la Chine n'était pas prête à adopter un objectif d’inflation en bonne et due forme pour sa politique monétaire.

La Banque de France a revu en baisse sa prévision de croissance pour le deuxième trimestre à 0,2%, contre 0,4% précédemment et 0,5% en première estimation, au vu de l'évolution de l’activité dont fait état son enquête de conjoncture de juin. Celle-ci montre un recul de l’activité industrielle et un ralentissement sensible de la progression de l’activité dans les services, explique la BdF.

Le déficit du budget de l’Etat ressort à 68,4 milliards d’euros à fin mai contre 67,9 millairds un an plus tôt, selon les données publiées vendredi par le ministère du Budget. L'évolution d’une année sur l’autre s’explique notamment par une dégradation du solde des comptes spéciaux (avances et opérations financières) de 11,6 milliards d’euros, principalement liée aux décaissements du prêt octroyé à la Grèce. Le solde du budget général s’est parallèlement amélioré de 11,1 milliards d’euros.

The Swiss private bank and asset management firm Clariden Leu (Credit Suisse group) has received sales licenses for Germany and Austria from BaFin and the FMA for the Luxembourg-registered, non-benchmarked Clariden Leu Global High Yield Bond fund, launched on 29 April, managed by the US firm Oaktree Capital Management.As its name indicates, the product is a fund investing in high yield bonds with lower sensitivity to variations in interest rates than higher-rated bond issues. The fund is available in a B USD share class (LU0614322484), H EUR B (LU0614322641) and H CHF B (LU0614322997).Management commission is set at 1.2%, and assets in all share classes currently total USD267.8m.

Aon Hewitt on 7 July released the European results of its global 2011 survey of risks related to social engagements at businesses (“Global Pension Risk Survey 2011.”) The survey brings together and analyses responses form multinationals in 13 countries of continental Europe, representing financial assets of EUR127bn, and over 1 million members.One of the major lessons of the study is that “de-risking,” or cancelling out risk factors, has become a top priority throughout Europe, and half of respondents would like to reach an economic level which would allow their pension regimes to be autonomous.A trend which could be considered realistic is developing: five times more businesses surveyed than in 2009 (when the last survey was undertaken) say that they are now planning to manage their pension regimes with a 20-year horizon in view. The survey also finds that employers are aware that they will need to bear costs related to retirements: more than half of respondents are planning to finance deficits through contributions alone.Among the other key findings: Fewer businesses are planning to change regimes, as those who are planning to modify their pension plans have already done so, and others are seeking to maintain their plans and are taking on the costs engendered themselves. In a large number of countries, the definition of the advantages and the rules as pension funds develop play a key role, particularly when risks can be managed, as they can, for example, in the choice of a new method for indexing incomes. More sophisticated risk-taking than in the past: employers are turning to alternative asset classes in order to bring in higher revenues, while running fewer risks related to derivatives and interest rates. There is still some way to go until coverage instruments are used more widely: 25% of businesses surveyed have no official policy about interest rates or hedging assets against inflationary risks. Hedging against risks related to longevity is a practice which is gaining popularity, particularly in the Netherlands, which appears to be following in the footsteps of the United Kingdom.

Agefi Switzerland reports that the Geneva-based private bank Mirabaud is extending its range of services for onshore clients, developing its advising activities and consolidating its team dedicated to financial planning. Mirabaud is planning to extend its base of clients invited to make use of these services, which had previously been limited to ultra high net worth individuals. “We are currently adding to our team of financial planning advisers, so as to offer services to a wider range of clients and meet the needs of onshore clients in Switzerland, as well as in France and Spain,” Cédric Anker, head of domestic clients, explains.

Ben Mooney, who had been director & client operations manager for operational and risk attenuation solutions for clients of Wellington Management International for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region (EMEA) has returned to State Street Corporation as vice president and transition manager for the EMEA region. He will report to Rick Boomgaardt, managing director and head of transition management for EMEA. Mooney already served as a transition manager at State Street from 2007 to 2010.

The largest German bank, Deutsche Bank, on 7 July announced that it is in exclusive negotiations with the Belgian financial services company RHJ International for a sale of its affiliate BHF Bank. Deutsche Bank, which acquired BHF Bank with its acquisition of Sal. Oppenheim in 2009, last year announced that it was no longer planning to sell off the entity, after efforts to sell the firm to Liechtenstein’s LGT failed.Deutsche Bank says in a statement that BHF Bank is “one of the best-known brands in German finance, with a long tradition in asset management, wealth management, financial markets, and business banking.”Deutsche Bank claims that the planned operation would allow the Belgian holding company to add to the offerings from its affiliate Kleinwort Benson. That business, which is active in Great Britain, has similar activities to those of BHF Bank.As of the end of 2010, BHF Bank had about EUR43bn in assets, and employed about 1,500 people worldwide. It is present in Germany especially, and also in Luxembourg and Switzerland. It also has offices in Abu Dhabi, Egypt, and Vietnam.

A few days after announcing the opening of branch offices in Frankfurt and Milan (see Newsmanagers of 27 June), the Swiss asset management firm Swisscanto (CHF57.6bn in assets as of the end of March) on 7 July announced that it has recruited Karsten Marzinzik from 1 August as senior account manager in Frankfurt. He will be in charge of maintaining relationships with and recruiting institutional clients (funds of funds, wealth managers, banks, etc.)Marzinzik had previously been senior sales manager at Fidelity Germany, in charge of maintaining relationships with and recruiting distribution partners.

Several foreign asset management firms have announced recently that they are recruiting for their sales teams in Germany. The distribution team at the British firm Schroders has become the next to announce recruitments, with the arrival of a director of distribution for retail clients, intermediaries and regional banks at the firm’s German centre. Alexander Wiss joins from the savings bank Südliche Weinstrasse, where he had been in charge of investment advising for high net worth clients. He will report to Melanie Stahl, head of distribution for Schroder Investment Management (Schroders Germany).

With the ETF iShares MSCI Japan Monthly EUR Hedged, iShares MSCI World Monthly EUR Hedged and iShares S&P500 Monthly EUR Hedged, BlackRock has increased the number of its ETFs registered with the CNMV in Spain to 96, including the iShares MSCI Poland and iShares MSCI USA sub-funds of its iShares V Public Ltd. Sicav. The three physical replication funds named above have been listed on the London Stock Exchange since October, and are hedged for currency risks.

Dexia is reaping the rewards of its reorganisation, undertaken in 2009, and its client-centred approach. In first quarter 2011, net inflows totalled EUR400m, more than half of which went to alternative management, Naïm Abou-Jaoudé, chairman of the executive board at Dexia AM, announced at a press conference on 7 July.Assets under management held stable at EUR86.3bn, compared with EUR86.4bn as of the end of 2010. At the height of the financial crisis, assets under management fell to EUR73bn, and then rose back to EUR79bn at the end of 2009. For the year 2011 as a whole, inflow objectives have been set at about EUR5bn, of which about EUR4bn are to come from net inflows, and EUR1bn from market effects.According to Abou-Jaoudé, in addition to the benefits of diversification in terms of clients and asset classes, “our approach of creating alpha for clients, which we introduced nearly two years ago, is paying off. By being even closer to our clients and more responsive to their needs, we are continuing to generate added value by transposing our expertise and our convictions to high-performance, innovative solutions which create alpha.”From this point of view, the head of Dexia AM says he is “reasonably optimistic” about the future, and adds that he is planning to continue to develop Dexia primarily through organic growth. Dexia AM is planning to open an office in London by the end of the year, to accelerate its distribution in the United Kingdom, which is currently handled from Brussels. The firm is also considering opening a second branch office in the Middle East, in Dubai, to complement its office in Bahrain. Asia is also an area under consideration, but no decisions have been taken so far.As a part of Dexia AM’s autonomous development, Abou-Jaoudé says that he is planning to increase the percentage of non-captive assets, from 45% of the total currently to about 60% in the next three years.