Union Bancaire Privée a confié à Geneva Capital Management, société basée à Milwaukee, son mandat actions américaines croissance, est en mesure de révéler Citywire. La société de valeurs moyennes remplace Calamos Investment, qui gérait UBAM Calamos US Equity Growth depuis décembre 2003. Le fonds sera renommé UBAM - GCM Midcap US Equity Growth.

L’Agefi rapporte que selon des investigations ordonnées par la Finma, l’autorité fédérale de surveillance des marchés financiers, Josef Ackermann, l’ancien président du conseil d’administration de Zurich n’a pas exercé de «pression indue» ou de conduite inappropriée vis à vis de Pierre Wauthier, le directeur financier de la compagnie d’assurances qui s’est donné la mort à son domicile de Zoug en août dernier. Dans une note laissée par Pierre Wauthier, ce dernier évoquait des relations conflictuelles avec l’ex-patron de Deutsche Bank, lequel a démissionné trois jours après le drame pour préserver la réputation du groupe.

Miklos Vidak , COO de JP Morgan asset Management en Suisse, a quitté la société pour rejoindre un autre groupe bancaire, selon finews. Il ne sera pas remplacé à poste égal. A partir de janvier 2014, ses fonctions opérationnelles seront assurées par Philipp Pfenniger, country head Suisse. Les responsabilités dans le domaine du marketing seront partagées entre Nadja Huber pour la Suisse germanophone et Céline Cantatore pour la Suisse romane.

Valiant et Swiss Life ont annoncé le 5 novembre la signature définitive de l’accord de partenariat annoncé début août. Les deux établissements financiers suisses ont désormais rédigé et signé un contrat-cadre en ce sens. Suite à ce partenariat, Swiss Life a acquis une participation de 1,9 % dans Valiant. Valiant et Swiss Life sont «des partenaires solides dans les domaines de la banque de détail, de la prévoyance et de l’assurance en Suisse». Les deux entreprises entendent exploiter leurs compétences complémentaires pour offrir ensemble à leurs clients «un conseil encore plus complet en matière de financement, de placement ainsi que de prévoyance et d’assurance», précise un communiqué.Ce partenariat s’appuie sur les compétences traditionnelles spécifiques des deux entreprises. «Ce partenariat assure à nos clients un conseil et un suivi complets», explique Martin Gafner, CEO par intérim de Valiant. «Contrairement aux modèles de bancassurance, chacun des établissements conserve ses compétences fondamentales». En d’autres termes, les collaborateurs Valiant sont spécialisés dans les questions de financement et de placement, tandis que les conseillers en prévoyance de Swiss Life sont chargés d'élaborer des solutions de prévoyance complètes. Le partenariat sera mis en oeuvre graduellement à compter du 1er janvier 2014. Globalement, il s’articule autour de : la transmission mutuelle de solutions hypothécaires ; la transmission par Valiant de prestations de Swiss Life Immopulse (soutien à la vente, l’achat et lors de la transformation de biens immobiliers) ; la transmission par Swiss Life de solutions de placement de Valiant ; la distribution par Valiant de solutions de prévoyance Swiss Life destinées aux personnes physiques et morales ; la distribution de nouvelles combinaisons de solutions bancaires, d’assurance et de prévoyance.Des combinaisons de solutions bancaires et de prévoyance viennent compléter les offres de services des partenaires. Thomas Bahc, Directeur de Multichannel Management chez Swiss Life Suisse a ainsi déclaré : «Dans le cadre du partenariat, nous entendons développer et introduire conjointement de nouveaux produits tenant compte des besoins les plus divers des clients en matière de sécurité, d’acquisition de la propriété, de constitution de patrimoine et de prévoyance. Pour souligner l’importance et la pérennité du partenariat, Swiss Life possède désormais une participation de 1,9 % dans Valiant».Outre la collaboration dans le domaine de la distribution de produits, il est prévu que des sites communs soient mis en place. Les équipes de conseil de Valiant et Swiss Life assureront le suivi de la clientèle sur une sélection de sites sous un même toit et avec une offre de conseil commune, en conservant toutefois la séparation entre les différents segments de produits. Le partenariat entre Valiant et Swiss Life devrait renforcer la qualité du conseil et de la satisfaction des clients en exploitant les synergies communes. Une éventuelle expansion géographique du modèle sera testée suite à l’analyse des résultats de la phase pilote.

After USD34.3bn in September, ETPs worldwide posted net subscriptions of USD32.9bn, of which UDS24.3bn have been since 17 October, in a sign that the easing of the situation surrounding the debt ceiling in the United States has favoured a return of investors, the BlackRock Institute finds. Since the beginning of the year, net inflows total USD194.2bn.Net subsriptions for equity ETPs have totalled USD35.9bn, of which USD18bn for US equities. In the first ten months of the year, net inflows to equity funds have totalled USD201.3bn, 72% more than the USD117bn in January-October 2012.In Europe, net subscriptions have totalled USD4.1bn in October, and USD13.6bn in the first ten months of the year. Assets in the 2,130 European ETPs as of the end of October totalled USD412.8bn, while for the 1,524 US funds it totalled USD1.6408trn.

The European socially responsible fund sector has reached assets of EUR108bn as of the end of June 2013, a gain of 14% year on year, according to the report “Green, Social and Ethical Funds in Europe,” of which Plus24 has obtained a copy. The study takes into account 922 funds, compared with 884 the previous year. In geographical terms, France remains the largest market for SRI retail funds, but its share has fallen to 7%, with EUR38bn. The United Kingdom comes next (EUR10.5bn), followed by the Netherlands and Switzerland (EUR10bn). Italy, with its 12 SRI funds, represents EUR2.3bn, 2% more than in 2012.

Union Bancaire Privée has awarded Geneva Capital Management, a firm based in Milwaukee, a US growth equities mandate, Citywire reports. The midcaps firm replaces Calmos Investment, which had managed UBAM Calamos US Equity Growth since December 2003. The fund will now be renamed as UBAM – GCM Midcap US Equity Growth.

The hedge fund Naya estimates that the share price of Essilor, in which it holds a short stake, is worth EUR60, compared with nearly EUR77 currently, due to inadequate organic growth and rising competition in the future, the firm announced at an annual hedge fund conference, the Sohn Conference, in London, Les Echos reports. The young fund, launched in 2012, has been one of the emblematic launches of the past 18 months in equities. Its founder, Masroor Siddiqi, is a former employee of the activist fund The Children’s Investment fund (TCI). Naya, which has over USD1bn, is supported by the highly influential investor Blackstone, which has invested its own money. The hedge fund is enthusiastic, however, about the luxuries group Salvatore Ferragamo, a share which it feels is worth at least EUR35, compared with EUR25 currently.

According to FundWeb, Barclays Wealth & Investment is to cut 100 private banker jobs, 35% of its private banker worforce, as the bank looks to further streamline its wealth management services. However, the bankers have been incentivised to stay until February 2014.The job cull is partly due to the acquisition of Gerrard 12 years ago when Barclays inherited a number of clients with portfolios under GBP500,000. As a result of the restructure, the clients will be transferred to a section of the banked called «Private Clients» were they will receive a «lighter touch» service.

BNP Paribas Real Estate on Monday, 4 November, announced that it has appointed Steve Norris as its non-executive chairman. As chairman of the board, he will oversee the development of Property Management and Property Development activities. He will also work with the Advisory CEO of BNP Paribas Real Estate UK, to strengthen the positioning of the firm on Trading, Advising and Expertise activities, a statement says.Norris, a member of Parliament for more than 14 years (from 1983 to 1997), was personal Parliamentary secretary to the Minister of the Environment, Commerce and Industry and to the Minister of the Interior, and served as Minister of Transport for London from 1992 to 1996. He was also vice-chairman of the Conservative party. As a businessman, Norris is also chairman of Soho Estates.

Duncan Owen becomes director of real estate at Schroders (GBP10.5bn), effective immediately, succeeding William Hill, who is leaving the position after 25 years, Investment Week reports.Owen arrived at Schroders in early 2012, after serving as CEO of Invista, as a director at LaSalle Investment Management and as a partner at Jones Lang Wootton.Hill will continue to advise the management at Schroders on real estate investment questions.

Phil Apel, head of interest rates and chair of the fixed income investment strategy group (ISG) since 2005, has been appointed as head of fixed income at Henderson Glboal Investors (HGI), effective from 4 November 2013. Apel will be responsible for a team of 60 people in the United Kingdom and the United States, with assets of GBP18.3bn as of 30 September 2013, and will report to Rob Gambi, the new CIO recruited from UBS Global AM (see Newsmanagers of 16 October), who will join HGI in early 2014. Portfolio manager James McAlevey will also succeed Apel as head of interest rates, and will be assisted by Mitul Patel.

Axa Wealth is offering passive strategies with commissions expected to run about 0.5%, Fundweb reports. According to the managing director of Axa Wealth Specialist Products, Nick Elphick, the new range of funds will offer investments a lower-cost long-term investment strategy. The Elite Diversified Market range, managed by Architas, offers five passive strategies with different asset allocations, appropriate for five different risk profiles. The strategies, which make it possible to offer an annual cost of less than 5%, have been designed for providers of pension plans.

The Corporate governance committee at Assogestioni, the Italian association of asset managers, has proposed the headhunter Russell Reynolds Associates as the new advisor for the next season of general shareholders’ meetings. The association relies on an external provider to select the candidates to be on the election or nomination lists for board members and other bodies at publicly-traded businesses.

Axa Investment Management would like to develop its activities with third-party clients clients, Joseph Pinto, global head of markets and investment strategy, stated before the weekend at a weekly press conference. Pinto did not quantify the objectives of the firm, as the developments planned will depend on the geographical situation and the structure of the markets considered. Currently, captive assets under management represent 67% of total assets, compared with 33% for external clients, of which 19% are for institutional investor clients. In Europe, Axa IM is targeting a market share of about 2% in the United Kingdom. Currently, its retail market share has slightly over 2%, but its institutional market share is lower than 0.5%. In Asia, although activities are having difficulty getting started in India, joint ventures in Korea and China are functioning very satisfactorily. Inflows to joint ventures with Kyobo in Korea and Shanghai Pudong development Bank in China have totalled nearly EUR1bn since the beginning of the year, distributed equally between the two firms, Pinto states.

Trusteam Finance has announced that it took over Alcyone Finance on Monday, 4 November, along with its asset management and wealth engineering activities. The operation will make it possible to “strengthen the range of house financial products and services, meet the increased needs for performance and the needs of clients for wealth management, institutional management and corporate cash management,” a statement says. In practice, the mutual fund management and wealth engineering activities provided by Alcyone Finance will soon be moved to Trusteam Finance. Assets under managemment total about EUR50m, largely invested in equity funds. In an interview with Newsmanagers, Jean-Sebastien Beslay, founding partner of Trusteam Finance, pointed to the complementarity of management at the two firms, due to the expertise in SRI at Alcyone Finance. The firm has two funds of this nature on sale, and has also signed a partnership with the Care association.

Tocqueville Finance has hired Michel Saugné to take over as fund manager of the Tocqueville Dividende fund. He will co-manage the fund with Don Fitzgerald. Since 2004, Saugné had worked at LCF Rothschild, where, after serving as senior manager and a member of the investment board at Edmond de Rothschild Multi Management, and then as head of the alternative multi-management activity, was since 2011 co-head of the direct alternative management activity at LCF Rothschild, at Edmond de Rothschild Investment Managers. Saugné will assist with development and innovation in products and management, Tocqueville Finance says.

JPMorgan Asset Management will respond to pressure from investors concerning its fees, by lowering performance fees for its funds, Financial Times fund management reports. The US-based asset management firm is planning to “smooth out” its performance fees over three years, according to Mike O’Brien, global head of institutionals at JPMorgan Asset Management. This will make the funds less costly, with the periods of poor performance taken into account.

DBX Advisors, which is owned by Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management (DeAWM), as well as Harvest Global Investment, the Hong Kong-based firm in which DeAWM controls 30% is this week in New York expected to launch the first offshore ETF under RQFII mandates (RMB qualified foreign institutional investor), Asian Investor reports. According to a Hong Kong manager, this would be a less costly means to access the European market, since creating a London office is too expensive. According to various sources, the db x-trackers Harvest China Fund, which replicates the CSI 300 index, may be listed on the New York Stock Exchange on 6 November.

Standard Life Investments (SLI) has announced plans to launch a fund managed by its multi-asset class team in first quarter 2014, aimed at subscribers to defined-contribution retirement savings plans, known as the Enhanced Diversification Growth Fund (EDGF).The objective will be to generate returns similar to those from equities over a cycle, but with lower volatility. To do this, the management team will use a larger number of strategies than for traditional “growth” investment approaches.Louise Kay, head of UK institutional business, adds that SLI will launch a support service intended to help employers and consultants inform and educate members of defined-contribution savings plans about the brand.

The Pimco Total Return Fund, managed by Bill Gross, has lost its title as the largest fund in the world to the Total Stock Market Index Fund from Vangard, the Financial Times reports. This is a sign of the disaffection of investors with bonds in favour of equities. The Vanguard fund now has assets of USD250bn, while the Pimco flagship fund has seen its assets fall to USD248bn as of the end of October, following further redemptions.

Avec l’agrément de la BaFin, Commerz Real (34 milliards d’euros) a cédé pour un montant non divulgué sa filiale de fonds immobiliers institutionnels Commerz Real Spezialfondsgesellschaft mbh (CRS) à Internos Global Investors. La vente avait été conclue dans son principe 30 juin (lire Newsmanagers du 1er juillet).CRS détient un portefeuille immobilier de 68 actifs en Europe (bureaux, commerce, hôtels et bâtiments logistiques) correspondant à un volume de 1,6 milliard d’euros. La transaction s’accompagnera du transfert de 17 collaborateurs de CRS chez Internos.Andreas Muschter, président du directoire de Commerz Real a précisé que la société qu’il dirige continuera d’être présente dans l’espace institutionnel, mais sous d’autres formes, comme par exemple des «club deals» ou des investissements dans les énergies renouvelables et les infrastructures. D’autre part, la participation majoritaire dans Amprion (qui exploite le réseau haute tension de RWE) sera conservée dans le portefeuille de Commerz Real.CRS, en revanche, est spécialisée sur des actifs de petite taille qui lient beaucoup de ressources, de sorte qu’elle est moins rentable que d’autres activités de Commerz Real. Mais cette focalisation convient parfaitement pour Internos, qui se concentre déjà sur les fonds institutionnels.

The Blackstone group has acquired a 40% stake in the SCP company, which manages shopping centres in China, Finance Asia reports. The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed, but a specialist in the sector values Blackstone’s stake at about USD400m. ICBC International, for its part, has acquired a 6% stake in SCP. The investment in SCP represents the largest investment by Blackstone in shopping centres in the Asia-Pacific region.

The British asset management firm Jupiter now has a team of four people in Hong Kong, Asian Investor reports. Jupiter is seeking a fifth person, as it is preparing to occupy permanent offices in the city-state, and is preparing distribution agreements.

The UBS group is planning to create an affiliate in which several activities could be housed, including the Retail & Corporate department and wealth management in Switzerland, according to NZZ, which has detected a few entries related to the project in the latest quarterly report from the bank. This is related to a strategic decision by UBS not to be “too big to fail,” the Swiss newspaper says. However, it should be noted that final decisions concerning the contours of this new structure have not yet been taken.

Following the integration of the private banking activities of Lloyds, as of 1 November, Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) is hoping to grow on the British market. “We don’t have any foreign acquisition plans, except perhaps in London, We are going to take advantage of the integration of Lloyds to strengthen our presence in the United Kingdom. It is currently difficult to provide growth for a Swiss bank without a presence on the European market,” the CEO of UBP, Guy de Picciotto, has told Agefi Switzerland, and has confirmed that the firm has not made a bid for BSI.

Mirabaud & Cie has announced the appointment of René Hermann as head of its Zurich branch, to “continue to expand and strengthen our core business lines of wealth management, asset management and intermediation.” Hermann was previously head of private banking at Valartis Bank and at Maerki Baumann & Co, where he was responsible for the development and expansion of their front office, as well as for advisory and portfolio management services. He has a Swiss Federal Diploma from the Advanced College of Business and Management (HWV) (today Graduate of University of Applied Sciences in Economic and Business Administration) and is a graduate of the Swiss Banking School. Hermann began his career as a private banker with Credit Suisse in Zurich.

In third quarter 2013, euro money market funds shows higher allocation towards top-held ‘F1+' banks and quasi-sovereigns, amid a portfolio rating mix dominated by ‘F1' issuers, and a lengthening of portfolios’ average maturity to compensate for low yields, according to Fitch Ratings’ 3Q13 quarterly report. Fitch-rated European MMFs denominated in euros have on average about half of their portfolio assets concentrated in 20 entities, led by Rabobank (AA/F1+) and other highly rated banks, such as Nordea Bank, HSBC, Svenska Handelsbanken, or Standard Chartered Bank (all rated AA-/F1+).. ‘F1'-rated banks, such as Barclays, BNP Paribas and Credit Agricole, saw the biggest fall in fund allocation over the past year, although they remain among the top held names, notably as repurchase agreement counterparties. Yet, the average portfolio rating mix is now showing a predominance of investments rated ‘F1', or equivalent, at 54% of portfolios on average, up from 35% until June this year. This is due to the downgrade of France’s Long-term Issuer Default Rating to ‘AA+' in July, followed by the downgrade of the most widely held French banks to ‘F1' from ‘F1+'.

Legal & General Investment Management has obtained permission to launch a Sicav with three sub-funds in Luxembourg, Financial Times fund management reports. Five other sub-funds are expected to follow. The British firm will license the funds in 12 other European countries. This marks the first incursion by L&G IM outside the United Kingdom in 177 years. The firm will target high net worth private investors.

Salaries for junior professionals working in the hedge fund sector increased for the third consecutive year, to USD335,000 for 2013, according to the most recent edition of the Glocap Hedge Fund Compensation report, the International Business Times reports. The average salary for an analyst at a moderately-well performing hedge fund firm was inflated by bonuses equivalent to up to 10%. The most experienced professionals in the sector also received significant raises, with portfolio managers at the largest firms pocketing an average of USD2.2m per year. Bonuses for experienced professionals ranged, however, from -5% to +20%. For the hedge fund sector overall, the average income has increased by a range of 5% to 10%, in a sign of investor confidence.