Deutsche Bank on Thursday confirmed that Johannes Baratta, head of private wealth management at the group, has resigned. According to reports in Handelsblatt, Baratta is joining Credit Suisse, where he will be the new country head for Germany, replacing Andreas Brandt. Brandt spent several years as head of Credit Suisse Germany, and presided over growth in assets, but profits have remained below the group’s expectations.
Société Générale Securities Services (SGSS) has been granted a mandate by the Belgian insurance firm Ethias, to provide independent valuation services, SGSS announced on 24 March. The services will cover a portfolio of complex structured products. The additional mandate won by SGSS in the area of independent valuation is a sign of “the growing need of investors to have the value of complex financial instruments in their portfolios valued by third-party specialists,” SGSS says in a statement.
The European fund and asset management association (EFAMA) on 24 March published a new set of recommendations to increase the effectiveness of order processing. The report, prepared by the Fund Processing Standardization Group (FPSG), consolidates recommendations published in 2005 and revised in 2008, and offers new recommendations in two key areas: transfers of units between two accounts, and events which impact assets in a fund, such as reorganisations, meetings, and other notifications sent out to investors. In both cases, best practice is to secure transactions, improve communications between actors, and to shorten processing times.
Gottex made a net loss of USD3m in 2010, following profits of USD7.1m in 2009, Agefi Switzerland reports. As a result, shareholders will forego a dividend this year, after receiving USD0.115 per share last year.
Dexia Asset Management on Thursday, 24 March announced that from 1 April 2011, it has appointed Vincent Hamelink as chief investment officer (CIO) for the traditional management department at the management firm. Hamelink, who succeeds Wim Vermeir, will direct the department so as to strengthen the position of Dexia AM, a statement says. Hamelink joined Dexia Asset Management in 1997 as head of the bond management department, and has since been global head of fixed income, and a member of the board of directors at Dexia AM Luxembourg SA, from 2001 to 2009. In April 2009, he was appointed a member of the executive committee at Dexia AM.
Christopher Linney, head of property investment, France, at Henderson Global Investors (HGI, about EUR65bn, of which EUR14bn are in real estate), on 24 March announced that the group is planning to invest “at least” EUR170m in real estate in France this year, either via its Hamburg affiliate Warburg-Henderson (institutional funds), or the UK-based Herald (specialised more in commercial real estate).In France, real estate assets represent about EUR700m, of which 40% are in offices, 40% in commercial property and 20% in logistical property. HGI has not made any acquisitions in France since late 2009, and its managers will likely be highly selective, as they are expecting returns to increase in the next three years, due to short supply, but that returns will be more limited on a five-year horizon. The possibility has not been ruled out that alongside acquisitions the British manager may also thin out its portfolio, as it did in late 2010.
The Australian pension fund AustralianSuper has created a position for an international head of infrastructure, and appointed Jason Peasley to the position, Asian Investor reports. He will be based in Sydney, and in mid-April will begin in his new role. Infrastructure assets at AustralianSuper total over USD5bn. Assets under management in the fund total USD38bn.
If three quarters of shareholders vote to approve a proposal at their extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting on 30 March, François Zagame will cease to manage the Skandia Equity Income Fund (GBP66m), a fund of fund focused on British equities, and the fund will be handed to O’Shaughnessy Asset Management, which will aim to transform the product into a fund of funds which will aim to capture high dividends worldwide. The fund would then change its name on 31 March, to become known as the Skandia Global Equity Income.
Arqaam Capital Asset Management is planning to launch a new long-only fund dedicated to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Asian Investor reports. The fund will offer quarterly liquidity and may invest in less liquid shares.
Asian Investor reports that Baring Asset Management (Asia) is now looking to promote the growth potential of South-East Asia, in a bid to bring liquidity in for its Asean Frontiers Fund, which has seen a 29% decline in its assets to USD270m, from USD380m last year. The fund is at least 70% invested in the major Asian equities markets: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, while a 25% portion of the fund is reserved for frontier markets and greater China, with a preference for small and midcaps.
Due to significant redemption demands, Warburg Invest on 22 March notified BaFin that it has suspended subscriptions and redemptions from the real estate fund of funds RP Global Real Estate (DE000A0Q9892 and DE000A0KEYG6), managed by RP Rheinische Portfolio Management, whose assets have fallen 70% since May 2010. As of the end of January, assets totalled EUR42.60m.
Groupama Epargne Salariale and Groupama Asset Management announced on Thursday, 24 March that the Groupama Epargne Responsable range, which is approved by the inter-union employee savings committee Comité Intersyndical de l’Épargne Salariale, is developing to become the major product line from Groupama Epargne Salariale for businesses and savings investors. The range in question, which represents EUR280m in assets, is composed of 6 FCPE funds managed according to financial and extra-financial analysis criteria, in compliance with best-in-class SRI management processes for equities and fixed income established by Groupama Asset Management, a statement says.
Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management (Edram) on 24 March announced the arrival of Marion Redel in the distribution management, which consists of eight people led by Philippe Cormon. The recruitment is a sign of Edram’s aim of strengthening its team and particularly the banks and management firms unit, which is overseen by Joséphine Loréal. Redel previously worked at Franklin Templeton France, as head of commercial development serving institutional clients.
On the observation that funds tend to outperform in the first years of their lives, Barclays Wealth Managers France on 21 December 2007 created the Barclays Alphastars Discovery fund, which invests in new funds from entrepreneurial funds.The product, which was launched at a difficult time when investors were pulling back from equities investments, did not prove popular, and was neglected by sales teams. Now, as conjuncture improves, Barclays Wealth Managers is seeking to bring the product back into the limelight, as the product now has a three-year track record.The target is to double the fund’s assets of EUR21m, says Alain Zeitouni, director of multi-management at Barclays Wealth Managers France. Jean-Marie Feron, in charge of commercial development, estimates that it may be possible to go further than that.
Following Frankfurt (see Newsmanagers of 14 December), db x-trackers is now listing its Global Fund Supporters ETF, which replicates the Dow Jones Global Fund 50 Index to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). The fund is a physical replication product, though db x-trackers ordinarily offers synthetic replication funds. Its TER is 0.25%.The Dow Jones Global Fund 50 index, which is the underlying for the fund, replicates the evolution of the 50 largest caps in the Global Fund, a multilateral institution which finances the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV. The Global Fund has already made investment pledges of over USD21bn in 144 countries. Management commission revenues earned by db x-trackers on the ETF over and above costs will be contributed directly to the Global Fund.
Though it will still have the same manager, James Smith, the Ignis International Emerging Markets Fund (GBP71.1bn) has since 21 March been known as the Ignis International Emerging Markets Select Value Fund, and its investment policy has been modified, Fund Web reports. Smith will now be required to use futures on at least eight different indices for hedging. In addition, the manager is now permitted to invest up to 10% of assets in ETFs and “unapproved” securities.
Banco Popular (whose cost/income ratio is only 35%) on 24 March notified the CNMV that its strategic agreement with Allianz will generate at least EUR490m in capital gains. The agreement will involve the creation of Allianz Popular, a joint venture in which Allianz will control 60%, and Popular the remaining 40%. The new entity will include the activities of the two signatories in the areas of life insurance, retirement and asset management, with an exclusive 15-year agreement in life insurance, retirement savings, investment funds, and non-life insurance.In the case of investment funds, the new platform, which will manage EUR11bn, and which is valued at EUR1.058bn, will for 15 years exclusively distribute Popular Gestión products, via the Popular retail network.The agreement includes existing joint ventures between the two partners: Eurovida (life insurance), Europensionens (retirement savings plans), and Popular Gestión; but it does not include Popular Banca Privada, which will continue to operate with open architecture, and thus will distribute funds from Allianz Global Investors (AGI) and Pimco, affiliates of Allianz, among others.
Profits at the Liechtensteinische Landesbank (LLB) fell 40.1% last year, to CHF108.5m, Agefi Switzerland reports. After minority positions are taken into account, profits total CHF102.8m. The 2011 results are expected to be better than 2010, so long as the market stabilises, the bank predicts. Assets under management in 2010 were up slightly, to CHF49.8bn, from CHF49.5bn one year earlier. LLB has also posted net inflows of CHF2.7bn for the period under review, following an outflow from funds of CHF1bn in 2009. In this context, the board of directors is proposing an unchanged dividend of CHF3.40 per share.
Les caisses d’épargnes espagnoles dégradées hier par Moody’s seraient en discussions avec des fonds d’investissement (dont Paulson & Co, Cerberus et Apax Partners) afin de lever quelque 15 milliards d’euros qui leur permettraient d’éviter d’avoir recours au fonds public spécial d’aide au secteur (Frob) qui implique une nationalisation, indique le quotidien.
La dégradation hier par Moody’s de trente banques espagnoles a confirmé les inquiétudes sur l’état du secteur bancaire local. Mais ni cela ni la situation préoccupante du Portugal ne remettent pour l’instant en cause la confiance des investisseurs dans la dette souveraine espagnole.
La Réserve fédérale américaine envisagerait de sonder l’intérêt de repreneurs éventuels de son large portefeuille de créances hypothécaires hérité de la crise et aurait engagé BlackRock comme conseil dans sa démarche, selon des sources proches citées par le quotidien. AIG avait déjà intié ce processus en proposant à la Fed de lui racheter pour 15,7 milliards de dollars en obligations.
Le chômage a légèrement reculé en février pour le deuxième mois consécutif, selon les chiffres publiés hier par le ministère de l’Emploi et Pôle Emploi. Le nombre de demandeurs d’emploi inscrits en catégorie A a baissé de 0,1% pour s'établir à 2.701.100 personnes au 28 février en France métropolitaine, soit 2.100 demandeurs d’emploi de moins qu'à fin janvier. Sur un an, la hausse est de 1,3%.
La société de gestion en immobilier souhaite investir 170 millions d’euros en France en 2011 au travers de plusieurs fonds. Elle cible les bureaux dans Paris et les centres commerciaux dans l’Hexagone. Pour ses clients fonds souverains, elle pourrait se lancer dans des opérations de plus de 100 millions d’euros, plus risquées et qui présentent un rendement d’environ 10%.
Après consultation des acteurs, le régulateur a actualisé la pratique de marché relative aux contrats de liquidité. Ces modifications visent principalement à préciser le cadre juridique du contrat de liquidité et les conditions d’intervention des prestataires gérant ces contrats de liquidité ainsi qu’à renforcer les règles d’indépendance des prestataires.