La Banque Profil de Gestion a annoncé ce 2 octobre la finalisation de l’opération de fusion par absorption de Dynagest après que l’autorité de surveillance des marchés financiers Finma a donné son feu vert. La transaction a été inscrite ce mardi au registre du commerce genevois et la fusion prend effet rétroactivement au 1er avril dernier, précise la banque dans un communiqué. Banque Profil de Gestion rappelle que cette opération s’inscrit dans le contexte du plan triennal 2017-19 de la banque genevoise dont l’objectif est d’augmenter les actifs sous gestion. Elle permet également de renforcer, par la reprise du personnel «hautement qualifié» de Dynagest, les compétences de la banque en matière d’asset management institutionnel et de négoce de valeurs mobilières

Les problèmes s’accumulent pour la société de gestion d’Arpad « Arki » Busson, le flamboyant milliardaire gérant de hedge funds, rapporte Financial News. Sa société suisse LumX, connue sous le nom de Gottex jusqu’en 2015, a publié une perte de 4,5 millions de dollars au premier semestre de cette année, ce qui signifie que sa perte sur trois ans et demi s’élève à 37 millions de dollars. Le groupe, dont Arki Busson, qui a eu pour fiancée l’actrice Uma Thurman, est président exécutif, se bat pour garder ses actionnaires et ses investisseurs. La société de gestion britannique Artemis, qui détient 6 % de LumX, aurait aussi essayé de vendre ses parts.

Credit Suisse a annoncé ce 2 octobre la nomination de Roman Reichel au poste de responsable marketing et sponsoring pour la Suisse. Dès le début de 2019, Roman Reichelt apportera au groupe suisse toute l’expérience acquise chez le suisse Migros, où il dirigeait le marketing et la communication depuis près de trois ans, indique un communiqué.Roman Reichelt aura pour mission d’informer la clientèle sur l’offre de services et de conseil ainsi que sur les activités de sponsoring du groupe. Il sera rattaché directement à Thomas Gottstein, directeur de l’entité suisse de Credit Suisse.

Dubai-headquartered private investment firm Legatum has hired Christopher Parkinson as manager selection director in September, following an eight-year stint with London-based financial services firm Cardano.At Cardano, he was overseeing manager research. Prior to that, he worked as co-portfolio manager at fund of hedge funds Oakley Alternative Investment Management and as vice president of K2 Advisors.Parkinson started his career as investment manager at HSBC Global Asset Management in 2002.

HSBC Global Asset Management has strengthened its fixed income team with the appointments of two senior professionals, Oliver Boulind and Richard Balfour. Both will be based in London, reporting to Ernst Osiander, head of Global Bonds.Boulind will be responsible for developing asset allocation strategies for global fixed income funds in addition to the management of global bond and total return portfolios.Prior to joining HSBC GAM, Boulind worked at Aberdeen Asset Management where he most recently developed and implemented the asset allocation process used for the management of global aggregate and total return bond portfolios.He was also running benchmark-driven global credit strategies. Formerly Boulind held roles of credit analyst and portfolio manager at AllianceBernstein, Invesco and JPMorgan.At HSBC GAM, Balfour, joining from Barings, will oversee global and UK fixed income funds. During his previous tenure with Barings, he was an investment manager on the multi-sector fixed income team, running several global bond portfolios.Before that, he worked at Credit Suisse Asset Management where he managed money market and short duration bond funds before being appointed on the firm’s UK gilt portfolios.HSBC GAM had $463bn of assets under management as of end of June 2018.

Belgian financial group Degroof Petercam has announced asset services linked to investment funds provided by Banque Degroof Petercam Luxembourg S.A. (BDPL) have been transfered to Degroof Petercam Asset Services S.A. (DPAS).According to a shareholder letter seen by NewsManagers, DPAS assumes the functions of domiciliary and administrative agent since 1 October 2018.The operation will make DPAS the group’s center regarding administrative and accounting services for investment funds.A total of 21 funds are concerned by the move, which has no effect on costs or services provided to investors of the funds.

Copenhagen-based pension fund PensionDanmark has appointed David Altenhofen as senior portfolio manager at the start of October, NewsManagers has learned.Before joining PensionDanmark, Altenhofen has been four years with Danish boutique Accunia, specialised on private debt, high yield and structured credit. There he worked as a senior analyst then as a senior portfolio manager.Altenhofen also worked over six years as an economist within the Danish national bank.PensionDanmark is one of the 50 largest pension funds in Europe and currently manages €32bn in assets.

Finnish financial group S-Bank (S-Pankki) and its asset management arm FIM have launched the first green bond fund available in Finland on 1 October 2018. The FIM IG Green ESG fund invests in green bonds issued by companies that are renowned for their ability to invest in a sustainable way. Among others, FIM uses research from MSCI ESG Research to assess how green the issuers are. MSCI’s set of criteria require from green bond issuers that 90% of the financing will support projects contributing to a better environment. «Green bonds are a very efficient way to exploit financial markets in order to support environmental projects. Conviviality and environmental sustainability are ever more considered as important for competition and seen as a key to success."Green bonds are also linked to a phenomenon we observed in recent years. Investors not only look for yield but also for measurable results. This translates into a strong growth in the popularity of efficient investment,» said FIM’s head of Responsible Investment, Mika Leskinen, who joined the firm in August.Janne Nisula, portfolio manager on the FIM IG Green ESG fund, added: «The green bond market has faced a constant rise over the last years and time has finally come to launch our innovative and environment-friendly bond fund. It remains the first fund to invest in green bonds in Finland."S-Bank and FIM are both members of the Climate Actions 100+ initiative aiming to engage discussions with more than a hundred companies among the most polluting to take action for the reduction of their greenhouse gas issuances and the improvement of their governance regarding the management of risks and opportunities linked to climate.

Amiral Gestion on Tuesday announced that its FCP Sextant PME, which has followed the same stock-picking strategy for European SME and mid-sized businesses since 1 January 2014, has been reopened to subscriptions from 3 October 2018.The fund was closed to subscriptions in July 2017, when it reached assets under management of EUR250m. “The objective for this closure was to ensure the best management conditions for the fund, and to pursue a rigorous and effective stock-picking strategy. With assets of EUR175m today, we have capacity to invest in the European small and midcap segment,” says Raphaël Moreau, coordinating manager of the Sextant PME fund.Sextant PME as of the end of September 2018 had annual returns of 15.79% since January 2014, compared with 12.86% for its benchmark index, CAC Small NR.

Paris-based boutique Anaxis Asset Management has unveiled its eight target-maturity fund, the Diversified Bond Opp. 2025, maturing on 31 December 2025. The fund, whose launch will take place on 4 October 2018, will invest in bonds issued by manufacturers and non-financial services with no geographic constraints and maturing near 2025. The management team, composed of high yield credit portfolio managers Thibault Destrés and Maximilien Védie, will apply a fundamental approach. Yield-to-maturity at fund inception will be close to 6%.

@page { size: 8.27in 11.69in; margin: 0.79in }p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent }CholetDupont Asset Management is adding to its product range, with theMadeleine Mid Caps Euro fund, which aims to invest in euro zone smalland midcap companies, with the Eurostoxx Small Net Total Return indexas its benchmark. The investment process aims to identify, analyseand select business models which are considred to generate value froma long-term investment perspective. Proximity with the management ofcompanies is at the heart of the validaation process for businessmodels, a statement says.Thefund was licensed in September 2017, and assets now total overEUR20bn. As of 28 September 2018, the fund had positive returns of6.46% over one year, compared with a decline of 0.77% for itsbenchmark index. Since the start of the year, the fund is up 5.21%,compared with a decline of 1.69% for the benchmark.“Thecompanies are selected when they are deemed capable of increasingtheir earnings, their operating profits, and their cash flowgeneration through positioning in growing markets and relevantdevelopment strategies,” explains Arnaud Cayla, manager of thefund.

Gunther Stein has relinquished his roles of chief executive and chief investment officer of Symphony Asset Management, an affiliate of Nuveen. Stein will remain Symphony’s chairman through the end of 2018. It is understood he departs for business and family reasons. Four senior investment leaders will take upon Stein’s responsibilities, all four having worked with him for more than a decade. This includes Scott Caraher, head of Loans; James Kim, head of Research; Jenny Rhee, head of High Yield; and Himani Trivedi, head of Structured Credit. All have been named co-heads of Investments and will report to Nuveen’s CIO and head of Global Investments Jose Minaya. “After nearly two decades of working to build Symphony into a premier manager of alternative and traditional corporate credit and equity strategies, I want to take a break for myself and create the opportunity for the next set of investment leaders,” Stein commented. Established in 1994 and located in San Francisco, Symphony has approximately $20bn in assets under management spread across leveraged loans, high yield, convertible arbitrage and equities.

@page { size: 8.27in 11.69in; margin: 0.79in }p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent }TheUS-British asset management group Janus Henderson Investors on 2October announced the appointment of Charles Kanengieser as salesmanager for France and Monaco, with immediate effect. Kanengieserwill report to Jon Dubarbier, director of external distribution forFrance and Monaco. Kanengieser joins the sales team based in Paris,and will be responsible for promoting the investment range from JanusHenderson to wholesale clients.Withnearly EUR33bn in assets under management in continental Europe,Janus Henderson Investors already has a strong presence in the Frenchmarket, where the firm has been present for over 15 years, thoughvolumes have not been disclosed. Janus Henderson considers France“one of the most dynamic markets in Europe, and continues toreinforce its presence serving wholesale investors and institutionalinvestors,” a statement says.Kanengieser,32, has nearly 10 years of experience in the asset managementindustry. He began his career in 2009 at Credit Suisse, and in 2010joined Groupama Asset Management in the position of sales andmarketing support. He then became assistant director for marketingand customer relationships in 2012. Kanengieser has a Master 1 degreein technology and management from NEOMA Business Schoool, and aMaster 2 in trading and asset management from INSEEC.“Weare happy to add a new specialist in fixed income investments to ourteam, in the person of Charles. Our bond management represents morethan 20% of our total assets worldwide, and the experience Charleshas acquired in his previous position represents a large advantage inaccelerating the development of this expertise for our clients. Hisexcellent knowledge of the French-speaking market, paired with hisprofound understanding of clients and their investment priorities,will help to strengthen our development,” says Charles-HenriHerrmann, director of development for France, Geneva and Monaco, in astatement.Asof the end of June 2018, assets under management at Janus Hendersontotalled about EUR317bn.

@page { size: 8.27in 11.69in; margin: 0.79in }p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent }Theconsulting firm Mercer and the data and research provider Morningstarhave announced that they have formed an alliance to provide investorsand investment advisres a single digital platform with data oninstitutional management, performance analysis, and qualitativeresearch. Teaming up in this way will allow for institutionalmanagement data and research from Mercer to be combined withindependent research from Morningstar and its database covering openfunds, ETFs, separately managed accounts and indices.“Investorsand their advisors do not have the resources necessary to getexhaustive research and data on their institutional strategies. Withthis partnership with Morningstar, we can provide investors and theiradvisers with an extended overview of costs and opportunities, whichwill allow them to take the best investment decisions,” says RichNuzum, global president, responsible for wealth management activitiesat Mercer.Thenew range will be deployed in major regions, beginning with theUnited States in early 2019.

@page { size: 8.27in 11.69in; margin: 0.79in }p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent }Thegovernance of the Meeschaert group is developing, with theappointment of two new members to the board at FinancièreMeeschaert: Nathalie Cuvelier, as director of communications andcorporate social responsibility and Arielle Benavides, who joined thefamily business this summer as director for organisation and humanresources.Benavides is responsible for organisation, legal affairs, and human resources,and is a member of the board of directors at Financière Meeschaert.Benavides has for over 25 years been responsible for development oforganisations, and responsible for directing human resources at topinternational groups. She was responsible for human resources atGoldman Sachs in France from 1994 until 2000, and then at JPMorganChase for six years, before becoming head of human resources forEurope at Lazard until 2015. Benavides made a strong contribution tothe deployment of human resources strategies and the transformationof organisations in the financial industry. She then put herexpertise at the service of boards of directors, by founding her ownconsulting firm. Benavides has a degree from the Université Paris IXDauphine, and since 2003 has taught as part of the Master II instrategic management of human resources.Cuvelieris responsible for communications and corporate repsonsibility. Shealso oversees marketing for the private equity unit, MeeschaertCapital Partners. Cuverlier joined the family business in 2004 asdirector of group marketing. She had previously directed marketingand communications at Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management andInvesco France. Cuvelier began her career as head of marketing andcommunication at Kompass France, and previously at the BanqueSofinco. She is a graduate of Sup de Co Rouen.Assetsunder management and surveillance by the Meeschaert group totalledover EUR6bn as of the end of June 2018.

Vuk Srdanovic left Kempen Capital Mangement in August, after seven years at the Netherlands-based asset management firm, a post on LinkedIn has announced. “I have decided to leave the firm and return to Copenhagen,” he explains, adding that he is seeking professional opportunities in Denmark.Srdanovic became head of the French office of Kempen when the asset management firm opened barely a year ago. He had covered the French market from Amsterdam since 2011. In January, he recruited Isabelle Foy as director of sales and distribution for France, Monaco and Switzerland.A spokesperson has told NewsManagers that Foy has replaced Srdanovic. As she is currently on leave, Loes Wingens, senior business development – wholesale distribution, is repsonsible for France in her absence.

Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc, announced the appointment of Susan Schmidt as Head of US Equities, expanding its geographical footprint in the asset class after nine hires to its UK, Global and Emerging Market equities teams in July. These appointments, follow the arrival in January 2018 of David Cumming as Chief Investment Officer, Equities. Susan, who has over 25 years’ experience in the investment industry, will be based in Chicago and reports to David Cumming. Prior to Aviva Investors, Susan spent three years as a senior portfolio manager covering small and mid-cap US equities for investment management company Westwood Holdings Group. While there, she was a member of internal committees that evaluated strategic positioning and helped to oversee the development and management of the corporate business plan.

Pimco has agreed to acquire Gurtin Municipal Bond Management (Gurtin), a specialist municipal bond manager. Combined, Pimco and Gurtin will manage $38 billion in dedicated municipal bond assets and offer clients a more extensive and enhanced suite of strategies and services, backed by broader muni credit research, enhanced technology and outstanding client service.Gurtin designs municipal strategies for high net worth individuals and makes those strategies available through separate accounts and mutual funds which are only accessible through investment advisors, while PIMCO’s municipal bond management focus is accessed by institutional and retail investors with strategies delivered across a broader variety of investment vehicles.To ensure continuity for Gurtin clients, the firm will maintain its San Diego and Chicago offices, and its investment team will continue managing its funds and separate accounts. Bill Gurtin, founder of the company, but also CEO and CIO, will continue to be involved in the business for several years after the acquisition to oversee existing investment operations and support the combined business. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Blackstone Group LP has started talking to investors about a second fund dedicated to buying stakes in alternative-asset managers, according to people familiar with the matter, said Bloomberg.The Blackstone team, led by Scott Soussa, is set to formally begin raising a new fund imminently, said the people, asking not to be identified because the information isn’t public. Paula Chirhart, a Blackstone spokeswoman, declined to comment.The New York-based firm is seeking at least $3.3 billion for its second fund, which will buy minority stakes in alternative-asset managers with a focus on private equity, real estate and infrastructure, one of the people said.

@page { size: 8.27in 11.69in; margin: 0.79in }p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent }Muzinich& Co has acquired Springrowth Sgr, an Italian asset managementfirm specialised in private debt, Bluerating reports.Springrowthwas launched in 2017 by a team of experienced Italian bankers. Thefirm provides a unique model for loans, concentrating on loans whichare co-sourced with Italian banks, and grouped into diversifiedportfolios.

@page { size: 8.27in 11.69in; margin: 0.79in }p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent }UBSFondcenter, the distribution affiliate of UBS Asset management, hasturned to the fintech Investment Navigator, specialised inregulations, to implement distribution at lower costs of its cross-borderfunds.InvestmentNavigator can identify regional barriers to distribution, andproducts which are adapted to the regulatory specifics of variousmarkets. Investment Navigator was created in 2014.

@page { size: 8.27in 11.69in; margin: 0.79in }p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent }Theproblems are accumulating at the asset management firm of Arpad“Arki” Busson, the flamboyant billionaire hedge fund manager,Financial News reports. The Swiss firm LumX, known as Gottex until2015, has announced a loss of USD4.5m in the first half of this year,which means that its losses over three and a half years total USD37m.The group, where Busson, who was engaged to marry Uma Thurman, isexecutive chairman, is fighting to hold onto shareholders andinvestors. The British asset management firm Artemis, which controls6% of LumX, is reported to have tried to sell its shares.

Le gérant d’actifs Schroders devrait remporter un mandat de gestion de Lloyds Banking Group portant sur un encours de 109 milliards de livres (122,5 milliards d’euros), rapporte le Financial Times. Selon le journal britannique, l’accord s’accompagnerait d’une prise de participation de la banque britannique dans la structure de gestion de fortune Cazenove Capital, rachetée en mars 2013 par Schroders pour 424 millions de livres.

Steven Maijoor, président de l’Esma, l’autorité de supervision européenne des marchés financiers, a appelé dans un discours prononcé aujourd’hui à Athènes à «une conclusion rapide du dossier législatif Emir 2.2» dans la perspective du Brexit. En l’absence de ce texte, une sortie brusque du Royaume-Uni de l’Union européenne fin mars 2019 entraînerait la perte d’accès des institutions financières européennes aux chambres de compensation (CCP) britanniques. Or, «40% du trading d’actions européennes sur les marchés secondaires prend place sur les places de marché britanniques», a-t-il souligné. Steven Maijoor souhaite associer à la revue d’Emir «une disposition transitoire autorisant un accès continu aux CCP basés au Royaume-Uni, sous condition que les CCP britanniques continuent de respecter les exigences d’Emir sous la supervision continue des collèges».

Aviva Investors, la filiale mondiale de gestion d’actifs d’Aviva plc, a annoncé hier la nomination de Susan Schmidt au poste de responsable de la gestion Actions américaines, et renforce ainsi sa présence géographique sur cette classe d’actifs. Cela fait suite à l’arrivée, en janvier 2018, de David Cumming au poste de responsable de la gestion actions, illustrant la volonté grandissante d’Aviva Investors de développer ses ressources dédiées aux actions. Susan Schmidt sera basée à Chicago et travaillera sous la responsabilité de David Cumming. Elle a auparavant été, pendant trois ans, gérante de portefeuille senior, responsable des petites et moyennes capitalisations américaines pour Westwood Holdings Group.

Scor présente sa stratégie en matière de politique ESG dans le cadre de sa participation au prix des Couronnes Instit Invest 2018. Elle se concentre sur les obligations catastrophes, l’immobilier en direct, les dettes immobilières et infrastructures, les obligations privées « vertes » , et des participations dans des entreprises spécialisées pour la promotion de la recherche et de la connaissance.

State Street Global Advisors vient de recruter Matteo Andreetto en tant que managing director senior et responsable de l’activité SPDR ETFs pour l’Europe, le Moyen-Orient et l’Afrique.L’intéressé vient de Stoxx (groupe Deutsche Börse) où il était CEO et responsable Index Services. Avant cela, il a occupé des postes à responsabilité dans les activités marchés de capitaux de différentes banques (UniCredit, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch et Goldman Sachs). Basé à Londres, Matteo Andreetto sera rattaché à Rory Tobin, responsable mondial de SPDR ETFs. Il aura comme mission de développer, diriger et mettre en place tous les aspects de la stratégie de l’activité ETF dans la zone EMOA.

Le gérant obligataire Pimco a annoncé ce 1er octobre le lancement du Pimco GIS Global Investment Grade Credit ESG Fund. Ce nouveau fonds constitue la dernière stratégie disponible sur la plateforme ESG de Pimco. Il permet aux investisseurs d’accéder à la l’une des stratégies phare de Pimco axée sur le crédit investment grade international (18,9 milliards de dollars sous gestion) tout en prenant en compte les enjeux sociaux et environnementaux. Le Pimco GIS Global Investment Grade Credit ESG Fund vise à maximiser le rendement total en investissant dans le crédit investment grade de qualité tout en ayant un impact social positif. Le style d’investissement conjugue analyses top-down et bottom-up, guidées par des tendances tant cycliques que séculaires, et met l’accent sur la diversification. Ce nouveau fonds est géré par la même équipe que le Pimco GIS Global Investment Grade Credit Fund, à savoir Mark Kiesel, CIO Global Credit, ainsi que Mohit Mittal et Jelle Brons, tous deux Gérants de portefeuilles, en collaboration avec Mike Amey, responsable des stratégies ESG. Le cadre ESG de Pimco, qui, souligne un communiqué, «tire profit du processus d’investissement fondamental de Pimco et des ressources employées depuis plusieurs dizaines d’années pour la gestion des portefeuilles d’obligations mondiales», s’articule autour de trois éléments : exclusion, évaluation et engagement. Les sociétés dont les pratiques ne sont pas en ligne avec certains principes de durabilité sont exclues des portefeuilles ESG de Pimco. Les entreprises sont également évaluées selon leur historique en matière de critères ESG, et celles qui disposent des meilleures pratiques en la matière sont privilégiées. Concrètement, l'équipe entre en collaboration avec les sociétés, les encourage à améliorer leurs pratiques ESG et à amorcer des changements sur le long terme. Le nouveau fonds sera disponible dans différentes classes d’actions et devises.

Le gestionnaire d’actifs britannique Ashmore, spécialiste des marchés émergents, vient de lancer un nouveau fonds actions dédié à l’Indonésie dont la vocation est de saisir les opportunités d’investissement dans le pays, a appris Citywire Selector. Baptisé Ashmore Indonesia Sicav, ce nouveau véhicule est géré par l’équipe actions de la société, qui gère déjà des stratégies mondiales, régionales ou dédiées à un seul pays. La sélection des valeurs s’appuiera sur des recherches sur le terrain, indique le site d’information britannique.

L’assureur britannique Prudential a annoncé, ce 1er octobre, la nomination de Mike Evans en qualité de président de sa filiale de gestion d’actifs et d’assurance vie M&G Prudential, dont la scission est prévue prochainement. L’intéressé rejoint le conseil d’administration de M&G Prudential avec effet immédiat.Mike Evans, qui compte 36 ans d’expérience dans les secteurs de l’épargne et de la gestion d’actifs, a précédemment officié en tant que président de Hargreaves Lansdown et président de ZPG. Au cours de sa carrière, il a également travaillé en tant que directeur des opérations chez Skandia UK, qu’il avait rejoint en 1986, puis comme administrateur non-exécutif du groupe d’assurance Esure et comme administrateur senior indépendant de Chesnara. Il est actuellement président du conseil d’administration de la société Just Eat.« La nomination de Mike Evans est la dernière étape en date dans le cadre du projet de scission de M&G Prudential du groupe Prudential, qui se traduira par la coexistence de deux sociétés cotées séparément », indique l’assureur britannique dans un communiqué. La nomination de Mike Evans a été approuvée par la Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) et la Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). « D’autres nominations au sein du conseil d’administration de M&G Prudential seront annoncées en temps voulu », précise Prudential.