M&G Investments a annoncé le 2 janvier la nomination de James Tomlins en qualité de co-gérant pour son fonds obligataire de haut rendement, le M&G High Yield Corporate Bond Fund, qu’il gérera aux côtés de l’actuel responsable du fonds Stefan Isaacs. Jusqu’ici, James Tomlins occupait le poste de deputy manager pour ce même fonds mais sans en assurer la responsabilité. Dans le cadre de ses nouvelles fonctions, James Tomlins sera chargé de la sélection des titres pour ce véhicule obligataire qui pèse 1,3 milliard de livres. Stefan Isaacs, pour sa part, sera responsable de la stratégie de duration et d’allocation d’actifs régionale.Ancien gérant de Cazenove Capital Management, James Tomlins a rejoint M&G en juin 2011 où il était devenu gérant du M&G European High Yield Bond Fund en décembre 2011.
Henderson High Income Trust Plc, filiale de Henderson Global Investors, a nommé David Smith, à compter du 2 janvier, au poste de co-gérant et responsable des portefeuilles de la compagnie aux côtés d’Alex Crooke, lui-même en poste depuis 1997. Arrivé chez Henderson Global Investors il y a 11 ans, David Smith a grimpé tous les échelons jusqu’à devenir gérant de fonds en 2008. Il occupait la fonction de Deputy Portfolio Manager depuis janvier 2013.
Eberhard Heck, directeur central de la banque privée allemande Hauck & Aufhäuser (H&A) et responsable de la clientèle de conseillers en gestion de patrimoine indépendants, va quitter ses fonctions pour raisons personnelles. Selon un communiqué de presse de H&A, il souhaite se concentrer sur le rétablissement de sa santé. Il demeure responsable de plusieurs mandats pour le moment.
La boutique de gestion allemande AMF Capital a annoncé le 2 janvier le lancement d’une nouvelle catégorie de fonds sous l'étiquette «Family & Brands» qui va se concentrer sur les sociétés dirigées par des familles et les sociétés dont les marques sont très visibles dans leurs secteurs respectifs.Les trois nouveaux fonds dans cette catégorie, AMF Family & Brands Renten, AMF Family & Brands Aktien et AMF Renten Welt, seront disponibles au Luxembourg, en Autriche et en Allemagne. Les deux premiers fonds investiront dans des actifs au niveau mondial, alors que le troisième s’intéressera plus particulièrement à la dette corporate libellée en euro.Les fonds seront gérés par Allan Valentiner, Ralf Müller-Rehbehn et Markus Mitrovski. Allan Valentiner, qui a rejoint la société en novembre, sera responsable des stratégies obligataires avec Markus Mitrovski tandis que Ralf Müller-Rehbehn, un ancien de Union Investment et Deka, prendra en charge les stratégies actions.
La société singapourienne Javelin Wealth Management a annoncé l’acquisition de la société de gestion locale Binjai Hill Asset Management (BHAM) pour un montant non dévoilé, rapporte le site International Adviser.Créée en 2004 par le Britannique Stephen Davies, Javelin Wealth Management, dont il est toujours le directeur général et principal actionnaire, élargit ainsi son offre de produits et de services afin d’accentuer sa différenciation par rapport aux autres banques privées et conseillers financiers de Singapour. Grâce à cette transaction, Javelin voit ses actifs conseillés passer d’environ 80 millions de dollars à 100 millions de dollars.
La société de gestion russe Renaissance Asset Managers, spécialisée sur les marchés émergents et les marchés frontières, a liquidé son fonds de dette russe, le Renaissance Russia Debt A USD fund, en raison d’une érosion des actifs en dessous du seuil minimum de viabilité, rapporte Citywire.Le fonds domicilié au Luxembourg avait été lancé en novembre 2010, géré dans un premier temps par Adrian Harris puis par Elena Kochina à compter de novembre 2011. Selon les données de Lipper, les actifs sous gestion du fonds s'élevaient à 4 millions de dollars le 16 décembre dernier, lors de sa fermeture. Les actifs avaient culminé à plus de 70 millions de dollars en juin 2011.Le fonds a dégagé une performance de 15,7% en dollars entre son lancement en novembre 2010 et sa fermeture le 16 décembre dernier. Durant la même période, son indice de référence, le Micex Corporate Bond Index, a progressé de 18,74%.
www.fondscheck.de) - Die AMF Capital AG (Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender: Johannes Führ) lanciert drei neue global anlegende Fonds, wie in einer aktuellen Pressemitteilung der Gesellschaft zu lesen ist.Die drei Fonds sind in Luxemburg, Deutschland und Österreich zugelassen.Der AMF Renten Welt (ISIN LU1009606721 / WKN A1XBAQ) investiert in eine ausgewogene Mischung von Staatsanleihen, Anleihen von Finanztiteln und Unternehmensanleihen, jeweils in Euro denominiert. Ziel der Anlagepolitik besteht im Werterhalt und der Erzielung eines positiven Ertrags. Alle Anleihen müssen die strengen Qualitäts- und Liquiditätsvorgaben von AMF Capital einhalten, so das Unternehmen.Die Family & Brands-Fondsfamilie umfasst die besten familiengeführten Unternehmen sowie Unternehmen mit großen Marken.Der Fonds AMF Family & Brands Renten (ISIN LU1009606481 / WKN A1XBAN) investiert ausschließlich in Euro-denominierte Covered Bonds. Das Fondsmanagement hat sich dabei zum Ziel gesetzt, mit einem kombinierten Portfolio aus Anleihen aus dem Family & Brands-Universum eine überdurchschnittliche Rendite zu erreichen.Hauptziel des Fonds AMF Family & Brands Aktien (ISIN LU1009606051 / WKN A1XBAM) ist es, ein attraktives Kapitalwachstum in Euro zu erwirtschaften. Die Fonds werden von Allan Valentiner, Ralf Müller-Rehbehn und Markus Mitrovski gemanagt. (02.01.2014/fc/n/n)
Le patrimoine global net des organismes de placement collectif et des fonds d’investissement spécialisés s’est élevé à 2.607,728 milliards d’euros au 30 novembre 2013 contre 2.590,128 milliards d’euros au 31 octobre 2013, soit une augmentation de 0,68% sur un mois, selon le statistiques communiquées par la Commission de surveillance du secteur financier (CSSF). Considéré sur la période des douze derniers mois écoulés, le volume des actifs nets est en augmentation de 10,51%.L’industrie des OPC luxembourgeois a donc enregistré au mois de novembre une variation positive se chiffrant à 17,600 milliards d’euros. Cette augmentation représente le solde des émissions nettes positives à concurrence de 10,674 milliards d’euros (+0,41%) et de l’évolution favorable des marchés financiers à concurrence de 6,926 milliards d’euros (+0,27%).
Harcourt Investment Consulting (groupe Vontobel Asset Management) a lancé la troisième stratégie de sa nouvelle famille de produits, les «Research-Driven Strategies» (lire Newsmanagers du 30/10/2013). Le fonds Vontobel Fund Pure Premium Strategy (ISIN LU0971938781) est géré par Martin Tschunko et est investi dans les primes d’options de différentes classes d’actifs.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is going to crack down on brokers who push frontier market funds and other higher-risk products on unsophisticated retail investors, the Financial Times reports. Finra, announcing its 2014 calendar, has declared that US investors have not been receiving appropriate information about the risks of emerging market funds, ETFs and transfers from their 401k retirement plans.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the financial market watchdog for the United Kingdom, in 2013 posted a spectacular rise in the number of requests for co-operation from counterpart bodies worldwide, in a sign of the increasingly international nature of fraud. With more than 1,000 requests for assistance already on the records, and a flood of requests in the final few days of the year, the FCA may beat its record, set in 2011 (1,023), and has already topped the 2012 level (857) by 17%, according to Agefi.
The Singapore-based advisory firm Javelin Wealth Management has announced the acquisition of the local asset management firm Binjai Hill Asset Management (BHAM), for an undisclosed purchase price, the website International Adviser reports. Javelin Wealth Management, founded in 2004 by the British Stephen Davies, who continues to be CEO and largest shareholder in the firm, is extending its range of products and services to accentuate its difference from other private banks and financial advisers in Singapore. With this transaction, Javelin will see its assets under advice increase from about USD80m to about USD100m.
Eberhard Heck, CEO at the German private bank Hauck & Aufhäuser (H&A) and head of independent financial adviser (IFA) clients, will be leaving his position for personal reasons. According to a press statement from H&S, he would like to concentrate on recovering his health. He will remain responsible for several mandates for the moment.
The German asset management boutique AMF Capital on 2 January announced that it is launching a new category of funds under the label “Family & Brands<” which will concentrate on companies led by families and companies whose brands are highly visible in their respective sectors. The three new funds in this category, AMF Family & Brands Renten, AMF Family & Brands Aktien and AMF Renten Welt, will be available in Luxembourg, Austria and Germany. The first two funds will invest in assets worldwide, while the third will focus more particularly on corporate debt denominated in euros. The funds will be managed by Allan Valentiner, Ralf Müller-Rehbehn and Markus Mitrovski. Valentiner, who joined the firm in November, will be responsible for bond strategies with Mitrovski, while Müller-Rehbehn, formerly of Union Investment and Deka, will be responsible for equity strategies.
Harcourt Investment Consulting (Vontobel Asset Management) has launched the third strategy in its new product family, “Research-Driven Strategies” (see Newsmanagers of 30 October 2013). The Vontobel Fund Pure Premium Strategy (ISIN LU0971938781) is managed by Martin Tschunko, and is invested in bonuses on options in various asset classes.
The CNP Assurances and Humanis groups on 2 January announced that they had received the permission of the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR) and the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) to merge their respective employee savings affiliates, Fogepar SA and Inter Expansion. The new entity, Inter Expansion-Fongepar, is 65% controlled by Humanis, one of the largest joint social
CNP Assurances and Humanis have announced on 2 January that they have received approval from Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR), France’s financial services supervisor, and Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), France’s securities regulator, to merge their employee savings plan management companies, Fongepar SA and Inter Expansion. The new entity, called Inter Expansion-Fongepar, is 65% owned by Humanis, one of France’s premier social protection partners, and 35% by CNP Assurances, France’s leading personal insurer. Inter Expansion-Fongepar manages 600,000 savers’ accounts. «The link-up between Inter Expansion and Fongepar strengthens our position in the employee savings market by combining our employee skills and pooling our technical and financial resources,» said Gilles de Margerie, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Humanis, notably in charge of finance and the savings segment. «It illustrates our goal of optimizing management processes in order to provide the best service at the right cost to each of our clients.» «CNP Assurances and Humanis share the same vision and values in the field of employee savings management,» said Xavier Larnaudie-Eiffel, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at CNP Assurances. «The merger of Inter Expansion and Fongepar is an opportunity to offer an expanded range of products and services.»
According to Agefi, the US asset management firm BlackRock has passed the 5% threshold of capital in Vivendi, following purchases of shares on and off the market, the French financial market authority Autorité des marchés financiers announced on Tuesday. It holds slightly over 5%, putting it on an equivalent level to Vincent Bolloré. It had previously controlled 4.6% of the media group.
A growing number of investors and analysts based in the United Kingdom claim that equities in developed countries, as well as sovereign bonds and corporate bonds, are overvalued. The source of this appreciation is highly accommodating monetary policies, which have largely contributed to the inflation of assets. The proprtion of investment professionals based in the United Kingdom who feel that shares in developed markets are considerably overvalued have increased to 44% at the end of 2013, from 37% in third quarter, according to the CFA UK Valuations Index. The percentage of professionals who claim that the asset class is undervalued or considerably undervalued have meanwhile fallen from 27% in third quarter to 22% in fourth quarter. As has already been the case for the past two years, government bonds remain the most overvalued asset class, with 78% of participants in the survey considering them overvalued or very considerably overvalued, a percentage up 5% compared with the previus quarter. Meanwhile, the percentage of investors who perceive undervaluation has declined by 6%. Corporate bonds are also considered overvalued by 66% of the sample, compared with 64% previously.
Henderson High Income Trust Plc, an affiliate of Henderson Global Investors, has appointed David Smith, from 2 January, as co-manager and head of portfolios at the company, alongside Alex Crooke, who himself has been in the position since 1997. Smith, who joined Henderson 11 years ago, rose through the ranks to become a fund manager in 2008. He has served ass Deputy Portfolio Mnager since January 2013.
Invesco is in the process of closing its Middle East and North Africa ETF, as the size of the fund has fallen below its initial objective, Citywire reports. According to the website, the PowerShares Middle East North Africa Nasdaq OMX will be liquidated on 1 April, with final settlement scheduled for 11 April 2014. Invesco, whose range of ETFs is on sale under the PowerShares brand, has explained its decision as a result of the fact that “assets under management have fallen below a level at which the fund may no longer be considered viable.” Shares in the fund may be redeemed if its net asset value is below USD350m for a period of 30 consecutive days. Invesco confirms that this value was “significantly below” that level in the past month.
The resolution of a taxation conflict with the United States has moved into a new phase: about 300 banks active in Switzerland had a deadline of 31 December last year to decide whether or not to file as category 2. According to the Swiss media, 30 firms have chosen to register as category 2, out of 50 which had said they intended to as part of a programme offered to them by the US tax authorities. These include mose of the cantonal banks. The firms which have chosen category 2 are not yet monitored by the US tax authorities, but they claim after initial investigations to have good reasons to believe they have violated US law by contributing to tax evasion, without, however, having encouraged such a practice.
DoubleLine Total Return Bond Fund, the flagship fund from the asset management firm led by Jeffrey Gundlach, has seen outflows totalling USD2.08bn in December, the news agency Reuters reports. The flagship fund from DoubleLine Capital has posted outflows totalling about USD6bn since the beginning of the year, according to data from Morningstar consulted by the news agency.
BlackRock is preparing to intervene in a battle over the financial future of Detroit, where the treatment of bondholders is posing problems, the Financial Times reports. The asset management firm has filed a delcaration with the courts in which it reserves the right to support those fighting for bondholders to be paid off before pensioners and other creditors. The bankruptcy of Detroit poses a problem for the classification of general bonds.
Energy sector funds look set to post full-year inflows for the first time since 2010 despite the mixed outlook for oil prices and the eroding state support for alternative energy subsidies. Fundamentals, while increasingly supportive, are not the driving force behind this year’s inflows. They real key has been an aggressive rotation – now in its third year -- from traditional funds to those investing in Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs), a vehicle so far confined to the US that allows investors to take tax deferred distributions and, in the case of MLP funds, gives them the option to trade their investment like a stock. Mid-December the energy MLP funds tracked by EPFR Global had attracted a net USD8.73 billion in new inflows, more than offsetting over USD3.5 billion in redemptions from conventional energy sector funds. The interest in Energy MLPs has had the effect over the past three years of concentrating energy sector portfolio capital flows in US ‘mid-stream’ assets such as gas and oil pipelines and storage facilities while Europe-domiciled Energy Sector Funds have seen over USD6 billion redeemed since the beginning of 2012. Assets in MLP vehicles, which currently number slightly over 120, have over USD500bn. There may be more than 200 by the end of the decade, with assets of approximately USD1trn.
The global investor confidence index published by State Street Global Exchange has increased by 4.7 points in December, to finish the year at 95.9 compared with a level of 91.2 (in corrected data) in November. This improvement is the result of a slight increase in investor confidence in the United States, from 89.2 to 90.2, and a significant rise in confidence in Europe, from 101.0 (corrected figures) last month to 107.1 in December. For tis part, the investor confidence index in Asia is down slightly, to 98.5, from 99.3 in November, as economic growth in the region has been the subject of increased concern. “The ongoing progress of fundamental economic data in the United States, especially in the area of employment, finally appear to have won over investor sentiment concerning the ‘tapering’ policy to gradually reduce bond repurchases by the Fed,” says Harvard professor Ken Froot. “It is not rare for high-risk assets to be negatively affected by good economic data, at a wime when investors are concerned about the future of quantitative easing policies and the beginning of ‘tapering.’ The Us Federal Reserve has finally convinced investors to its own interpretation, by which the economy may recover without such radical support measures. With this in mind, investors are accepting an increase in interest rates as an inevitable but bearable consequence of more solid growth, instead of seeing in it evidence of increased constraints on market liquidity and a looming collapse of growth.”
On the basis of market trends, 2014 may see ETFs overtake hedge funds in terms of assets, says Tim Edwards, director and head of Index Investment Strategy at the index provider S&P Dow Jones Indices. Hedge funds continue to promise alpha at particularly high commission levels, at a time when ETFs have increasingly been gaining ground due to their own characteristics: low cost, liquidity and transparency. Edwards admits that it is difficult to advance completely reliable figures for a sector which remains excessively opaque, but on the basis of estimates by BarclayHedge, he predicts that assets in ETFs will very soon excees hedge funds, if they have not already done so.
The Russian asset management firm Renaissance Asset Managers, a specialist in emerging and frontier markets, has liquidated its Russian debt fund, the Renaissance Russian Debt A USD fund, due to an erosion in assets below the minimal viability level, Citywire reports. The Luxembourg-domiciled fund was launched in November 2010, and was first managed by Adrian Harris and then Elena Kochina, from November 2011. According to data from Lipper, assets under management in the fund totalled USd4m as of 16 December last year, when the fund was closed. Assets peaked at about USD70m in June 2011. The fund has earned returns of 15.7% in US dollars between its launch in November 2010 and its closure on 16 December. In the same period, its benchmark inde, the Micex Corporate Bond Index, has gained 18.74%.
The overall net assets in collective investment organisms and specialised investment funds has totalled EUR2.607728trn as of 30 November 2013, compared with EUR2.590128trn as of 31 October 2013, an increase of 0.68% in one month, according to statistics from the financial sector surveillance commission (CSSF). Over the past twelve months, net asset volumes are up 10.51%. The Luxembourg OPC industry thus shows positive growth in the month of November of EUR17.600bn in volume. This increase represents the balance of positive net issues totalling EUR10.674bn (+0.41%) and a favourable evolution of the financial marktes, totalling EUR6.926bn (+0.27%).
L’excédent commercial du Brésil a fondu de 87% en 2013, à 2,56 milliards de dollars (1,9 milliard d’euros environ), reflétant la baisse des prix des matières premières, la hausse des importations d'énergie et une moindre compétitivité des produits industriels brésilien. Le chiffre publié jeudi par le ministère du Commerce est le plus faible enregistré depuis 2000 et il se compare à un excédent de 19,39 milliards en 2012.