The Schroder ISF Pacific Equity fund is changing its name. The product, managed by Robin Barbrook and his team, will now become known as the SISF Asian Opportunities fund, in order to better represent its investment universe and objectives.

In first quarter 2012, net profits at Santander Asset management fell 6.6% compared with January-March 2011, to a total of EUR17m, of which EUR14m were for investment funds, and EUR3m for pension funds, Funds People reports.As of 31 March, assets were up 3% compared with the end of December, to EUR143.7bn, due to market effects and the awarding of new institutional mandates, including one in Germany for corporate bonds. Of this total, investment and pension funds represented EUR115bn, while institutional mandates and separate accounts totalled EUR7.7bn, and the remaining EUR20.3bn were managed for other entities of the group.Spain is only the second-largest market for Santander AM, with assets of EUR36bn (-8% compared with the end of March 2011), after Brazil (EUR49bn, +3%). The UK, for its part, accounts for EUR23bn, and Mexico, EUR10.5bn.

Kurt Feuerman, who left Caxton Associates to join AllianceBernstein in June 2011, is managing the new Luxembourg-registered fund AB Select Absolute Alpha Portfolio (LU0736558973), whose portfolio is composed of 60 to 120 positions, with the help of five analysts.The product is an absolute return fund with no benchmark, which invests in US equities.

According to a survey by PerTrac, the number of single-manager hedge funds and funds of hedge funds as of the end of 2011 came to 13,395, 3.73% more than one year previously, while total assets, at USD2.245trn, were up 3.37% in one year. The number of single-manager hedge funds increased by 6.98% in 2011, to 10.007, with assets up 4.2% to USD1.798trn.More than half of these hedge funds and funds of hedge funds are denominated in US dollars, and 77% are denominated either in US dollars or in euros.PerTrac also finds that single-manager hedge funds with assets of over USD1bn represent only 3.9% of funds which publish results, but control more than 60% of the total AUM. As of the end of last year, there were 322 single-manager hedge funds in this class, with total assets under management of USD1.080trn, which represents an increase of only 1.40% in one year.In the same period, the number of funds of hedge funds with assets under management of over USD1bn rose by nearly 18%, while the total number of funds of hedge funds fell 4.8%, to 3,388.In geographical terms, the PerTrac study funds that single-manager hedge funds and funds of hedge funds based in the United States as of the end of 2011 account for about USD950bn, or 42.3% of global assets, while the United Kingdom ranks second with USD574bn, or 25.6% of the total.

European equity and bond funds have undergone significant redemptions in the week to 25 April, due to tensions on European markets related to the victory of François Hollande in the first round of French presidential elections, as investors have been preferring US or emerging market bond funds. Bond funds have posted net inflows of USD4.8bn in the week to 25 April, with subscriptions to US bond funds representing 90% of this total, EPFR Global reports. For their part, emerging market bond funds have attracted a net total of USD540m. Equity funds, meanwhile, have seen redemptions totalling USD7.4bn. European equity funds have posted net outflows of USD4.6bn. Emerging market equity funds finished the week with outflows of USD377.6m, bringing net inflows since the beginning of the year to USD20.7bn. Lastly, inflows of USD2.8bn to European money market funds have more than offset redemptions from US money market funds.

In the past month, Spanish security funds have seen continuing net redemptions totalling EUR673m, compared with EUR427m in March, EUR4m in February and EUR401m in January. This is, therefore, according to statistics from the Inverco association of asset management firms, the 13th consecutive month of net redemptions.Total assets have declined by EUR2.343bn in one month, to a total fo EUR127.221bn as of the end of the month. In the first four months of the year, assets have declined by EUR510m, or 0.4%. Market effects are to blame for 79% of the decline in assets under management in April, compared with 21% due to net redemptions.Of the 14 largest asset management firms by asset volumes, only three show net subscriptions: Popular Gestión, which attracted EUR70.8m, Bankinter Gestión de Activos (with EUR60.95m), and Bestinver (EUR0.36m).On the opposite side, Santander Asset Management ande BBVA Asset Management have seen net redemptions of EUR135.9m and EUR175.5m, respectively. But the largest net outflow was from Invercaixa Gestión, with EUR218.6m.

In its Market Vectors series of ETFs, Van Eck on 25 April launched its Market Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat Research ETF (acronym on NYSE Arca: MOAT). The fund aims to replicate the Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index (MWMFTR), which uses Morningstar research to identify businesses which will be likely to retain their competitive advantage for at least 20 years.The index includes 20 shares whose valuations are the most attractive according to the Morningstar methodology. From its launch in February 2007 until the end of March 2012, the index has generated annualised returns of 8.4%, compared with 1.7% for the S&P 500 index.The MOAT fund, which becomes the 48th Market Vectors ETF, has a TER capped to 0.49% until at least 1 May 2013.

BlackRock has announced that it has launched two new ETFs from iShares on the BATS platform on 26 April. The products invest in US corporate bonds in specific credit quality categories, and come as additions to the iShares AAA-A rated Corporate fund (acronym: QLTA), launched in February.The funds are the iShares BAA-BA rated Corporate Bond Fund (QLTB), and the iShares B-CA Rated Corporate Bond Fund (QLTC), which charge 0.30% and 0.55%, respectively.

With the UniGarant: Erneubare Energien (2018), the central asset management firm for the German co-operative banks, Union Investment, will be launching a guaranty fund on 20 June which focuses on renewable energies. The subscription period, which will remain open until 30 April, will conclude on 15 June. Union guaranteed a redemption at maturity (22 June 2018) of the initial investment, minus the front-end fee, deposit costs, intervening distributions and potential withholding taxes. In addition, the fund will pay a portion of the average evolution of an international index of shares in operators in renewable energies, wind farm operators, solar power farms, hydroelectric power plants and geothermal installations.The portfolio will be managed by Thomas Deser.As of the end of February, Union Investment managed about 90 guaranteed funds, with total assets of EUR16,1bn. CharacteristicsName: UniGarant: Erneuerbare Energien (2018)ISIN code: LU0729215185Front-end fee: 4%Management commission: 0.80% (maximum 1.5%)Penalty for early withdrawal: 2%

From 25 April to 6 May, the German asset management firm SEB Asset Management is accepting redemption requests for the open-ended real estate fund SEB ImmoInvest (DE0009802306), with EUR6.3354bn in assets as of the end of March. Redemptions have been frozen for nearly two years. On 7 May, either gross liquidity (over 30% of assets) will be sufficient to honour all redemption demands, and all demands will be honoured, or else no redemptions will be given out.If enough shareholders wish to remain invested in the fund, the fund will not be liquidated, but will instead come under the new investor protection law (Anlegerschutz- und Funktionsverbesserungsgesetz or AnsFuG), which means that ImmoInvest will no longer be subject to daily liquidiy requirements, but will be allowed to issue redemptions only once per year. Ultimately, says Barbara Knoflach, Ceo of SEB AM, investors will decide the fate of the ImmoInvest fund.SEB Asset Management states that as a precaution, the net asset value per share has been reduced by 5%.The fund has already sold off 17 properties for over EUR1bn. SEB AM also adds that the fund’s Berlin properties on Potsdamer Platz should not be regarded as a single asset, unlike what reports in the press may have suggested, but are divided in 19 different properties corresponding to various uses (office, retail, residential, etc).

The transposition of the UCITS IV directive into Italian law is becoming a major ordeal, Plus 24, the weekly supplement of Il Sole – 24 Ore reports. After a long delay, the Italian council of ministers on 6 April approved a decree to transpose the directive. But since then, the decree has still not been published in the Italian official journal (Gazette Ufficialle), which would allow Consob, the Italian financial regulator, to make modifications to its rules.

Assets under management at Man group as of 31 March totalled USD59bn, compared with USD58.4bn as of the end of December 2011, according to statistics released by the British group.First quarter ended with outflows of USD1bn, as subscriptions of USD3.1bn were not enough to compensate for redemptions totalling USD4.1bn. Market effects totalled USD2bn, with gains of 5% or more for many strategies. There was also a negative currency effect of USD400m.

15% of shareholders in Man Group rejected the firm’s 2011 annual report on remuneration at a general shareholders’ meeting on Tuesday, the Financial Times reports. The firm has missed its objectives on six key performance indicators set by the board of directors last year. Despite that, Peter Clark, CEO, was proposed a USD7m pay. The hedge fund firm, listed in London, nonetheless managed to see off a larger rebellion by promising to improve in the coming months, the FT adds.

Aberdeen has posted a 14% increase in its underlying pre-tax profits for the first half of its fiscal year (ending on 31 March 2012) compared with March 2011, at GBP162.2m. Its earnings totalled GBP413.1m, up 7%. The Scottish asset management firm has posted assets under management as of the end of March of GBP184.7bn, up from GBP181.2bn at the end of March 2011. Compared with GBP169.9bn at the end of September 2011, Aberdeen has also seen an increase in its assets, largely due to positive market and interest rate effects. The firm has seen net redemptions, however, of EUR0.4bn in first half, despite net subscriptions of GBP4.9bn to equities.

Schroders announced on Friday that its wholly owned subsidiary, Schroder Singapore Holdings Private Limited, has reached agreement to acquire 25 % of the share capital of Axis Asset Management Company, the Indian asset management business of Axis Bank Limited.Longer term, in addition to distributing Axis AMC’s funds internationally, there will be an opportunity to distribute Schroders funds in India through Axis’ distribution network, according to a press release.Axis AMC was founded in 2009 and has assets under management of circa USD2.3 billion.The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to complete during 2012.

Alliance Trust Investments has recruited the bond manager Juan Valenzuela from SWIP, to manage a new bond fund, Investment Week reports. He will join the firm in May.

La Caisse de pensions de la République et Canton du Jura (CPJU) (950 millions de Francs Suisse) a sélectionné un nouveau gérant, Mirabaud & Cie, à qui a été confié un mandat de gestion semi passive sur les actions Suisses. La Caisse a suivi les conseils du cabinet PPCmetrics à Zurich. Le régime a aussi approuvé une nouvelle stratégie d’allocation d’actifs proposée par PPCmetrics mais doit attendre des décisions politiques à propos du Fonds avant de l’exécuter. Concernant ses investissements core, la Caisse a délégué un mandat de gestion passive d’actions internationales à Pictet Asset Management, un mandat d’obligations en devises étrangères à Valiant Privatbank et le mandat à Mirabaud cité ci dessus. L’actuelle stratégie d’investissement est la suivante : 11% en obligataire en Francs Suisses, 14% en obligataires non Suisses, 15% en actions locales, 18% en actions internationales, 4% en actions pays émergents, 22% en immobilier Suisse, 3%en immobilier international, 6% en Hedge Funds, 7% en matières premières gérées passivement.

Jean-Pierre Mottura, directeur général de la Capssa dans un entretien accordé à Newsmanagers: Au 30 mars, notre portefeuille était composé de 79,18 % de monétaire, dont 4,83 % en certificats de dépôt d’une grande banque avec un rendement de 2,11 % sur neuf mois. Nous avions aussi 0,5 % de trésorerie dynamique (monétaire plus actions), 7,4 % en obligataire, dont 5% en duration courte de 3 ans avec des notations comprises entre A- et BBB+. Notre portefeuille affichait aussi environ 2 % de produits de gestion alternative court terme (arbitrage de risques, VaR2 etc.) et 0,8 % en hedge funds multi gérés sans délais de préavis trop longs. Il y avait par ailleurs 6,1 % en actions, dont 35 % en marchés émergents, 1,4 % en immobilier pierre, 2,2 % en private equity et 0,4 % dans un OPCI institutionnel. Notre allocation est du type 80 % monétaire, 10 % actions et 10 % obligataire. Nous souhaiterions à terme une répartition du type 60/20/20. Et nous avons en principe une visibilité à 10 ans... J’ai pensé qu’il nous fallait augmenter notre allocation aux actions pour améliorer notre rendement. Nous ne sommes certes toujours pas aux 25-30 % que j’avais théoriquement en tête, mais nous conservons le cap avec une approche coeur/satellite, le coeur étant monétaire et le reste étant dédié à la performance pour la performance. Nous ne nous sommes pas soumis au dogme de la gestion sous contrainte de passif (asset-liability management ou ALM) toujours en vogue actuellement, ni à l’allocation-type 60/40 obligations/actions. Nous recherchons davantage la performance que la sensibilité sur notre poche risquée (10%) et notre portefeuille, s’il a un horizon moyen de 8,5 ans (contre 9 ans et 6 mois lorsque je suis arrivé en avril 1999) n’est pas construit dans une approche de long terme. Cela nous a permis de passer finalement sans encombre les années 2008 et 2011.

Le fonds a obtenu une période d’exclusivité de la part des actionnaires d’Alain Afflelou pour finaliser le rachat de l’opticien, ont indiqué lundi les principaux intéressés dans un communiqué commun. Lion Capital, qui s’est déjà illustré en France en rachetant notamment l’enseigne Picard Surgelés en 2010, conduira cette acquisition aux côtés d’Alain Afflelou et de la direction de son enseigne. Aucune valorisation ou détails financiers n’ont été communiqués si ce n’est que le groupe a réalisé près de 800 millions d’euros de chiffre d’affaires dans l’ensemble de son réseau en 2011. Une source proche du dossier a indiqué à Reuters que la transaction valoriserait Afflelou à 780 millions d’euros. Le fonds Bridgepoint avait sorti Afflelou de la Bourse en 2006 pour une valorisation de 500 millions d’euros. La transaction devrait être finalisée au cours du mois de juin, précise-t-on dans le communiqué.

Le gérant britannique de fonds alternatifs a fait état d’une collecte nette négative d’un milliard de dollars au premier trimestre. Sur un an, les actifs sous gestion ont chuté de plus de 14%. L’action a reculé hier de 5,39% à la Bourse de Londres.

Le régulateur boursier chinois a indiqué que les frais sur les transactions boursières effectuées sur les Bourses de Shanghai et Shenzen vont diminuer. Un geste qui traduit la volonté du gouvernement de soutenir le marché. Le régulateur estime que l’impact de ces réductions atteindra 3 milliards de yuans (360,9 millions d’euros), soit une baisse de 25% comparé au barème des frais précédent.

L'organisation des superviseurs de marché suggère, entre autres, d'en finir avec les fonds à valeur liquidative constante

Les gestions ont abaissé leurs prévisions à six mois sur le CAC 40, mais tablent encore sur une progression de 6%

Un retour à 3.100 points, voire sur des supports légèrement plus bas, n’est pas exclu avant la remontée vers les 3.600 points

Paris tente de limiter une surenchère sur la dotation en capital nuisible à ses banques et au marché intérieur

Les ministres des finances de Vingt-Sept se réunissent à Bruxelles pour tenter de déminer le dossier de l’harmonisation de la capitalisation des banques. Ils doivent en particulier trouver un terrain d’entente sur la surpondération discrétionnaire des fonds propres bancaires.

La société américaine de private equity devrait faire demain matin ses premiers pas en Bourse. Si tout va bien. Le quotidien souligne en effet que nombre d’investisseurs manquent d’enthousiasme. Carlyle tente de les convaincre qu’elle est différente de ses concurrents dont le parcours boursier s’avère chaotique. Le nouveau venu sur le marché évoque particulièrement l’intérêt d’une détention de ses titres à long terme plutôt que d’un gain à court terme au moment de l’introduction. Le quotidien cite Timothy Ghriskey, patron de la gestion de Solaris Group, qui indique avoir décliné l’invitation à une réunion de présentation et souligne la volatilité des revenus.

Rabobank étudie la cession de sa filiale de gestion d'actifs. Elle poursuit son recentrage pour répondre au défi que pose Bâle 3

Un scénario d’atterrissage brutal de l’économie chinoise «apparaît hautement improbable» selon Lee Il Houng, le représentant chinois du FMI cité par le journal. Pékin bénéficie, selon lui, de marges de manœuvre suffisantes pour adoucir le ralentissement de son économie, même dans le «scénario extrême» d’une récession sévère en Europe.

Le milliard d’euros de facilité de crédit octroyé par China Development Bank à la Hongrie ne serait qu’une « fraction » des fonds que la Chine serait prête à investir dans l’économie du pays, selon des déclarations au média du premier ministre hongrois Viktor Orban après sa rencontre avec le vice-premier ministre chinois Li Keqiang. Un investissement supplémentaire conditionné à la réalisation d’investissements dans des projets « sensés ».