La banque a été désignée pour placer un véhicule de 500 millions de dollars. La valorisation pourrait avoir lieu dès cette semaine

« Si des entreprises financières restent hors de la réglementation, nous aurons manqué notre but »

L’Echo reports that a Belgian investor has taken the private bank Dexia Banque Internationale à Luxembourg (Dexia BIL) to court to seek a refund of all the money he lost in the Rafale Partners fund, which was invested in products from Bernard Madoff. He is seeking EUR660,000. The lawsuit comes after the investor refused a proposal from Dexia BIL to refund him more than 50% of his investment.

On Monday, Deutsche Bank announced that it had closed its acquisition of Sal. Oppenheim (EUR137bn in assets as of the end of December). The acquisition price was paid in cash, and totalled EUR1bn, excluding BHF Asset Servicing, which was sold to BNY Mellon. The board of directors of Sal. Oppenheim will be enlarged with the arrival of two directors from Deutsche Bank, Jürgen Dobritzsch and Jürgen Fiedler, who will join the managing board, the former as chief financial officer (finance and management control), and the latter as chief risk officer. In addition, Pierre de Weck, a member of the executive committee at Deutsche Bank in charge of private wealth management, becomes chairman of the supervisory board at Sal. Oppenheim, which will remain a unit of the independent private bank, serving retail and institutional clients. Deutsche Bank states that the investment banking activities of Sal. Oppenheim will be abandoned by the end of the year, while BHF-Bank will continue to operate separately, as Deutsche Bank “studies several strategic options” for the firm.

La Tribune reports that the short list of candidates to acquire KBL European Private Bankers (KBL EPB), the private banking activity of the Belgian financial group KBC, includes five firms. All of them have offered a price of over EUR1.5bn for the company, which manages EUR47bn in assets, the French newspaper notes. Two candidates from emerging countries are in the running: the Brazilian bank Safra and the Indian family investment firm Hinduja, the newspaper reports. In addition to these two, the Italian firm Agnelli, in collaboration with its holding company Exor, the US investment fund KKR in partnership with Luxempart, a holding company owned by the Luxembourg insurance company Le Foyer, and Julius Baer, the only Swiss private bank in the running, are also budding to acquire the business. So far, the five candidates are going over the books and meeting directors of KBL. They will be required to submit their final bids by 9 April.

Robert Michele, who since October 2008 has been director of fixed income management at J.P. Morgan Asset Management in London, is planning to double the firm’s exposure to emerging market corporate debt by the end of the year, according to Investment Week. Michele, manager of the Strategic Bond Fund (GBP52.4m), says that the current weighting of 10% could rise to 20% or 25%. The fund currently holds government debt from Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Israel, Turkey, and Egypt, but Michele would like to add corporate debt from Latin America and Asia.

Thomson Reuters on 15 March announced the launch of 7,500 sector equities indices covering a wide range of regions and sectors (18 regions and 44 countries), including Emerging Market and Asia Pacific sector indices, and specific indices focused on sectors such as water, renewable energies and diversified media.

Judge Belén Sánchez has ordered the real estate fund management firm from Santander to provide the names of all investors who requested redemptions of their shares in the Banif Inmobiliario fund at its last liquidity window in October 2008, Expansión reports. 400 clients have accused the bank of first organising exits for some subscribers, who held 16.9% of assets in the fund, at a time when the net asset value of the fund was at record levels, before causing panic which led investors to demand redemptions of 80% of shares in the fund.

According to a Deutsche Bank AG survey, the majority of investors said they expect to see more than USD100 billion of net assets flow into hedge funds in 2010. That comes after two years of net outflows. The survey reflects the views of roughly 600 investors controlling about USD1.1 trillion in hedge-fund assets. They include funds-of-funds.

Henderson Global Investors has obtained a license from the French regulator AMF to release the New Star Special Situations fund, managed by Richard Pease, former star manager from New Star, in France. The fund, launched on 1 October 2009, deploys “the well-known investment process of Richard Pease, based on the conviction that value management is a source of outperformance in the long term,” says Henderson, which acquired New Star last year. Henderson will limit assets in the New Star European Special Situations fund to about GBP500m, in order to retain a bias on the small and midcaps market. As of 4 March this year the fund had already received investments of GBP152.2m.

State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) on Thursday launched the SPDR S&P Russia ETF, its eighth ETF to replicate the evolution of an emerging market. Assets in the fund as of 5 March totalled USD2.4bn.The new product, whose management commission totals 0.59%, tracks the S&P BMI Russia Capped index (72 positions), and is listed under the acronym RBL on the NYSE Arca platform.

Pressure was mounting for a compromise deal on Tuesday on the European Union’s draft rules on hedge funds and private equity which would reduce British opposition to the regulation, says the Financial Times.

As finance ministers of European Union countries meet this Tuesday to find a compromise on the planned AIFM directive, the British research centre Open Europe has issued a final warning over the dangers the text in its current form poses to the asset management industry as a whole, to investors and to the European economy. According to estimates already advanced by Open Europe, the hedge fund and private equity industries contribute EUR9.2bn per year to tax revenues to the European economy. This total could theoretically be reduced if the directive were retained in its current form. In addition, Open Europe notes, the bill has not been thoroughly amended, and may result in added costs of about EUR8.2bn to investment firms. This cost would largely be passed on to investors. To avoid these eventualities, Open Europe suggests that fewer restrictions should be placed on funds and non-European managers, and that more flexible rules be laid out for depositories. Open Europe also says that it is in favour of the idea that small asset management firms and closed funds (such as investment trusts, for example) be exempted from the directive.

Though operating revenues were down to GBP325m from CHF328m, and EBITDA fell to CHF227m, from CHF240m, the Swiss asset management firm Partners Group posted a 20% increase in its profits for 2009 by IFRS accounting standards, at CHFR205m. Dividends will be increased to CHF4.50 per share, from CHF4.25 for the 2008 fiscal year. This corresponds to a dividend yield of 3.1% on the basis of the closing price of shares in the firm as of 12 March. Assets total about CHF25bn, and the directors of Partners Group confirm that they are expecting net subscriptions this year of CHF4-5bn.

Emmanuel Roulin, who opened the Paris office of Lombard Odier in 2001, and who until the end of last year was head of commercial activities and marketing for relations with institutional clients in Europe, has been appointed head of business development, Asia Pacific, in Hong Kong. In this newly-created position, Roulin will be responsible for development of activities assisting institutional clients in Asia-Pacific for both Lombard Odier Investment Managers and for Lombard Odier Funds. He will be assisted by a marketing and sales team which is in the process of recruitment. Lombard Odier has been providing wealth management services to high net worth investors and families in Hong Kong since 1997, in Tokyo since 1992, and in Singapore since 2007.

South Korean institutions are showing a growing interest in Islamic finance, which appears to be a way to distinguish its financial instruments from traditional products, according to BNY Mellon, which held a seminar on the subject a few days ago in Seoul. According to some estimates, most sukuk bond issues this year may come from the Asian region. Malaysia continues to dominate the Islamic bond market, with a market share of about 80%. But South Korea, a latecomer to this market, nonetheless hopes to do well with the establishment of a fiscal environment favourable to the issue of sukuks.

The directors of several of the largest UK asset management firms (Aberdeen AM, Gartmore, F&C, and others) have put an end to hopes of consolidation in the asset management industry this year, Financial News reports. After speaking to several of them, the news source has found that they will prefer to focus on improving their balance sheets, rather than engaging in deals of this type.

The Chinese National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has announced that it made CNY84.9bn in 2009, which corresponds to returns of 16.1%, while assets allocated to foreign equities earned 53.26%. In 2008, the fund gained only 5.25%, due to losses of CNY39bn for its equities portfolio. Z-Ben Advisors states that in the past nine years, since its inception, the NSSF has earned annualised returns of 9.75%. Assets as of the end of December represented CNY776.5bn, 38% more than at the end of 2008. The objective is to reach CNY1trn by the end of this year.

With the German-registered fund FT MultiAsset VolaTarget 9, Frankfurt Trust, the asset management firm from BHF-Bank, is launching its first fund of funds authorised to invest in equities, bonds, commodities, private equity, real estate, and cash, with the top priority of controlling risk. The two managers, Christoph Kind and Corinna Ament, will invest in various asset classes, whose weighting will be determined by a systematic quantitative selection process, and which will use either ETF or ETC (commodity) products. The risk level is set ex ante at about 9%. Characteristics Name: FT MultiAsset VolaTarget 9 ISIN: DE 000 A0Y CBJ 3 Front-end fee: 5 % Management commission: 1.5 % Depository banking commission (BHF Asset Servicing): 0.1% Minimal subscription: EUR2,500

Ignis Asset Management and its European equities boutique, Argonaut Capital, have announced the launch of the Ignis Argonaut European Enhanced Income Fund. The fund, due to launch at the beginning of April (subject to regulatory approval), will utilise a covered call strategy whereby the manager will sell call options against stocks in the fund to generate a higher level of yield. In its first year the fund will target an annual yield of approximately 7%, with the target adjusted annually within a range of 5% to 9% thereafter. All returns from the Ignis Argonaut Enhanced Income Fund will be hedged to sterling. Oliver Russ, who co-founded Argonaut Capital Partners with Barry Norris, will manage the Ignis Argonaut European Enhanced Income Fund. The new fund will complement the GBP460 million Ignis Argonaut European Income Fund Similar to the European Income Fund, the new portfolio will invest in 30 to 55 stocks, concentrating on three key areas: value stocks offering high dividends and the potential for capital appreciation; growth stocks with high earnings growth and a record of returning cash to shareholders; and special situations, where dividends are currently low but have considerable potential to increase as a result of restructuring or other corporate action.

As a sub-fund of its Luxembourg Sicav Aberdeen Global, the British management firm Aberdeen Asset Management is planning to launch a fund on 1 April 2010, which will come as an addition to its Emerging Markets Bond Fund. The product will be denominated in US dollars, and will invest in bonds from emerging countries denominated in local currencies, and will be entitled Aberdeen Global Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond Fund. At least two thirds of assets will be invested in corporate or government bonds from emerging countries. Currently, according to portfolio manager Kevin Daly, the emerging markets team is overweight in Argentina, and is developing a strong preference for Mexico, Indonesia (“the Brazil of Asia,”) Poland, for its currency, and Hungary, for its interest rates. The Aberdeen Global Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond Fund carries a front-end fee of 4.25%, and a management commission of 1.50%, while minimal subscription is set at USD1.500 or its equivalent.

Selon la Tribune, la «short list» de candidats à la reprise de KBL European Private Bankers (KBL EPB), l’activité de banque privée du groupe financier belge KBC, compte cinq établissements. Tous ont proposé un prix supérieur à 1,5 milliard d’euros pour cet établissement qui gère 47 milliards d’euros d’actifs, note le quotidien.Deux candidats des pays émergents figurent parmi eux : la banque brésilienne Safra et la société familiale d’investissement indienne, Hinduja, indique le quotidien. A ceux-là s’ajoutent les Italiens Agnelli, regroupés dans leur holding Exor, le fonds d’investissement américain KKR allié à Luxempart, un holding détenu par une compagnie d’assurances luxembourgeoise Le Foyer, et Julius Baer, le seul représentant de la banque privée suisse. Pour le moment, les cinq candidats passent au crible les comptes et rencontrent les dirigeants de KBL. Ils doivent remettre leurs offres fermes pour le 9 avril prochain.

Selon Les Echos, la saisie de la Commission italienne des opérations de Bourse (Consob) préfigurant la cotation de la société de gestion d’actifs Fideuram est maintenant imminente. Ce sera chose faite «dans les prochaines heures ou les tout prochains jours», a déclaré hier le directeur d’Intesa Sanpaolo, Gaetano Micciché, en marge d’une convention organisée à Milan par l’Association italienne du private equity (Aifi). Le gendarme de la Bourse a ensuite soixante jours pour valider le prospectus.

Via sa société de gestion de placements immobiliers UFG REM, UFG-LFP lance UFG Prom’Immo, un fonds commun de placement à risques (FCPR) à procédure allégée réservé à des «investisseurs qualifiés». L’objectif de ce fonds est d’investir "à hauteur de 92 % des souscriptions libérées dans des PME principalement en phase d’amorçage et dont l’objet social est en lien avec le développement de projets immobiliers (opérations de promotions immobilières et/ou de marchands de biens)», précise le communiqué de l'établissement. Dans le détail, le FCPR investira dans des régions économiquement fortes et dont les besoins en logements sont importants (Ile-de-France, grandes métropoles régionales). Il tentera de capter un taux de marge important sur fonds propres par opération au sein des PME investies. Enfin, la gestion diversifiera les risques via, notamment, des prises de participations sur plusieurs sociétés, et des projets de promotions indépendants les uns des autres. Caractéristiques : Durée de vie du fonds : 7 ans à compter de sa date de constitution (date d’attestation de dépôt des fonds) et sauf dissolution anticipée. Possibilité d’une prorogation de 2 ans par période d’un an. Catégorie de parts Part A : 1 000 € (décimalisation au centième et au millième) / Part B (carried) : 10 € / Part Fondateur : 1 000 €Droits attachés aux parts : Part A : max 95 % du solde résiduel des profits* du fonds / Part B : max 5 % du solde résiduel des Profits du fondsPériode de souscription : 8 mois à compter de la date de constitution du fondsModalité d’inscription des parts Nominatif pur ou nominatif administré. Au choix du souscripteurFréquence de valorisation : Semestrielle (*) Produits nets et plus-values nettes du fonds

La société de capital-investissement européen Montagu Private Equity, annonce la vente de Sebia SA, le leader dans le diagnostic in vitro du cancer et des hemoglobinopathies par électrophorèse à la société d’investissement européenne Cinven. La réalisation de la transaction reste soumise à l’obtention des autorisations réglementaires d’usage, précise le communiqué.

Selon la Tribune qui reprend une information du Point la semaine dernière, Antoine Gosset-Grainville, directeur adjoint de cabinet de François Fillon depuis mai 2007, devrait bientôt rejoindre le comité de direction de la Caisse des dépôts et consignations (CDC). Il serait chargé de couvrir les activités de la Caisse des Dépôts liées à la sphère concurrentielle. Responsable de la finance et de la stratégie, il aurait notamment pour mission de «muscler la politique de la Caisse en matière de participations, FSI compris», note le quotidien qui reprend des sources dans l’entourage de la CDC.

La holding PELICAN Venture a annoncé lundi 15 mars l’acquisition de la société Avenir Finance Gestion qui devient Promelys Participations. L’acquisition porte sur 80% du capital. Le groupe Avenir Finance conserve le solde et «restera, au terme d’un partenariat sur 5 ans, un distributeur privilégié de l’offre en non coté de Promelys Participations», précise le communiqué de la holding de la famille Gorgé.Promelys Participations assurera dans la continuité la gestion des 17 fonds déjà investis gérés par Avenir Finance Gestion - principalement des FIP et FCPI. La société de gestion compte proposer au public de nouveaux véhicules ou fonds d’investissement de cette nature.

Henderson Global Investors vient d’obtenir l’agrément de l’AMF pour la commercialisation en France du fonds New Star European Special Situations, géré par Richard Pease, l’ancien gérant vedette de New Star. Lancé le 1er octobre 2009, le fonds suit «le processus d’investissement reconnu de Richard Pease, fondé sur la conviction que la gestion value est source de surperformance sur le long terme», précise Henderson, qui a racheté New Star l’an dernier. «Richard Pease cherche à investir dans des sociétés de bonne qualité, actuellement délaissées des investisseurs, mais qui possèdent selon lui des fondamentaux solides et qui surperformeront, à terme, le marché. Il étudie également les sociétés en situation de reprise ou de redressement ainsi que celles susceptibles de faire l’objet d’un rachat», poursuit la société de gestion. Henderson a prévu de limiter à environ 500 millions de livres les encours du New Star European Special Situations afin de conserver un biais sur le marché des petites et moyennes capitalisations. Au 4 mars dernier le fonds avait déjà collecté 152,2 millions de livres. Caractéristiques du fonds Date de lancement : 1er octobre 2009 Devise de référence : livre sterling Indice : FTSE World Series Europe ex UK Total Return Univers : Europe ex UK Structure juridique : OEIC de droit anglais ISIN : Class A Acc GBP : GB00B3W46246 Class A Inc GBP : GB00B42RJH62 Class I Acc GBP : GB00B3Y8HP45 Class I Acc EUR : GB00B3YDT753 Class I Inc GBP : GB00B4MGQR27 Minimum de souscription : Part A GBP : 1.000 livres sterling Part I GBP : 500.000 livres sterling Part A EUR : 5.000 euros Part I EUR : 500.000 euros Frais de gestion : Part A : 1,5 % Part I : 1 % Frais d’entrée : Part A : Max 5 % Part I : 0 % Les parts A sont les parts Retail et les I sont institutionnellesAcc : part de capitalisation Inc : part de distribution

Depuis le 1er janvier 2010, BNP Paribas BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management indique avoir investi pour le compte de ces fonds sous gestion, 66,60 millions d’euros (actes en main), soit un triplement par rapport aux deux premiers mois de l’année 2009.En immobilier d’entreprise : quatre acquisitions ont été réalisées (62,74 millions d’euros «actes en main»). En immobilier résidentiel : un nouveau programme de logements a été acquis pour le compte de la SCPI Scellier « Pierre Avenir » dont la collecte s’est clôturée le 31 décembre 2009. Cette acquisition porte à 15,4 millions d’Euros les investissements déjà réalisées pour cette SCPI, à Paris et en région parisienne. Au titre des deux premiers mois de l’année 2010, BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management a par ailleurs cédé pour le compte de ses fonds sous gestion, 7,65 millions d’euros d’actifs (à comparer aux 21,67 millions d’euros sur les deux premiers mois de l’année 2009).

Natixis a indiqué le 15 mars dans un communiqué poursuivre ses négociations avec AXA Private Equity en vue de la cession de ses activités de private equity pour compte propre en France.AXA Private Equity ayant confirmé le prix de son offre en date du 14 février 2010, la période de négociation a été étendue afin de finaliser les modalités de réalisation de l’opération de cession des activités d’iXEN Partners, de NI Partners ainsi que celles d’Initiative & Finance Gestion.Le communiqué souligne qu’"à ce stade, les informations publiées présentent un caractère non définitif et il ne peut être préjugé de l’issue de ces discussions. Natixis informera le marché de l’éventuelle conclusion d’un accord définitif».