Le gestionnaire indépendant francfortois Lupus alpha a annoncé le 6 décembre avoir lancé la veille le fonds Lupus alpha Dividend Champions qui se focalise sur les actions européennes à fort dividende dans l’univers des petites et moyennes capitalisations. Les gérants sont Marcus Ratz et Markus Herrmann.Götz Albert, associé de Lupus alpha et directeur de la gestion des portefeuilles «smidcaps», a indiqué que l’objectif consiste à sélectionner un échantillon concentré de 30 valeurs affichant un historique convaincant en matière de distributions et dont le rendement du dividende à l’avenir devrait pouvoir se maintenir en moyenne entre 3 et 4 %. La volatilité devrait être inférieure à celle du Stoxx Europe TMI Small Net Return en euros, et le beta «nettement inférieur» à 1.CaractéristiquesDénomination : Lupus alpha Dividend ChampionsCode Isin : DE000A1JDV61 Droit d’entrée : 5 % maximumCommission de gestion 1 %Commission de performance : 20 % de la surperformance par rapport à l’indice Stoxx Europe TMI Small Net Return avec high watermarkSouscription minimale initiale : 10.000 eurosValeur initiale de la part : 100 euros
Le fonds de pension des salariés du secteur public néerlandais, Stichting Algemeen Pensioen Fonds Aruba (APFA), a confié la conservation de ses encours d’environ 1 milliard de dollars à State Street Corporation.
Nicolas Deblauwe, country head Benelux chez J.P. Morgan Asset management (JPMAM), a annoncé «aux clients et partenaires» que depuis le 3 décembre Antonio Grieco a rejoint son équipe en tant que senior sales manager pour la Belgique et le Luxembourg en partenariat avec Tom Vermeulen. Il remplace Arnaud van der Elst qui a rejoint en octobre J.P. Morgan Pivate Bank.Auparavant, Antonio Grieco était responsable de l’activité institutionnelle chez Dexia Asset Management à Luxembourg.
Les fonds de capital investissement restent généreux avec leurs professionnels, rapporte L’Agefi. Selon une enquête de Preqin sur les pratiques des firmes de private equity, entre 2011 et 2012, 42% des sociétés interrogées ont maintenu les salaires de base des gérants, 45% les ont même augmentés entre 1% et 10%, tandis qu’ils ont augmenté de plus de 10% pour 13% des firmes. Ce qui implique que 1% seulement ont réduit les salaires fixes.Par ailleurs, 55% des firmes de capital investissement sondées envisagent d’augmenter jusqu'à 20% les rémunérations fixes de leurs collaborateurs en 2013. Les baisses ne devraient toujours concerner que 1% des acteurs.
Banca Generali a enregistré en novembre des souscriptions nettes de 51 millions d’euros, ce qui porte à 1,5 milliard d’euros la collecte nette depuis le début de l’année, rapporte Bluerating. Sur ce total, 1,41 milliard est attribuable à la gestion collective.
Le responsable des fonds multi classes d’actifs d’Aviva Investors, Yoram Lustig, va quitter la société, rapporte Investment Week. Jonathan Abrahams, analyste senior dans l’équipe, est aussi parti.
GLG Partners va rouvrir sa gamme de fonds Japan CoreAlpha gérée par Stephen Harker, Neil Edwards et Jeffrey Atherton, rapporte Investment Week. Les fonds basés au Royaume-Uni et en Irlande ont été fermés aux nouveaux souscripteurs en mars afin de protéger les investisseurs existants contre des risques éventuels de liquidité. GLG Japan CoreAlpha avait atteint 1 milliard de livres d’encours avant sa fermeture.
Le responsable de la gestion des actions britanniques de Jupiter, Anthony Nutt, par ailleurs un actionnaire significatif de la société, doit transférer la gestion de ses portefeuilles retail l’an prochain, en préambule à son départ de la société en 2014, rapporte Investment Week.Anthony Nutt, qui aura 60 ans l’an prochain, travaille chez Jupiter depuis 1996, et gère depuis 2000 le Jupiter Income trust dont les actifs sous gestion s'élèvent à environ 2 milliards de livres.
La société de hedge funds TCI a vu son bénéfice net chuter de 60 % sur l’exercice à fin février, à un peu plus de 17 millions de livres, d’après ses derniers résultats cités par Financial News. Mais les rendements se sont améliorés.
Apson, une boutique de hedge funds ayant reçu des capitaux d’amorçage de la part de Howard Marks de Oaktree Capital Management, a annoncé qu’elle fermait moins de 18 mois après son lancement, a appris Financial News. La société n’a pas réussi à gagner d’argent dans un environnement caractérisé par «un manque de tendances et une faible volatilité».
Jupiter veut convertir son fonds European Income en un véhicule mondial dénommé Jupiter Global Equity Income, rapporte Investment Week. Sebastian Radcliffe et Gregory Herbert en deviendraient les co-gérants, succédant à Cédric de Fonclare qui se consacrerait uniquement à ses mandats d’actions européennes.Les souscripteurs du fonds donneront leur avis sur le sujet le 19 décembre dans le cadre d’un vote.
Le gestionnaire munichois iii-investments (groupe UniCredit, au travers de la HVB) a annoncé le 6 décembre le lancement de ce qu’il affirme être le premier fonds immobilier institutionnel investi en obligations et conforme à la loi allemande sur les investissements. Il a obtenu en effet pour ce «debt fund» un mandat de 200 millions d’euros de la part d’une caisse de retraite allemande.Le fonds commencera à acheter des prêts immobiliers auprès de banques durant le premier trimestre 2013. La taille unitaire des financements correspondants doit se situer entre 20 millions et 40 millions d’euros.Reinhard Mattern, directeur général d’iii-investments, compte pouvoir annoncer bientôt le premier «closing» d’un «pool fund» de même conception.
Société Générale Securities Services (SGSS) a nommé Gabriele Pollastri au poste nouvellement créé de responsable des ventes en Italie et en Espagne. Basé à Milan, il est membre de l’équipe commerciale et de relations clients dirigée par Mathieu Maurier. Gabriele Pollastri était auparavant directeur général adjoint de la branche italienne de Bank of New York Mellon (Luxembourg) S.A., où il a participé activement à l’élaboration de la stratégie de la société en Europe du Sud durant huit ans.
EFG Financial Products (EFG FP) a annoncé la nomination de Roman Kurmann en tant que nouveau directeur financier et membre de la direction du groupe. Actuellement managing director auprès de Credit Suisse, l’intéressé devrait prendre ses nouvelles fonctions au premier trimestre 2013, pour autant que la Finma donne son accord, selon un communiqué publié le 6 décembre. Il prend la succession de Michael Hartweg qui devrait se concentrer sur ses fonctions de vice-président et de responsable du pôle Structured Solutions. Roman Kurmann a été CFO de Clariden Leu, filiale de la grande banque suisse. Il y avait en plus endossé la fonction de COO et de responsable Investment Products en 2011, au moment où Credit Suisse a définitivement intégré Clariden Leu. Il a occupé un rôle central dans ce processus et a participé au désinvestissement d’activités de cette banque de gestion de fortune de Credit Suisse.
Via a mutual fund launched in partnership with Arden Asset Management (USD7.5bn in assets), Fidelity is allowing clients of its advisory service (minimal investment: USD50,000) access to a universe of hedge fund managers, the Wall Street Journal reports. Fidelity has given Arden USD700m for the fund, which is already invested in nine alternative managers, including Chilton Investment, Jana Partners and York Capital Management.The fund aims for “high” average performance “in one or low two digits,” over a five-year period. Management commission is set at 2.3%.Since its launch in 1993, the flagship fund from Arden has generated annual returns of 8%, compared with an average of 5.4% for the fund of hedge fund sector, but 8.25 for the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested.
Asset management firms are bringing out a wave of funds investing in short-term bonds, in an effort to retain investors who are steering clear of money market funds, the Financial Times reports. The new vehicles are presented as a means to earn higher returns than money market funds, with only slightly higher risk.
The Munich-based asset management firm iii-investments (UniCredit group, via HVB) on 6 December announced the launch of what it claims is the first institutional real estate fund to invest in bonds in compliance with the German investment law. It has received a mandate for the debt fund of EUR200m from a German pension fund.The fund will begin to acquire real estate loans from banks in first quarter 2013. The unit size of the corresponding financing will range from EUR20m to EUR40m.Reinhard Mattern, MD of iii-investments, is also planning to be able to announce the first closing of a pool fund based on the same concept soon.
FRM, an affiliate of MAN Investments, forecasts in a study that investors will return to the quest for returns in 2013, which will work to the advantage of hedge funds, which are in a favourable situation from two points of view, since they are not handicapped by the financial problems of 2008, and the risk levels in their portfolios are exceptionally low, Funds People reports.FRM predicts that next year hedge funds will continue to increase in 2012 due to positive market effects and net subscriptions. But the increase in flows to the largest hedge funds will be a problem because it will drag down returns. Meanwhile, FRM is predicting the trend of falling commissions to continue.
In a context of all-time low interest rates, institutional invetors are seeking returns outside their home countries. According to a survey of European, Asian and American institutional investors by Pyramis Global Advisors, 43% are planning to increase their exposure to global bond strategies in the coming years. In Europe, 38% of respondents say they would like to seek bond strategies likely to provide added returns in other countries. This trend is even more marked in Asia, where 54% of respondents are planning to do so. Worldwide, 24% of investors say that they are planning to increase their exposure to emerging market debt n the next few years. In Asia, 37% of respondents would like to increase their allocation to emerging debt denominated in hard currencies, while 33% prefer emerging market debt in local currencies.
The hedge fund Diamondback Capital Management on Thursday told investors that it will be closing up shop and liquidating its funds after receiving redemption demands representing more than one quarter of its assets, which would leave only USD1.45bn in assets, the Wall Street Journal reports. “Rather than continuing to manage the capital of investors while restructuring the firm to manage this lower level of assets, we have decided that the more prudent course is to liquidate the fund and reimburse investors,” the founders say in a letter to investors. The move comes at a time when a former Diamondback manager is facing trial for insider trading.
Lyxor Asset Management has appointed Arnaud Llinas as global head of ETF & index-based solution activities. He will begin in the new role on 1 January 2013, and will report to Inès de Dinechin, CEO of the asset management firm. Llinas also becomes a member of the board of directors at Lyxor. Llinas, who will be based in Paris, will work with Clarisse Djabberi, deputy head of ETF & indexing, Raphaël Dieterlein, head of Portfolio management, and François Millet, head fo business line in charge of development for indices. Llinas will help to develop Lyxor’s expertise in the area of index-based management, in order to offer innovative solutions appropriate to the needs of investors, Lyxor notes. Alain Dubois, chairman, will remain in contact with market authorities in relation to innovative ETFs (including “smart beta”). In a statement, the asset management firm says that Llinas joined Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking in 2004, and for four years served as head of trading for market products including market making and ETF structuring, which allowed him to participate in the development of Lyxor ETFs.
Nicolas Deblauwe, country head Benelux at J.P. Morgan Asset Management (JPMAM), has announced “to clients and partners” that from 3 December, Antonio Grieco has joined his team as senior sales manager for Belgium and Luxembourg in partnership with Tom Vermeulen. He replaces Arnaud van der Elst, who in October joined J.P. Morgan Private Bank.Grieco had previously been head of institutional business at Dexia Asset Management in Luxembourg.
In Austria, the fund industry is gradually returning to its all-time highs. The investment fund market is recovering, and for the first time since 2006, is showing positive inflows, with EUR8.8bn in net subscriptions since the beginning of 2012 as of the end of October. This increase represents 6.5% of assets, which now total EUR126bn.Raiffeisen Capital Management, which has published the figures, has posted net subscriptions of about EUR1bn as of the end of October. Market effects accounted for EUR1.5bn. Assets managed by the Austrian asset management firm now total EUR27.8bn, up 0.3% since the beginning of 2012.
With the Ultra Short-Term Bond Fund (ticker: TRBUX), T. Rowe Price is launching a bond fund for very short-term investment in public or private investment grade bonds with a residual time to maturity equal to or less than 1.5 years.The portfolio is managed by Joseph K. Lynagh, and the TER is 0.35%. Minimal subscription has been set at USD2,500 (or USD1,000 for retirement savings plans or gifts to minors).
The BlackRock Public-Private Investment Fund, founded in October 2009 as part of the Legacy Securities Public-Private Investment Program (PPIP), has reimbursed its investors, the US Department of Treasury and its private clients, a total of 1.74 times their initial investment, corresponding to an internal rate of return of 23.5%.The Treasury will have received a net USD917.1m on its investment of USD528.2m, with profits totalling USD388.9m.
The average coverage rate for the liabilities of US corporate pension funds rose to 74.4% in the month of November, up 0.8 percentage points compared with the previous month, according to estimates by BNY Mellon. In the month under review, assets in pension funds increased 0.7% due to the strength of stock markets, while liabilities fell 0.3%. The actualisation rate rose 4 basis points to 3.76% for businesses rated Aa. Despite the rebound in November, the average coverage rate for liabilities in the first eleven months of the year are down by 0.9 percentage points.
The Frankfurt-based independent asset management firm Lupus alpha on 6 December announced that the previous evening it launched the Lupus Alpha Dividend Champions fund, which focuses on European high yield equities in the universe of small and midcaps. The managers are Marcus Ratz and Markus Herrmann.Götz Albert, a partner at Lupus alpha and director of management of smidcaps portfolios, says that the objective is to select a concentrated sample of 30 shares with a convincing track record in terms of dividends, and whose returns from dividends in the future are expected to continue to average 3% to 4%. Volatility must be lower than that of the Stoxx Europe TMI Small Net Return in euros, and beta must be “considerably lower” than 1.CharacteristicsName: Lupus alpha Dividend ChampionsISIN code: DE000A1JDV61Front-end fee: maximum 5%Management commission: 1%Performance commission: 20% of performance exceeding the Stoxx Europe TMI Small Net Return index with high watermarkMinimal initial subscription: EUR10,000Initial value of shares: EUR100
Banca Generali has posted net subscriptions in November of EUR51m, bringing net inflows since the beginning of the year to EUR1.5bn, Bluerating reports. Of this total, EUR1.41bn is due to collective management.
Jupiter is planning to convert its European Income fund into a global vehicle entitled Jupiter Global Equity Income, Investment Week reports. Sebastian Radcliffe and Gregory Herbert will become co-managers, succeeding Cédric de Fonclare, who will dedicate himself exclusively to European equity mandates. Subscribers to the fund will vote on the subject on 19 December.
GLG Partners will reopen its Japan CoreAlpha range, managed by Stephen Harker, Neil Edwards and Jeffrey Atherton, Investment Week reports. The funds, based in the United Kingdom and Ireland, were closed to new subscribers in March in order to protect existing investors against potential liquidity risks. GLG Japan CoreAlpha had GBP1bn in assets before its closure.