La banque Julius Baer a annoncé le 7 novembre que le transfert des activités de gestion de fortune internationale (IWM) de l’américain Merrill Lynch au Panama vers l'établissement zurichois avait commencé. Cette opération permet de renforcer la présence du groupe suisse dans «cet important marché» et de profiter de la croissance dans le pays et en Amérique latine. Les modalités financières de l’opération n’ont pas été divulguées.La banque américaine a été présente pendant 40 ans au Panama et dispose d’une équipe bien implantée de conseillers servant une clientèle locale et internationale, souligne Julius Bar dans le communiqué. Les employés et la clientèle ont été transférés mercredi, tandis que leurs avoirs seront transférés par étape d’ici à la mi-2014.Julius Baer a obtenu une licence au Panama en août 2013. Ses activités dans le pays seront dirigées par le banquier privé Eduardo Nogueira, qui a rejoint le groupe suisse en février.Le groupe a par ailleurs précisé que le transfert des activités de gestion de fortune internationales de Merrill Lynch en Suisse, en Uruguay, au Chili, au Luxembourg, à Monaco, à Hong Kong, à Singapour, au Royaume-Uni, en Espagne et en Israël avançait «comme prévu». Les prochaines activités transférées se situent au Bahreïn, au Liban et dans les Emirats arabes unis. La phase d’intégration de l’ensemble des activités doit être bouclée au premier trimestre 2015, mais la quasi totalité des actifs sous gestion doivent déjà être transférés cette année.
The financial crisis has not put Asian sovereign wealth funds off the European territory. These sovereign funds are continuing to invest directly in Europe, although they generally use intermediaries and local partners to invest in the United States, according to the SWF Institute.The two Singapore SWFs in particular, GIC Private Limited and Temasek Holdings, have increased their presence in Europe. In the past few months, GIC Private has become the second-largest private shareholder in the Royal Mail. The two Singapore funds have also invested in Rothesay Life, while GIC invested in the Broadgate office and shopping centre.Direct investments by Asian SWFs in the United Kingdom totalled USD18.9bn between third quarter 2011 and second quarter 2012. This is followed by Germany, with USD7.73bn in direct investment, France (USD2.74bn), Switzerland (USD2.63bn), Russia (USD1.91bn), and Spain (USD1.38bn). In the same period, investments in the United States, which are indirect, perhaps except for institutional real estate, totalled USD5.48bn.It is also notable that the Korean sovereign Wealth fund KIC and the Korean pension fund NPS have both opened offices in London. The two major Asian public actors, like their counterparts, would like to increase their European exposure to real estate, bonds, equities and infrastructure.
UBS is building its presence in Geneva in the ultra-high net worth and family office segments. To this end, two new heads have been appointed, and an doffice for the Global Family Office (GFO) in French-speaking Switzerland has been created, according to a statement released on 7 November. The GFO structure in Geneva is now led by Alain Krüger, while Marc Mandosse is responsible for Ultra-High Net Worth (UHNW). The two new heads “have considerable experience in banking and solid international references.” The arrival of Krüger allows UBS to create a branch office for the GFO in French-speaking Switzerland, providing its private clients with “direct access to solutions offered by the UBS group.”
Standard & Poor’s has downgraded the sovereign rating of France one notch to ‘AA’ from ‘AA+'. The ratings agency changed the country’s outlook to stable from negative along with the downgrade."We believe the French government’s reforms to taxation, as well as to product, services and labour markets, will not substantially raise France’s medium-term growth prospects and that ongoing high unemployment is weakening support for further significant fiscal and structural policy measures,» the agency said."Moreover, we see France’s fiscal flexibility as constrained by successive governments’ moves to increase already-high tax levels, and what we see as the government’s inability to significantly reduce total government spending,» it said.
The consultant Eiris recommends that stock exchanges encourage publicly-traded businesses to provide audited environmental, social and governance (ESG) data in a report on sustainable initiatives on financial markets. The firm also recommends co-operation between national regulators to develop rules for initial public offerings with ESG criteria, prefereably on a “comply or explain” basis. The report also identifies the motivations for market businesses to develop sustainable initiatives.
In October and the first ten months of the year, net subscriptions to iShares ETPs have totalled USD5.4bn and USD18.9bn, respectively, while all European promoters (iShares included) respectively had USD4.1bn and USD13.6bn, according to estimates by the BlackRock Institute. iShares is also very far from number one by total assets, with USD194.2bn, out of a total of USD412.8bn.For its part, the European number two by assets (USD56.6bn), db x-trackers (DeAWM), suffered net outflows of USD3bn in October, and USD4.4bn in the first ten months of the year.Lyxor Asset Management, in third place with USD43.1bn in assets, has posted net subscriptions of USD0.4bn for last month, but net outflows of USD1.8bn in January-October. However, number 4, ETF Securities (USD16.7bn), has seen net outflows of USD3.6bn in the first ten months of the year, due to the weight of its gold product.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) approved on November 7 the registrations of the first four trade repositories (TRs) under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR). The following entities are registered as TRs for the European Union (EU):DTCC Derivatives Repository Ltd. (DDRL), based in the United Kingdom;Krajowy Depozyt Papierów Wartosciowych S.A. (KDPW), based in Poland;Regis-TR S.A., based in Luxembourg; andUnaVista Ltd, based in the United Kingdom. The registrations will take effect on 14 November 2013, with the reporting obligation beginning on 12 February 2014, i.e. 90 calendar days after the official registration date.
Federico de Palma, director of marketing for structured products and EMEA funds at Citi since 2007, and Paul Bureau, a member of the global equity flow team at SG CIB, have joined Lyxor Asset Management.De Palma becomes head of ETF marketing, and will co-ordinate with the ETF research team led by Marlène Hassine. Paul Bureau, head of digital marketing, will be responsible for the digital marketing unit, and will supervise the developmentof the web platform and databases.
In third quarter, the asset management unit at Prudential Financial has posted institutional and retail net subscriptions, excluding money market funds, of USD2.7bn, and its assets as of 30 September totalled USD848.1bn, 9% more than one year previously.In total, assets under management by the group overall totalled USD1.076trn as of 30 September, compared with USD1.060trn as of the end of December, and USD1.005trn twelve months previously.Net profits in third quarter totalled USD981m, compared with a net loss of USD627m in the corresponding period of last year. In the first nine months of the year, Prudential Financial has seen a loss of USD264m, compared with a net profit of USD642m in January-September 2012.
47% of asset managers in the U.S. expect to hire dedicated marketing personnel and 41% expect to hire dedicated sales personnel in the next 12 months to support alternative investments, finds a new research from Cerulli Associates."We’ve seen an increase in asset managers capitalizing on investor interest in alternatives by broadening their product lines,» explains Pamela DeBolt, senior analyst at Cerulli. «To be successful, managers must deepen their staff of dedicated professionals to support these efforts.» According to Cerulli, firms have hired more dedicated sales professionals than any other alternatives-related position in the past year. The number of sales personnel dedicated to alternative products increased 54% from 2012 to 2013 among managers that distributed alternatives to both retail and institutional clients. «Alternative products can be complex and hard to understand for both advisors and end clients,» DeBolt continues. «Firms will be most successful when marketing and sales efforts include a significant educational component.»
Skandia has removed 10 funds from its Swedish fund platform and has added six new ones, Privata Affärer reports. “We have removed the funds which did not meet our expectations, either because they did not post satisfactory returns, or because they were too expensive,” explains Jim Rotsman, head of the investment range at Skandia. The funds removed are the following:Carnegie Safety 90 SverigeDWS AgribusinessDWS Clean TechEnter SelectFidelity Emerging AsiaJP Morgan Global Consumer TrendsJP Morgan RussiaOld Mutual World EquitySchroder Global Emerging Markets OpportunitiesSkandia BRICThe funds added are: Prosperity RussiaSkandia TillväxtmarknadsfondCarnegie Swedish Small CapJP Morgan Systematic AlphaSchroder Frontier MarketSkandia Global Exponering
According to an annual survey by Union Investment of 104 German institutional investors, more than two thirds of heads surveyed feel that it is important not to have returns below a given level, 8 points higher than in 2012. Meanwhile, 89% of respondents feel that regulatory obstacles reduce their room to manoeuvre and their capacity to outperform, 5 points more than in 2012, and 15 more than in 2011.Currently, German institutionals are 61% invested in bonds and 11% in money markets (compared with 23% in 2012), while their exposure to equities is limited to 5%. Allocation to alternative investments, for its part, has increased to 18%, from 10% last year.The priorities also have changed: avoiding losses is “extremely important” or “very important” for 82% of respondents, compared with 92% in 2012, but care to achieve a given minimal return has become “particularly important” for 64% of respondents, compared with 55% last year, which shows that pressure on returns has increased. Only 18% of investors, however, now feel that it is “important” to avoid underperformance compared with an index, down from 32% in 2012.
Deutsche Bank has obtained permission from the Chinese banking commission (CBRC) to set up shop in the pilot Shanghai fre zone, according to a statement released on 7 November. The Shanghai office will be responsible for corpoate clients and financial establishments in the region, while offering a wide range of financial services. The German bank already has offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Qinqdao. It also has a regional centre in Hong Kong, which this year celebrated its 55th birthday.
Roger Price-Haworth, head of UK institutional business at BNP Paribas Investment Partners (BNPP IP), has been appointed as head of institutional business development for the United Kingdom and Ireland by Pictet Asset Management. He will be based in London, and will report to Christoph Lanter, head of institutional business development in Geneva.Pictet AM has also announced that from Partners Group it has recruited Anahita Firouzbakht as consulting relations manager in the global consultant relations team. She will also be based in London, and will report to Fawzy Salarbux, head of global consultants.
Old Mutual Wealth, which includes Skandia and Old Mutual Global Investors, has reported growth of 10%, or GBP6.8bn, to its assets under management in the first nine months of 2013, bringing them to a total as of the end of September of GBP76bn. Assets under management at Old Mutual Global Investors as of the end of September totalled GBP15.2bn, up 10% compared with the beginning of the year. Gross inflows in third quarter totalled GBP2bn, up by nearly 80% compared with third quarter 2012. Net inflows in the quarter totalled GBP300m. Assets under management at Skandia were up 16% since the beginning of the year to GBP26.2bn, due largely to the dynamic created by RDR regulations.
Schroders has posted an increase of 31% to its pre-tax profits in the first nine months of the year to GBP349.6m.The British asset management firm has recorded net inflows in the period of GBP5.5bn, nearly the same level as in the first nine months of 2012 (EUR5.3bn). In third quarter alone, the firm had GBP1bn in inflows, of which GBP0.7bn were contributed by Cazenove, a firm recently acquired by Schroders.Assets under mangement at Schroders increased to GBP256.7bn as of the end of September 2013, compared with GBP202.8bn one year earlier, an increase of 27%, to which Cazenove also contributed.
Ignis Asset Management has appointed Eric Stobart and David Watts as non-executive directors. On the board, Eric Stobart will chair the audit and risk committee and David Watts will chair the investment committee.Eric Stobart currently holds non-executive roles in several companies and senior trustee positions on the pension schemes of different groups. He worked for what is now Lloyds Banking Group from 1977 to 2008. David Watts spent most of his professional career at Gartmore. He held various senior management positions including the role of chief investment officer and latterly the role of joint chief executive from 1996 until his retirement in 1999. David Watts is currently a non-executive director at JP Morgan Fleming Income & Growth Investment Trust.
Investec Wealth & Investment has recruited nine people for its teams based in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Fundweb reports. Seven of the nine recruits previously worked at Barclays, while the other two were at Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management. Investec Wealth & Investment had already recruited four investment professionals in August this year from Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management.
Carmignac Gestion has made its funds available over Cofunds, one of the UK’s largest investment platforms managing over GBP50 billion in assets for more than 800,000 investors.Cofunds clients will now have access to six sterling-denominated Carmignac Gestion funds, including the Carmignac Global Bond, Carmignac Emerging Discovery and Carmignac Emerging Patrimoine funds, according to a press release. There are plans to add further funds from the range later this year.“This is a milestone in our UK distribution drive,” said Eric Helderlé, deputy managing director of Carmignac Gestion.
Networks of financial advisers in Italy as of the end of September represented assets under management of EUR270.8bn, according to Assoreti. That represents an increase of 8.7% compared with September 2012. Asset management products attracted the strongest inflows, and represent EUR202bn.
Assets under management for third parties at Generali increased by 3.7% to EUR100bn, the group announced on Thursday. In total, assets under management by the insurer totalled EUR497bn (+2.3%). Operating profits increased by 14.8% to EUR367m.
Barbara Novick, a member of the global executive board at BlackRock, has declared that international regulators have created so many new rules that multinational companies now have to duplicate data which they publish in several countries in which they are present, Financial News reports. Speaking at the EFAMA Forum, she says: “we are in favour of transparency, but we are not in favour of publishing tons of data. Data is not the same thing as information...”
The future of London as a global capital of fund management is assured for the next three years, acording to 96% of asset management firms surveyed by the law firm Nabarro, Investment Europe reports. But its dominance is in danger over the next 10 years. Only 60% of respondents think that London will remain a dominant centre for fund management. Toughening regulations, pressure on costs and competition from emerging markets will penalise the sector and undermine London’s leading role. The environmental tax is also perceived as a handicap.
The non-governmental organisation Tax Justice Network (TJN) on 7 November unveiled its new fnancial secrecy index. Switzerland tops the list of shame with an index of 1765.2, putting it ahead of Luxembourg (1454.4) and Hong Kong (1283.3). The United Kingdom, which is 21st, with 361.3 points, would be first counting the Crown territories and dependencies of the United Kingdom overseas (Jersey, Isle of Man, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Virgin Islands, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Anguilla, Turks & Caicos).The United States are in sixth place, with 1212.9 points, while Germany is eighth, with 738.3 points. France is 43rd, with 190.9 points, and Italy is in 54th place, with 118.9.TJN estimates that between USD21trn and USD32trn in private financial savings are stashed away out of the reach of tax authorities or are lightly taxed in “opaque jurisdictions” worldwide. Illicit cross-border flows total between USD1trn and USD1.6trn per year.
State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) on Thursday, 7 November announced the launch of the UCITS ETF SPDR MSCI EM Beyond BRIC on the Xetra segment of Deutsche Börse. The fund, announced by Newsmanagers at the end of August, replicated the MSCI EM Beyond BRIC index. The index includes all MSCI markets ranked as emerging, except the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), and allows investors to access emerging markets of a more modest size than the BRIC countries. The index is built on the basis of the market capitalisations of these countries, with a limit of 15% per country. Characteristics: Symbol name - Deutsche Börse, Xetra SPDR MSCI EM Beyond BRIC UCITS ETF ZPRB (EUR)
Julius Baer announced on November 7 that the transfer of Merrill Lynch’s International Wealth Management (IWM) business based in Panama has started yesterday. With this step Julius Baer will enhance its existing presence in this «important market», enabling the Bank to capitalise on the growth momentum in Panama and other Latin American countries.Merrill Lynch has run wealth management activities in Panama for 40 years and has built a solid team of long-serving financial advisors and support staff, catering to a sophisticated local and international client base. The employees and client relationships of the Panama business were transferred on 6 November 2013. The client assets will be transferred in a staggered manner, expected to be completed by mid-2014.Julius Baer’s business in Panama will operate as a broker-dealer and be regulated by the Superintendency of the Securities Markets of the Republic of Panama. The licence was granted to Julius Baer in August 2013 and was activated on 6 November 2013.So far the IWM businesses located in Switzerland, Uruguay, Chile, Luxembourg, Monaco, Hong Kong, Singapore, UK, Spain and Israel have started the transfer process and are moving ahead as planned. The next businesses to transfer, expected to occur before the end of the year, are in Bahrain, Lebanon and the UAE. Preparations for these transfers are well under way.
The Italian asset management firm Azimut in October 2013 recorded net inflows of EUR384m, of which about EUR160m were to sub-funds of the Luxembourg-based AZ Fund 1 and AZ Fund Multi Asset. This brings inflows since the beginning of the year to EUR2.5bn. In addition to this, assets which entered the perimeter of Azimut following acquisitions in Singapore in Brazil total EUR217m. Total assets under administration at Azimut come to EUR23.3bn, including EUR20.8bn in assets under management, an increase of 18.9% since the beginning of the year.
Le rendement de l’OAT 10 ans 2023 se tendait de 3,3 points de base vers midi à 2,18%, une réaction modérée des investisseurs à l’annonce ce matin par Standard & Poor’s de la dégradation d’un cran de la note de la France à AA. La nouvelle OAT de référence à 10 ans, émise hier à échéance 2024 et plus longue de 12 mois que le précédent benchmark, traite à 2,38%, soit un écart de 60 pb (+2pb) par rapport au Bund 2023.
Les entreprises du secteur de l’industrie manufacturière en France ont revu légèrement en baisse leurs prévisions d’investissements pour 2013 et attendent une nouvelle baisse en 2014, selon l’enquête trimestrielle de l’Insee. Elles attendent désormais une baisse de 7% des investissements cette année contre -6% précédemment. Pour 2014, les industriels anticipent une baisse de 2% de leurs dépenses d'équipement par rapport à 2013.