Asset management earnings at the Axa group increased 8% in the first nine months of the year to EUR2.6bn, largely due to rising management commissions tied to increasing average assets under management, an increase in distribution ccommissions at AllianceBernstein, and an increase in real estate transaction commissions and performance commissions at AXA IM, according to a statement released on 24 October.Assets under management are down 2% to EUR884bn compared with 31 December 2012, largely impacted by a change in the perimeter following the sale of AXA Private Equity (-EUR22bn), and a negative currency effect, partially offset by a positive impact of financial markets and a positive net inflow, largely at AXA IM.Net inflows totalled +EUR6bn in the period, with +EUR7.5bn at AXA IM, largely supported by bond and equity products, and -EUR1.5bn at AllianceBernstein, with positive net inflows to bond products more than offset by net outflows from equities. Net inflows in third quarter deteriorated in the institutional segment at the two asset management firms, with outflows largely to clients located in Asia.
Sergio Penchas, a Brazilian citizen who has already spent more than 20 years at the Safra group, a large part of it at Banco safra in Brazil, and at JSI Investments, the family office from Safra, has been appointed as head of the asset management, products and sales division at Banque J. Safra Sarasin. He becomes a member of the executive board at the bank, and succeeds Burkhardt Vamholt, who has resigned.To assume the new role, Penchas has stepped back from his responsibilities on the boards of directors of Banque J. Safra Sarasin Ltd and J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG.
Starting next year and in the following years, the pressure on margins is expected to increase in the asset management sector, with competition getting more severe and activities that generate commissions falling, the financial ratings agency Fitch Ratings estimates in a study released on 24 October.The average margin on assets under management for European actors in the sector last year totalled 40 basis points, compared with 44 basis points in 2010. This decline, which is not considerable, is a sign of the long-term risk of pressure on margins. This development is partly related to the abandonment of high-margin equity products. “We estimate that this movement is expected to continue due to a growing trend for institutional investors to favour passive investments,” Fitch says, adding that the marings will also fall due to the gradual adoption of low-cost products (ETFs and target-date funds) by retail investors. This trend is structural, although a regain in interest in equities may temporarily boost margins. Competition may also intensify in Europe due to the relative openness of the market to foreign investors, attracted by the efficiency and simplicity of UCITS funds and the UCITS brand. US investors have responded favourably to the attactiveness of the UCITS brand, which is also beginning to win over Asian and Latin American mangers.
“The unbundling resulting from the prohibition on commissions to intermediaries with the new RDR regulations is a good thing. The public price of asset management will be able to be lowered in the direction of the real price, while improving performance. In addition, it will reduce the gap between the prices for actively-managed products and ETFs. Clients will also be able to raise their expectations, they will be able to get better advice, but the corrolary will be that a lot of IFAs will disappear,” says Thomas Balk, chairman of Fidelity Worldwide Investments (USD260bn in assets and USD40bn in assets under administration) at a press conference in London.For his part, Ed Dymott, head of business development, says that the number of “qualified IFAs” has fallen from about 85,000 in 2008 to 32,000 in September 2013, not counting the fact that Barclays, Santander and HSBC have pulled out of advising “post-RDR,” thus reducing the number of advisers by about 2,000 in the space of six months.According to Fidelity, the average management commsision for an equity fund has fallen by half, to 75 basis points, and the intensity of competition is also lowering prices on platforms, which occupy a central place in distribution in the United Kingdom. However, it is clear that advisory commissions have tended to rise, meaning that the overall cost supported by the investor, compared with the pre-RDR regime, has “certainly” increased. But there again, it is likely that competition will ultimately reduce the cost.
Guernsey has signed an agreement with the United Kingdom which includes a series of fiscal measures intended to improve the automatic exchange of information already in place between the two jurisdictions, HedgeWeek reports.
The Taiwan arm of Pioneer Investments may, from 15 October, sell funds directly via local distributors, Asian Investor reports. By obtaining “master agent” status, the firm can sell its 21 offshore funds directly via banks in the country. In the past three years, the firm has raised EUR2bn from retail investors in Taiwan.
Jupiter Asset Management has recruited Katharine Dyer as product specialist for its bond and multi-asset class team, Fund Web reports. Dyer will join Jupiter in December 2013 from BlackRock, where she worked as managing director and retail product specialist for multi-asset class client solutions.
Following recent press speculation, Aberdeen Asset Management confirmed on Thursday that it is in discussions with Lloyds Banking Group in relation to a possible acquisition of Scottish Widows Investment Partnership and the formation of a strategic partnership with Lloyds.“The potential acquisition would add further scale and diversity to the Company’s product range, thus complementing organic growth, consistent with the Board’s strategy,” according to the Scottish asset manager.If agreed, the acquisition would be funded through the issuance of new shares in the Company to Lloyds and additional deferred payments in cash, conditional on the performance of the partnership over a period of years.“The proposed transaction would also offer substantial cost efficiencies and synergies.” Earlier this week, Investment Week revealed Aberdeen and Australia’s Macquarie Group, were the two remaining bidders for the asset management business.
Schroders has published the conclusions of its most recent survey on asset alloction for defined contribution plans at companies whose equities are listed in the FTSE 350. It finds that in the past 12 months, 85% of the companies studied did not significantly modify their asset allocation, and that of the remaining 15%, few of them diversified. Most funds continue to deploy a strategy which is highly dependent on equities.Comparing the results of the 2012 and 2013 studies, it appears that the typical allocation for funds remains steady at 84%, with a reduction of 2 points, however, for exposure to British equities (to 31%), while the global equity allocation gains 2 points, to 48%. The weight of fixed income has been reduced to 8%, compared with 9.2%, and there has been no change in allocation to alternative asset, which remain at 8%.In terms of funds for companies of the FTSE 100, portfolios have changed only marginally, with the most notable change being an increase in the amount allocated to emerging markets, to 5%, from 3%. Funds of the FTSE 250 were more mobile, with a reduction of 5 points for the UK equity allocation, to 36%, and an increase of 4 points, to 48%, for global equities.
BlueBay Asset Management is launching an absolute return credit fund, Citywire report. The BlueBay Total Return Credit fund will be added to the range of Luxembourg funds from the firm, and will be managed by the asset allocation committee at the firm.
The wealth management firm st. James’s Place has seen its assets increase by 5% as of the end of September, to GBP41.8bn, and 20% since the beginning of the year, Investment Week reports. Net subscriptions have totalled GBP1.03bn, up 37% compared with the corresponding period of last year.
David Oliphant from Threadneedle has taken over the corporate bond strategy previously managed by Alasdair Ross Citywire Global reports. Oliphant will now manage the Threadneedle UK Corporate Bond Retail. Ross will remain as assistant manager of the fund, and will continue to manage the rest of his portfolio.
Au 30 septembre, l’encours d’AllianceBernstein ressortait à 445,2 milliards de dollars, ce qui représente une progression de 2,4 % ou de 10,6 milliards sur fin juin et une hausse de 6,3 % ou 26,3 milliards de dollars en glissement annuel.Néanmoins, le gestionnaire américain indique avoir subi au troisième trimestre des sorties nettes de 4,8 milliards de dollars, contre des souscriptions nettes de 0,2 milliard pour avril-juin et des remboursements nets de 4,4 milliards durant la période correspondante de l’an dernier.Dans son rapport trimestriel, AllianceBernstein précise qu’au 1er octobre, Axa a vendu l’une de ses filiales, MONY Life Insurance Company, à un tiers extérieur au groupe. De ce fait, AllianceBernstein a perdu environ 7 milliards de dollars d’actifs obligataires sur les 8 milliards gérés pour MONY au 30 septembre. Cependant, la perte de ces encours n’aura pas d’incidence majeure sur les recettes d’exploitation, dans la mesure où il s’agissait d’actifs très faiblement margés.Le bénéfice net d’AllianceBernstein LP (the operating partnership) s’est inscrit pour le troisième trimestre à 99,95 millions de dollars contre 120,71 millions en avril-juin et une perte de 44,25 millions pour la période correspondante de 2012. Quant au bénéfice net d’AllianceBernstein Holding LP (the publicly-traded partnership), il ressort à 29,52 millions de dollars contre 40,28 millions pour le trimestre précédent et une perte de 23,14 millions pour juillet-septembre de l’an dernier.
L’américain BNY Mellon et le canadien CIBC Mellon, une coentreprise de la Banque Canadienne Impériale de Commerce (BCIC ou CIBC en anglais) ont fusionné leurs activités de prêt de titres à compter du 22 octobre. La nouvelle entité, qui sera exploitée sous le nom préexistant de BNY Mellon Securities Finance, disposera de bureaux de négoce à New York, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Londres et Hong Kong.Jusqu'à présent, la division Securities Finance des Global Collateral Services de BNY Mellon couvre plus de 2.500 milliards de dollars d’actifs éligibles pour des prêts ainsi qu’un encours de prêts d’environ 250 milliards de dollars. Pour CIBC Mellon, les montants correspondants étaient de 500 milliards et 60 milliards de dollars canadiens.
Credit Suisse a souffert dans le fixed income (produits de taux et change), dont les revenus ont chuté de 42% sur un an, rapporte L’Agefi. Si le groupe n’abandonne pas le fixed income, il va réduire les actifs pondérés du risque (RWA) de ses produits de taux de 16 à 9 milliards de dollars d’ici à fin 2015. Une partie sera transférée à une nouvelle entité destinée aux actifs non stratégiques, sort également réservé à plusieurs pans de la banque privée, de l’ancienne division de gestion d’actifs et à certaines activités transfrontalières. Les équipes de taux pourraient en outre être réduites, car Credit Suisse compte passer la vitesse supérieure dans le trading électronique des produits de flux, indique le quotidien.
Le Brésilien Sergio Penchas, qui a déjà passé plus de 20 ans dans le groupe Safra, dont une grande partie chez Banco Safra au Brésil et JSI Investments, le family office des Safra, a été nommé à la tête de la division gestion d’actifs, produits et ventes de Banque J. Safra Sarasin. Il devient membre du comité exécutif de la banque et succède à Burkhardt Vamholt, qui a démissionné.Pour assumer ses nouvelles fonctions, Sergio Penchas a renoncé à ses mandats au sein des conseils d’administration de la Banque J. Safra Sarasin Ltd et de la J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG.
Managing director chez Oppenheim Capital Management chargé des relations clients et du développement après avoir occupé des postes de direction chez BNP Paribas Investment Parnters, Fortis Investments, Schroder Investment Management et JPMorgan Asset Management, Martin Theisinger a été nommé membre de la direction générale de Meriten Investment Management GmbH (24 milliards d’euros d’encours fin septembre), filiale de BNY Mellon Investment Management. Il sera responsable des ventes et subordonné à Werner Taiber, CEO.
Pour son nouveau fonds d’infrastructures UniInstitutional Infrastruktur SICAV-SIF destiné aux institutionnels, l’allemand Union Investment a acheté deux parcs d'éoliennes construits par Vestas et Nordex. L’un est situé à Grenville en Beauce (département du Loiret) l’autre à Gibbet Hill (comté irlandais de Wexford).Le parc de Greneville (huit turbines de 24 mégawatts au total) a été vendu par VSB Energies Nouvelles, filiale de l’allemand WSB (Dresde) tandis que celui de Gibbet Hill (6 turinbes de 15 mégawatts au total) a été acheté auprès du promoteur allemand ABO Wind (Wiesbaden).Dix mois après son lancement, le fonds a déjà investi environ 143 millions d’euros dans quatre parcs d'éoliennes européens situés dans trois pays. Il devrait prochainement investir dans une installation solaire. L’objectif est d’atteindre 300 millions d’euros de fonds propres, ce qui permettra d’investir environ 800 millions d’euros.
A fin juin 2014, Franklin Templeton retirera du marché européen son Templeton Growth Fund lancé en 1954 parce qu’il n’est pas coordonné et tombera de ce fait sous le régime de la directive sur les fonds alternatifs ce qui entraînerait des difficultés organisationnelles trop importantes. Néanmoins, indique Fonds professionell, les investisseurs pourront continuer à souscrire les parts en euros, de même que les titulaires de comptes d'épargne. C’est apparemment le premier fonds à se faire radier pour cette raison. Le TGF avait reçu son agrément de distribution en Allemagne en 1982.Fonds professionell souligne que Franklin Templeton continuera de commercialiser le Templeton Growth (Euro) Fund, qui a reçu un agrément en 2000. Il est géré par la même équipe que le fonds original et suit la même stratégie. Cependant, depuis lors, le fonds américain (chargé à 1,10 %) a surperformé son clone européen (avec un TFE DE 1,84 %) durant huit des douze années sous revue.
Selon Funds People, qui cite Augusto Martin, responsable pour l’Ibérie, La Français AM fait enregistrer par la CNMV le LFP Rendement Global 2020, un fonds d’obligations catégorie investissement et haut rendement d’émetteurs de la zone OCDE ou, à 30 % au maximum, de pays émergents avec une échéance au 31 décembre 2020 au plus tard.Ce fonds sera géré par Jean-Luc Hivert, co-head of fixed income et Akram Gharbi. L’objectif est de surperformer le rendement des OAT à échéance 2020. La période de détention recommandée est de sept ans.
Funds People rapporte qu’au 30 septembre, l’encours de Santander Asset Management ressortait à 59,3 milliards d’euros en Espagne (fonds d’investissement, plans d’épargne retraite et mandats) ce qui représente une hausse de 14 % sur fin décembre.Pour le Sabadell, les actifs gérés dans les fonds d’investyissement ont franchi la barre des 10 milliards d’euros,gonflant ainsi de 17,4 % en neuf mois. Les plans d’épargne retraite et les assurances affichaient à la fin du troisième trimestre des encours respectifs de 3,88 milliards (+ 8,6 %) et de 7,29 milliards (- 5,3 %).Quant au bénéfice des groupes, il est ressorti pour les neuf premiers mois de l’année à 3,31 milliards d’euros pour le Santander (+ 77 %) et à 186,1 millions (+ 105,4 %) pour le Sabadell.
La succursale de Pioneer Investments à Taïwan peut, depuis le 15 octobre, vendre des fonds directement via des distributeurs locaux, rapporte Asian Investor. Ayant obtenu le statut de « master agent », la société commercialise ses 21 fonds offshore directement par le biais des banques du pays. Ces trois dernières années, la société a levé 2 milliards d’euros auprès des investisseurs retail à Taïwan.
Index Europe reports that JPMorgan has submitted a license application to the SEC for its first global equity ETF focused on developed countries and subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940. The index replicated has not yet been disclosed, nor has the ticker for the new product, the total expense ratio, or the stock market on which it will be listed.
With a total expense ratio of 0.12%, Fiidelity Investments claims to have launched the least expensive passively-managed sectoral ETFs on the market on NYSEArca on Thursday, since the comparable products from Vanguard and State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) charge from 14 to 19 basis points and 18 basis points, respectively.The ETFs, which represent a great first for Fidelity, replicate all sub-indices of the MSCI index. The list of new products is available as an attachment. As announced (see Newsmanagers of 14 March), these ETFs from Fidelity are sub-advised by BlackRock.Fidelity also states that it has filed with the SEC for five actively-managed bond ETFs. As soon as it gains approval, the funds will be handed over to specialists in the Fidelity fixed income division based in Merrimack, New Hampshire.
According to Markit Equities Research, the 2,370 ETFs listed in Europe posted net inflows of USD9.4bn in the first nine months of the year. Due to these net inflows and performace effects, assets as of the end of September totalled USD388bn, Investment Europe reports. The 151 new ETFs lsunched in the period under review attracted about USD2.5bn in net inflows.In detail, Markit estimates that European equity ETFs posted net subscriptions of USD11.4bn, while those specialised in commodities saw net outflows of USD10.1bn.
As of the end of June 2014, Franklin Templeton will withdraw its Templeton Growth Fund, launched in 1954, from the European market, since it is not UCITS compliant, and will thus be regulated under AIFMD, which would lead to excessive organisational difficulties. However, Fonds Professionell indicates, investors may continue to subscribe to shares in the fund in euros, as can holders of savings accounts. This is apparently the first fund to exit the market for this reason. The TGF fund received its sales license in Germany in 1982.Fonds Professionell points out that Franklin Templeton will continue to sell the Templeton Growth (Euro) Fund, which received a license in 2000. The fund is managed by the same team as the original fund, and pursues the same strategy. However, since then, the US fund (which charges fees of 1.10%) has outperformed its European clone (which has a TER of 1.84%) in eight of the years under review.
For its new infrastructure fund UniInstitutional Infrastruktur SICAV-SIF, aimed at institutionals, Frankfurt-based Union Investment has purchased two wind farms, constructed by Vestas and Nordex. One of them is located in Grenville en Beauce (départment Loiret), and the other in Gibbet Hill (Irish county of Wexford).The Greneville plant (eight turbines for 24 megawatts in total) was sold by VSB Energies Nouvelles, an affiliate of the German WSB (Dresde), while the Gibbet Hill facility (6 turbines for 15 megawatts in total) was purchased from the German promoter ABO Wind (Wiesbaden).Ten months after its launch, the fund has already invested about EUR143m in four European wind farms located in three countries. It will soon invest in a solar installation. The objective is to reach EUR300m in owers’ equity, which would allow for investment of about EUR800m.
L’indicateur Ifo du climat des affaires en Allemagne, basé sur une enquête mensuelle auprès de 7.000 entreprises, a reculé à 107,4 contre 107,7 en septembre, alors que le consensus était de 108,0. «Il s’agit plus d’une pause dans l’amélioration observée au cours des six derniers mois que d’un retournement de tendance», estiment toutefois les économistes de BNP Paribas.
La croissance annuelle de l’agrégat M3 a été de 2,1%, contre 2,3% en août, un chiffre inférieur au consensus Reuters qui donnait 2,4%. Les prêts au secteur privé, s’ils se contractent toujours de 1,9% sur un an, le font à un ryhtme un peu inférieur à celui d’août (-2%). La BCE publiera le 30 octobre son enquête trimestrielle sur les conditions de prêts en zone euro.
Le PIB britannique a augmenté de 0,8% sur la période juillet-septembre, son plus fort rythme depuis trois ans, contre +0,7% sur la période avril-juin, a annoncé vendredi l’Office national des statistiques, qui fournit ainsi ses premières estimations en la matière. Sur un an, la croissance ressort à 1,5%. Ces chiffres sont conformes aux attentes des économistes interrogés par Reuters. Avec la croissance du troisième trimestre, la Grande-Bretagne affiche ainsi trois trimestre consécutifs de progression du PIB pour la première fois depuis 2011. La Banque d’Angleterre doit présenter le 13 novembre ses nouvelles prévisions de croissance.