Une majorité d’Etats européens sont opposés au projet de la Commission européenne d’imposer de lourds droits de douanes sur les panneaux solaires chinois, montrent des informations recueillies lundi par Reuters. Le projet de la Commission prévoit un relèvement des droits de douanes à 47% en moyenne.

Directeur général de Lyxor Asset Management depuis mars 2012, Inès de Dinechin dresse pour Newsmanagers un premier bilan de ses activités à la tête de l'un des tout premiers fournisseurs d'ETF européens qui vient de franchir la barre des 100 milliards de dollars d'actifs sous gestion. La responsable décline également sa stratégie pour les prochaines années et insiste notamment sur sa volonté de développer une offre produits tous azimuts.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } As of Friday, the XTF segment of the Xetra electronic platform (Deutsche Börse) lists 1,022 products, with the addition of a new ETF launched by the Irish firm UBS ETFs plc, which is available in institutional (UBS ETFs plc – CMCI Composite SF (USD) I-acc) and retail (UBS ETFs plc – CMCI Composite SF (USD) A-acc) share classes. As these share classes have different codes, they are each counted as a separate ETF.The benchmark index is the CMCI Composite Index, which is part of the range of Constant Maturity Commodity Indices (CMCI). According to Deutsche Börse, the two new ETFs for the first time allow investors to participate in the performance of 28 commodity contracts in US dollars with up to seven maturities each.The weighting of the five commodity sectors of CMCI – energy, precious metals, industrial metals, agriculture and livestock – is determined according two thirds to economic factors (inflation rate and GDP, in the US, EU and Japan) and the remaining one third by liquidity (open interest and market volume).CharacteristicsName: UBS ETFs plc – CMCI Composite SF (USD) I-accISIN code: IE00B56HZD74TER: 1.12%Name: UBS ETFs plc – CMCI Composite SF (USD) A-accISIN code: IE00B53H0131TER: 1.29%

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The alternative ETF management firm ProShares has announced the launch of the ProShares High Yield-Interest Rate Hedged (ticker on BATS: HYHG). For the high yield bond product, the management team uses short positions on futures on 2, 5 and 10-year Treasuries to protect the fund against the risk of rising interest rates.The new fund aims to replicate the Citi High Yield (Treasury Rate-Hedged) Index. It charges fees of 0.50%.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The John Hancock Short Duration Credit Opportunities Fund (A share class: ticker JMBAX, I share class: JMBIX) and John Hancock Global High Yield Fund (A shares: JYGAX; I shares: JYGIX) fund are now available for sale directly to retail investors, whereas three and a half years ago, these products, managed by Stone Harbor Investment Partners, were available only via asset allocation strategies from John Hancock. They are managed by teams led by Peter J. Wilby, CIO of Stone Harbor.The John Hancock Short Duration Credit Opportunities Fund is a corporate bond fund whose portfolio may be invested in investment grade bonds, high yield debt, variable rate loans and emerging market bonds, with an average duration equal to or lower than 3 years. For its part, the John Hancock Global High Yield Fund invests in emerging market debt and high yield bonds.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Franklin Templeton will soon close the Templeton Frontier Markets fund, managed by Mark Mobius, to new investors, Investment Week has learned. The group has been seeking to slow subscriptions to the fund, which has seen its assets incerease to USD1.98bn in its Sicav format as of 30 April.

The CEO of Lyxor Asset Management since March 2012, Inès de Dinechin, has given an initial review of her activities as head of one of the largest European providers of ETFs, which has recenly topped USD100bn in assets under management. The head also describes her strategy for the next few years, and insists on her desire to develop product offerings in all directions.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Assets in securities issued by non-money market mutual funds from the euro zone rose by EUR327bn to EUR6.888trn in March 2013, compared with EUR6.561trn in December 2012, according to statistics released by the European Central Bank. The development is due to net subscriptions totalling EUR160bn, and an increase in the value of securities of equal proportions. In the same period, assets in securities issued by money market funds in the euro zone fell to EUR908bn, from EUR911bn, due to net redemptions totalling EUR2bn. In terms of ventilation by investment strategy, the annual pace of growth for securities issued by bond funds totalled 11.3% in March 2013, and net subscriptions totalled EUR55bn in first quarter 2013. In the case of equity funds, the rate was 2.4%, and net subscriptions totalled EUR43bn in the same period. For mixed funds, the growth rate was 5.8%, and net subscriptions came to EUR49bn.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } On a visit to Paris to unveil the product to institutional investors, Antoine Lesné, fixed income portfolio strategist at State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) has stressed for Newsmanagers the diversification potential which the new SPDR Barclays EM Inflation-Linked Local Bond UCITS ETF fund (ISIN code: IE00B7MXFZ59; TER: 0.55%), a fund of emerging market bonds denominated in local currencies and indexed to inflation (“linkers”) listed in Frankfurt for less than one month, with assets of USD30m, of which USD20m are seed capital (see Newsmanagers of 26 April), offers.The Irish-registered fund is aimed at investors who already hold emerging market debt in their portfolios, who are interested in the country profile/inflation coupling, as well as those who are already exposed to euro zone or global debt and who are looking for additional returns, and to private banks which are seeking to explore new areas. But it may also interest liability-driven investment (LDI) investors (since these linkers are a better match with their objectives than nominal bonds), like pension funds and pension vehicles in euros, and insurers, the specialist says.After emerging market local currency debt ETFs, corporate bonds in hard currencies and Asian local currency bonds, the new product combines both the characteristics of local currencies and the inflation-linked bond aspect. The SPDR range only lacks a fund in emerging market debt and an ETF of government debt in hard currencies, yet.The index developed by SSgA with Barclays for the SPDR inflation-linked emerging market bond fund includes issues from ten countries, virtually all investment grade (Brazil, Turkey, Chile, Israel, South Korea, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, Thailand and Russia). These countries have credible inflation indices and sufficiently liquid and developed markets. Country allocation is limited to 20% each, to avoid Brazilian or Turkish shares, for example, strangling out the others.Currently, says Lesné, the duration for the index is 8, compared with 5 for a standard index, and the average rating for issues in the portfolio is BBB.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Several British media sources on Friday reported that Cazenove Capital, whose shareholders have recently voted in favour of a planned acquisition of the firm by Schroders, has decided to slow subscriptions to the UK Opportunities and UK Equity funds, managed by Julie Dean, which have nearly GBP2.5bn in assets, from wealth managers, while maintaining access via platforms.Meanwhile, Cazeonve has announced that it has been licensed by the Securities & Futures Commission and has opened a wealth management office in Hong Kong. The new office will be led by Sandy Dudgeon, managing director of Cazenove Capital Management Asia Ltd. Dudgeon will be assisted by Robert Ridland, fund director, and Catherine Chow as office manager.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The index provider MSCI has recruited two people as additions to its team dedicated to its Asian operations. René Veerman, who had previously been at Credit Suisse, will join the firm has head of portfolio analytics for Asia, based in Hong Kong. Quah Chum-Yong, formerly of Pimco, becomes vice president of South Asia client coverage, based in Singapore.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Johan Malm, currently CEO of Öhman Fonder, has been appointed as the new CEO of the Öhman group.The Swedish asset management firm, represented in Luxembourg, has about SEK25bn, or nearly EUR3bn, in assets under management.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } According to Funds People, sales by the real estate units of the savings banks, Bankia, Novagalicia and Catalunya Banc are in progress: the firms in question have already made contact with investment banks and private equity investors including funds from Morgan Stanley, Cerberus, NorthLink, Fortress and Apollo who are preparing bids for assets of the nationalised institutions.The “bad bank” Sareb is also in the process of negotiating its first major sale of a portfolio of residential properties to a group of investment funds. The properties, which may be sold for EUR200m, are largely located in Andalusia and Valencia. The buyers include Apollo Global Management, Colony Capital and the US billionaire Wilbur Ross.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Richard Bruens, global head of private wealth management and global head of product solutions at ABN Amro Private Banking International, will on 1 August join Van Lanschot as head of its private banking activity. Bruens had been a member of the executive board at Renaissance Capital in Moscow from 2007 to 2010.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Axa Investment Managers Italia has won two new mandates to manage pension funds, Bluerating reports, citing the newspaper Il Mondo. The firm will manage the diversified equity sub-fund of the pension fund Previp, for a total of EUR60m, and for five-year. It will also manage a part of the resources of the “stability” allocation of Fonchim, a corporate pension fund for employees in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, totalling EUR360m, until January 2016.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Lyxor Asset Management has announced the appointment of Frank Frecentese as deputy head of hedge fund research at its New York office. The appointment comes as a reinforcement to the expertise of Lyxor in the North American market.Frecentese previously worked at Citi Private Bank, where he had been managing director and head of global hedge fund investments.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The US bank JP Morgan was on 23 May sentenced by the British FCA to pay a fine of GBP3.1m, largely for poor knowledge of its wealth management clients.The British authority has undertaken an investigation of the wealth management sector, and found shortfalls in terms of services and controls over a period of two years. These failures in knowledge of clients exposed them to the risk of being offered advice or investments which would have been inappropriate for their profile, although no damages have been identified to date. JP Morgan states that it has imposed measures to remedy the shortfalls.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } According to a survey by DekaBank and the German economic research institute IW, savings investors in 23 countries in which, according to the World Bank, real interest rates are negative, are arithmetically losing over EUR100bn a year as a result, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung reports. Of this total, the hardest-hit are US investors (EUR63bn) and Germans, who are losing EUR14.3bn, equivalent to 0.5% of Germany’s GDP.This total takes into account only short-term savings accounts, current accounts, and cash savings. By applying the same real negative interest rate of 1.35% to all financial savings excluding equity portfolios and direct participations in businesses, the losses in Germany would come to EUR58bn.Meanwhile, the fact hat interest rates were considerably lower in the period from 2009-2012 than they were between 2000 and 2008 has allowed the German government to save about EUR62bn.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The ETF platform from the BlackRock group, iShares, has extended its product range available on the Italian stock exchange with the release of four ETFs which offer diversified exposure to the corporate bond segment. They are: iShares Barclays Euro Corporate Bond ex-financials, iShares Markit iBoxx $ High Yield Capped Bond, iShares Morningstar $ Emerging Markets Corporate Bond and iShares Global Corporate Bond.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Outlooks for a normalisation of US monetary policy are beginning to concern investors. Due to the gradual recovery of the US economy, the US Federal Reserve may soon decide to end its policy of quantitative easing, which in first quarter contributed to the strength of equity markets.Despite these concerns, equity funds have posted a net inflow of USD7.49bn in the week to 22 May, according to statistics released by EPFR Global, which nonetheless notes an increase in interest in Japanese equity funds, although subscriptions denominated in euros to these funds are at a 75-week high.Bond funds finished the week ending on 22 May with a net inflow of USD4.49bn, while money market funds showed inflows of slightly over USD16bn.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Assets under management by the Frankfurt-based MainFirst Asset Management total about EUR4bn, of which slightly over half is in the form of mandates, compared with EUR3bn as of the end of 2012, Olgerd Eichler, a partner at the MainFirst Bank group, has told Newsmanagers. Eichler is manager of the Luxembourg-registered European equity fund MainFirst Top European Ideas (50-55 positions), whose assets have now risen to EUR1.45bn after a dip, and which has posted net subscriptions of about EUR200bn since the beginning of the year. Eichler also manages three mandates totalling about EUR600m.Robert Focken, head of wholesale distribution, has also announced that the new bond fund MainFirst Emerging Markets Corporate Bond Fund Balanced, launched in fourth quarter 2012 (see Newsmanagers of 9 October) with the team recruited from Clariden Leu already has EUR200m in assets. The second team recruited last year, which comes from Deutsche Asset Management, has recently launched the MainFirst AR Multi Asset Fonds (see Newsmanagers of 7 May), while the third is expected to initially concentrate on managing mandates.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } One year ago, assets at the Cologne-based asset management firm Flossbach von Storch (FvS) totalled EUR6bn; they reached EUR10bn as of the end of December, and now total over EUR12bn, with a team of 90 employees, Die Welt reports.The two founders, Bert Flossbach and Kurt von Storch, control 84% of shares in the business, whose Multiple Opportunities Fonds (MOF), a diversified product, has recently topped EUR4bn in assets.In order to retain or attract talent, the two founders offer high remunerations and bonuses. They are, however, planning to develop the structure towards a partnership, on the model of a law firm, in order to provide for their succession.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } China is struggling to find a new chairman for its USD500bn sovereign wealth fund, the China Investment Corporation, as candidates are afraid the position is a poisoned pill, the Financial Times reports.The deputy mayor of Shanghai, Tu Guangshao, is hesitant to accept the position, while Yi Gang, a deputy governor of the central bank, has already refused it.The portfolio of the sovereign wealth fund may contain unpleasant surprises, and the candidates are afraid of being held responsible in case of poor performance.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Bank Sarasin on 27 May announced the appointment of Edmond Michaan as CEO and Eric Sarasin as deputy CEO as part of a merger of Bank Sarasin and Bank J. Safra.Michaan is currently chief executive officer at Bank J. Safra (Switzerland), while Sarasin is head of the private banking unit.Both will join the executive board at the bank. With the arrival of these two, Joachim H. Straehle, who had been CEO, will be leaving the group “to pursue other interests.”

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Fisch Asset Management (FAM), a global leader in convertible bonds, currently has 50 employees, according to Le Temps, with CHF8.3bn in assets under management, compared with CHF7.3bn in 2012, CHF4.6bn in 2010, and CHF421m in 2000.The Swiss firm manages three convertible bond funds, a global opportunity fund, a global defensive fund and a sustainable fund, in collaboration with Bank Sarasin. It is also under exclusive contract to manage convertible bonds for Schroders (since 2008).

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Swiss bank UBS will next week meet with representatives of Knight Vinke Asset Management, the British investment firm which is seeking its breakup, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. An activist investor which is campaigning in favour of breaking up the UBS Ag group will meed top directors of the Swiss bank next week, the US financial newspaper confirms, citing a source familiar with the matter. According to the Wall Street Journal, representatives of the British Knight Vinke company will meet Tom Naratil, the CFO of the Swiss establishment. The meeting next week is preliminary and is not necessarily a sign that the management at UBS is kindly disposed to the proposals of Knight Vinke, the Wall Street Journal states. On 2 May, Eric Vinke, the founder and CEO of the activist fund, published an open letter to shareholders, in which he called on the bank to part with its wealth management and investment banking activities, claiming that the latter had weakened the reputation of the establishment. The Knight Vinke company controls a 1% stake in UBS, the largest bank in Switzerland, according to its figures.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Fundweb reports that in first quarter 2013, the period following the introduction of RDR regulations, assets in ETFs from iShares on the eight major British platforms (Ascentric, AXA Elevate, Fidelity FundsNetwork, Novia, Nucleus, Raymond James, Standard Life and Transact), increased by 16%, to GBP985m.

La Chine peine à trouver un nouveau président pour son fonds souverain de 500 milliards de dollars, le China Investment Corporation, les candidats craignant un cadeau empoisonné, rapporte le Financial Times.Ainsi, le maire adjoint de Shanghai, Tu Guangshao, rechigne à prendre le poste, tandis que Yi Gang, un gouverneur adjoint de la banque centrale, l’a déjà refusé.Le portefeuille du fonds souverain pourrait contenir de mauvaises surprises et les candidats redoutent d’en être tenus responsables en cas de contre-performances.

Bank Sarasin a annoncé le 27 mai les nominations d’Edmond Michaan au poste de CEO et d’Eric Sarasin au poste de CEO adjoint dans le cadre de la fusion de la Bank Sarasin et de Bank J. Safra. Edmond Michaan est actuellement chief executive officer de Bank J. Safra (Switzerland) tandis que Eric Sarasin est responsable du pôle banque privée. Tous deux vont intégrer le comité exécutif de la banque.Avec l’arrivée de ces deux personnes, Joachim H. Straehle, qui était CEO, quitte le groupe «pour se consacrer à d’autres intérêts».

Fisch Asset Management (FAM), leader mondial des obligations convertibles, affiche à ce jour selon Le Temps 50 employés, avec 8,3 milliards de francs d’actifs sous gestion, contre 7,3 milliards en 2012, 4,6 milliards en 2010 et 421 millions en 2000.La société suisse gère trois fonds d’obligations convertibles, un «opportuniste global», un «défensif global» et un fonds «durable» avec la collaboration de la Banque Sarasin. Il est également au bénéfice d’un contrat exclusif de gestion des obligations convertibles pour Schroders (depuis 2008).