P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } According to the Bucharest stock exchange, Aberdeen Asset Management has recently become the second-largest shareholder by size in the BRD banking group, following its recent acquisition of the US firm Artio, which had held 2.6% in capital of the bank. The Scottish asset management firm now controls 5.43% of the Romanian business, which represents about EUR70m at current share prices. The largest shareholder in BRD is the French firm Société Générale, with 60%.The share price of BRD has fallen 70% from its peak in 2008, and the bank in 2012 saw its first loss (of EUR74m) since its privatisation, but Romania Insider reports that William Scholes, assistant investment manager at Aberdeen, feels that BRD is a well-managed bank with a quality network and an attractive valuation.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds is planning to raise USD1bn to USD3bn for a new global real estate fund, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources familiar with the matter. The directors of the affiliate of the bank have entered negotiations with pension funds and other prospects. They are hoping especially that China Investment Corp, the Chinese sovereign wealth fund which controls 6.4% of Morgan Stanley, will be a key investor.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Amaïka Asset Management, an asset management firm founded in 2011 by David Kalfon and Christophe Berger, two former employees of EFG Asset Management, has announced that it has taken over management of the Résilience diversified fund (ISIN code: FR0011101914). The fund, launched in November 2011 at the initiative of the investment advising firm Fundesys, has assets of EUR5m, and had previously been managed by Invesco AM. The French-registered OPCVM fund complies with UCITS IV standards, and is exposed in a discretionary manner to equity, bond, commodity and money markets, via a selection of funds. Investments are made without geographical or sectoral constraint. Exposure to equity markets will remain between 20% and 80% of assets in the portfolio. In practice, management of the fund is also based on the recommendations of Fundesys.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Oddo Asset Management is scaling up its presence in Belgium and Luxembourg, opening four sub-funds of its Luxembourg Sicav, Oddo Funds, based on asset classes with strong potential and for which the firm has recognised expertise, for sale there. high yield bonds, via the sub-fund: Oddo Bonds High Yield Europe European midcap equities, via the feeder funds: Oddo Equity Europe Avenir (master fund: Oddo Avenir Europe) Oddo Equity Euro Avenir (master fund: Oddo Avenir Euro) Convertible funds, via the feeder fund: Oddo Convertible Bonds Euro (master fund: Oddo Convertibles Taux) Shares in euros as well as in US dollars (USD) and Swiss francs (CHF) have been created. Shares in USD and CHF are hedged for currency risks against the euro. Laurent Zouari, who has been a salesperson since 2012 in the international team led by Bertrand Levavasseur, has been appointed as country manager for Belgium and Luxembourg.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Open-ended funds on sale in Italy in April recorded net inflows of EUR5.4bn, the same level as in March, the Italian asset management association Assogestioni reports. Since the beginning of the year, they have earned a total of EUR19.3bn. Inflows in April were driven by bond funds (EUR3bn) and flexible funds (EUR2.8bn). Balanced funds also attracted EUR985m. However, the other categories of funds show gains. Equity funds have seen outflows of EUR68m. Since the beginning of the year, bond and flexible funds have also boosted equities. As of the end of April, assets in funds totalled EUR516.9bn. With the addition of closed funds and mandated management, the asset management industry in Italy has posted net subscriptions of EUR6.9bn in April, and EUR27.1bn in the first four months of the year. Total assets are EUR1.256trn.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Open-ended funds on sale in Italy in April posted net subscriptionns of EUR5.4bn, the same level as in March, the Italian asset management association Assogestioni reports. Since the beginning of the year, they have earned a total of EUR19.3bn. Inflows in April were driven by bond funds (EUR3bn) and flexible funds (EUR2.8bn). Diversified funds also attracted EUR985m. However, the other categories of funds show gains. Equity funds have seen outflows of EUR68m. Since the beginning of the year, bond and flexible funds have also boosted equities. As of the end of April, assets in funds totalled EUR516.9bn. With the addition of closed funds and mandated management, the asset management sector has posted net subscriptions of EUR6.9bn in April, and EUR27.1bn in the first four months of the year. Total assets are EUR1.256trn.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } In April, Franklin Templeton recorded net inflows in Italy of EUR1.056bn, putting it in the top 3 asset management firms for inflows last month, after Generali and Intesa, which had a home field advantage, according to figures from Assogestioni, the Italian association of asset managers. The US asset management firm had already stood out in previous months, with inflows of EUR1.041bn in March, EUR786.3m in February, and EUR720.9m in January. As of the end of March, Franklin Temlpeton had EUR27.4bn in assets under management in Italy, according to the most recent available statistics. The asset management firm has also recently opened three offices in Italy, in Rome, Florence, and Padua. These local offices come in addition to the one in Milan.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } UBS Global Asset Management is struggling to save its Triton Property fund (GBP680m in assets) from liquidation, Financial News reports. About 40% of investors are seeking redemption of their money due to poor performance. Talks are currently in progress with institutional invetors who may be interested in buying shares in the fund to those who want to sell them, according to a source familiar with the matter.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } According to information obtained by Newsmanagers, Fidelity Worldwide Investment will next month launch an eighth fund as part of its Fidelity Active Strategy (FAST) range, focused on US equities.Investment Week, which received advance information, states that the product, on sale from the end of June, will be managed by Adrian Brass, who is in the process of setting up a team of analysts in the United Kingdom dedicated to US equities, “which will be able to compete with what can be done better in London.”In the past few months, Fidelity Worldwide Investment has decided no longer to rely on analysts at Fidelity Management & Research (FMR) in Boston.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } BlackRock has recruited Daniel Whitestone as an addition to its team dedicated to British small and midcaps, Investment Week reports.Whitestone, who had previously worked at UBS as head of sales for British small and midcaps, will in initially be assigned to a position as an analyst for the BlackRock UK Emerging Companies hedge fund, whose assets under management total about GBP900m.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Swiss asset management firm Vontobel Asset Management has launched an emerging market debt fund, Vontobel Fund – Emerging Markets Dent, managed by Luc D’Hooge, who recently joined the firm from Dexia Asset Management (Newsmanagers of 28 March 2013).The new fund, domiciled n Luxembourg, will concentrate on debt denominated in hard currencies. It will start up with assets of about USD160m. The objective is to outperform the JP Morgan EMBI Global Diversified TR index by 125 basis points per year.Vontobel Fund - Emerging Markets Debt B (LU0926439562) Vontobel Fund - Emerging Markets Debt I (LU0926439729)Vontobel Fund - Emerging Markets Debt HI CHF (LU0926440495)Vontobel Fund - Emerging Markets Debt HI EUR (LU0926440222)
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Credit Suisse would like its Real Estate Fund Green Property (REF Green Property) to be listed on the Swiss stock exchange. The listing, planned for fourth quarter 2013, would open the real estate fund to the public, and also make it available to non-qualified investors, the bank announced in a statement on 28 May. The request is currently being examined by the Swiss Federal financial market surveillance authority (Finma). CS REF Green Property is invested in 12 properties. The two construction projects “amRietpark” in Schlieren and “Reusswinkel” in Bremgarten were completed this year, while “Lake Geneva Park” in Tolochenaz and “Alstattwiese” in Wil are still under construction.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The CNMV has authorised Tressis Gestión to convert its Spanish-registered multi-strategy hedge fund Adriza Global (EUR5.7m) into a traditional fund, Funds People reports.As a result, minimal subscription will be reduced from EUR50,000 to one share, and fees will be lowered to 1.35% for management and 9% for performance, compared with 1.50% and 20%, respectively. The fund is managed by Jacobo Blanquer.According to Funds People, Tressis (EUR114m) may also convert its other two Spanish hedge funds, Adriza Alfa and Adriza Macro, into traditional funds.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } On 24 May, the CNMV issued a sales license for Spain to the DWS Floating Rate Notes fund from Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management (DeAWM). The portfolio is invested in debt with the best ratings with a duration of under 12 months. According to DeAWM, the product offers investors a “conservative” means to invest in bonds which also runs less risk of being negatively affected by a rise in interest rates.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The BBVA & Partners Retorno Absolut, the last Spanish-registered hedge fund from BBVA & Partners, has been absorbed by the Quality Valor fund from BBVA Asset Management. The fund had EUR5m in assets as of the end of December, Funds People reports.There are now only three surviving funds inherited from BBVA & Partners: they are a part of the Luxembourg Sicav from BBVA AM, Durbana International. These products are Augustus Equity, an equity fund, as well as the Dynamic and European Absolute Return funds, two hedge funds. Overall, these three funds have EUR65m in assets.BBVA AM bought the remaining 30% stake which it does not control n BBVA & Partners (founded in 2002) in late June 2011.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } According to the Swiss Fund Association (SFA), which held a press conference on the subject in Zurich on 28 May, ETFs “represent a steadily-growing segment of fund volumes traded in Switzerland.” They are thought to be wideapread among institutional investors, but “they should be expected to find increased popularity in the future with private investors.”These products “combine the advantages of funds and ordinary equities. Private investors are also becoming increasingly aware in the future and will include ETFs in their portfolios. In our opinion, new distribution channels will contribute to their spread. European financial advisors will increasingly offer advising models based on commissions, which will tend to profit products which are worth the price and deliver good performance such as ETFs. This change has been driven by regulation, in Switzerland among other places,” says Christian Gast, managing director and head of iShares.Currently, eight members of the SFA are promoters of ETFs in Switzerland or members of the ETF expert commission at the SFA. They are BlackRock AM Schweiz, Commerzbank, Zurich branch, Deutsche Bank, SIX Swiss Exchange, Société Générale, Zurich branch, Swiss & Global AM, UBS Global AM and the Cantonal bank of Zurich.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The European securities markets authority (ESMA) has launched an investigation in Luxembourg following claims that the Luxembourg Commission de surveillance du secteur financier (CSSF) did not correctly help investors in a bond fund managed by Petercam, the Financial Times reports. The move comes despite the fact that the Luxembourg regulator has admitted that the fund infringed local fund regulations. Investors in the Petercam L Bonds Eur Medium fund lost 26.67% in 2008, while the Morningstar Global bond-Euro biased index gained 0.33% in the same period.
L’OCDE n’anticipe plus dans ses perspectives de printemps qu’une hausse du produit intérieur brut (PIB) global de 3,1% en 2013 et de 4% en 2014, soit respectivement 0,3 et 0,2 point de moins que dans ses prévisions de l’automne dernier. Toutefois, les Etats-Unis mèneraient la reprise des autres économies avancées avec un PIB en hausse de 1,9% cette année puis, en 2014, de 2,8%, le chiffre le plus élevé depuis 2005. L’organisation n’escompte plus qu’une hausse de 7,8% en 2013 du PIB chinois contre 8,5%. La zone euro connaîtrait en 2013 une contraction de son économie revue à 0,6% contre 0,1% précédemment, avant de renouer avec une croissance de 1,1% l’an prochain. L’OCDE se dit préoccupée par le risque de voir les Européens tentés de baisser la garde après des années d’austérité alors qu’ils ne sont pas encore tirés d’affaires. A noter que l'économie française connaîtra une légère récession en 2013 et ne devrait se redresser que lentement en 2014, avec pour conséquence un taux de chômage qui progresserait à 10,7% cette année puis de 11,1% en moyenne en 2014, avec un pic à 11,5% à la fin de l’an prochain. Le taux d’inflation demeurerait autour de 1% en 2014.
L'excès de cash dans le système bancaire s'approche du seuil des 200 milliards auquel le taux Eonia est très sensible. Ce qui équivaudrait à un resserrement
L’excédent de liquidité dans le système bancaire reflue rapidement vers le seuil des 200 milliards d’euros à partir duquel le taux Eonia pourrait remonter.
Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds, la filiale d’investissements immobiliers de la banque américaine, prévoit de lever entre 1 et 3 milliards de dollars pour son nouveau fonds immobilier mondial, indique le journal citant des sources proches. Les dirigeants de Morgan Stanley auraient ainsi entamé des discussions avec des investisseurs potentiels, tels que des fonds de retraite, et espèrent même que le fonds souverain China Investment Corp (CIC) devienne un investisseur de référence de ce fonds. D’ailleurs, CIC détient une participation de 6,4% dans Morgan Stanley. Les fonds de retraite se montraient néanmoins réticents à ce type de fonds.
Norges Bank Investment Management, le fonds souverain norvégien, est désormais selon le quotidien le deuxième actionnaire au capital de VTB derrière l’Etat russe. A l’occasion de la cession de titres par ce dernier (de 75 à 61% du capital), le fonds norvégien a acquis une part de 3,74% pour 700 millions de dollars. Des fonds souverains du Qatar et d’Azerbaïdjan ont consacré chacun 500 millions à l’opération.
Dans son rapport budgétaire sur les 27 pays membres de l’Union qui sera publié aujourd’hui, la Commission européenne prévoit d’accorder des concessions sur l’objectif de réduction des déficits budgétaires à 3% pour la France, l’Espagne, les Pays-Bas et l’Italie, selon le journal. Une concession qui serait néanmoins conditionnée à une réforme en profondeur du marché du travail.
Les autorités chinoises devraient reprendre dès le mois d’août le processus d’introduction en Bourse, le régulateur souhaitant passer en revue les comptes de sociétés du premier semestre avant de leur accorder le droit d’entrer en Bourse, indique le 21st Century Business Herald. Les autorités devraient également annoncé une série de mesures pour encadrer les IPO avant leur reprise.
L’Autorité européenne des marchés financiers aurait lancé une enquête suite à des plaintes provenant d’un groupe d’investisseurs qui estiment que la Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) luxembourgeoise ne leur aurait pas apporté le soutien nécessaire face à un fonds obligataire détenu par le courtier belge Petercam qui aurait violé les règles locales d’investissement, indique le journal.