Après l’asset management, c’est dans la banque privée que la banque Edmond de Rothschild souhaite être présente en Allemagne. Selon les informations de Private Banking Magazin cité par Finews, Edmond de Rothschild prévoit l’ouverture d’une succursale à Francfort qui coordonnera les activités sur le marché allemand.
Au lendemain du lancement de l’ETF de db x-trackers répliquant le Nikkei 225, amundi a fait admettre à la négociation sur le segment XTF de la plate-forme électronique Xetra (Deutsche Börse) un autre ETF «Japon», mais de droit français, le Amundi ETF Topix EUR hedged daily. Cela porte à 1.025 le nombre d’ETF cotés à Francfort. Le portefeuille est couvert quotidiennement des variations de taux de change entre l’euro et le yen.CaractéristiquesDénomination : Amundi ETF TOPIX EUR Hedged DailyCode Isin : FR0011314277Indice de reference : TOPIX Euro Daily Hedged IndexTFE : 0,48 %
Le francfortois MainFirst Asset Management a l’intention de publier vendredi un communiqué confirmant l’information de Citywire selon laquelle Frank Schwarz, l’un des trois gérants recrutés chez Deutsche Asset Management l’an dernier (lire Newsmanagers du 29 août), se voit confier la gestion d’un fonds long-only d’actions mondiales de droit luxembourgeois dont le lancement est programmé pour le 1er mars et qui serait amorcé avec 10 millions d’euros.
Grâce à l’acquisition pour 83,5 millions de livres de la division private clients (3,6 milliards de livres) de Newton Management Limited annoncée le 27 février, Standard Life Wealth (SLW) va tripler ses encours discrétionnaires. Cette transaction devrait augmenter les bénéfices de SLW dès la première année pleine après le bouclage de l’opération, ce qui devrait prendre environ sept mois.Les 79 salariés directs de Newton Private Clients seront tous transférés chez SLW. Newton sert environ 3.000 particuliers haut et très haut de gamme ainsi que 120 organisations caritatives.
Un analyste du hedge fund GLG a été arrêté mercredi matin à Londres, indique le Financial Times. Il est accusé de délit d’initié par la FSA. Man, la maison mère de GLG, a indiqué que l’intéressé était inculpé par le régulateur à titre personnel, et non en tant que salarié de l’entreprise. Man ne ferait pas l’objet d’une enquête.
Les actifs sous gestion de Henderson Global Investors ont légèrement progressé l’an dernier à 66 milliards de livres à fin décembre contre 64,3 milliards de livres à fin décembre 2011 mais le bénéfice avant impôts a reculé de 8% à 146,5 millions de livres, selon les chiffres communiqués le 27 février.Le groupe a subi une décollecte nette d’environ 4 milliards de livres, les seuls rachats de la partie retail représentant quelque 1,2 milliard de livres. Les actions ont subi une décollecte de 3,3 milliards de livres, compensée par un effet marché positif de 3,4 milliards de livres. Du côté des obligations, la décollecte s’est élevée à 871 millions de livres mais l’effet marché positif a totalisé 2,14 milliards de livres. Les revenus des commissions de performance ont chuté de leur côté de 48% à 33,9 millions de livres.
La CNMV a délivré son agrément de commercialisation en Espagne au fonds alternatif coordonnéGAIA Sirios US Equity, annonce Schroders par l’intermédiaire de Funds People. C’est un long.short actions de moyennes et grandes capitalisations américaines (lire Newsmanagers du 29 janvier) qui réplique le Sirios US Equity Long/Sort lancé en juillet 1999.
Le gestionnaire américain Invesco a commencé à constituer une équipe de gestion qui sera basée à Singapour. La première recrue est Abdul Jalil Rasheed qui est actuellement CEO d’Aberdeen Islamic Asset Management. Il quittera cette fonction le 7 mars, selon Asian Investor. Il pilotera chez Invesco le Asean equity fund, à partir du premier avril. C’est Gerald Ambrose, managing director pour la Malaisie, qui assurera son poste de CEO chez Aberdeen Islamic Asset Management.
Outre l’ouverture prochaine d’un bureau permanent à Zurich, Carmignac Gestion a annoncé mercredi 27 février l’arrivée de Benjamin Boyer au sein de l'équipe suisse en tant que sales manager. Il aura pour objectif de de renforcer les relations de la société de gestion avec les conseillers financiers indépendants, les « family offices », les banques, les compagnies d’assurance et autres réseaux de distribution tiers établis en Suisse francophone, indique un communiqué. Il travaillera en collaboration avec Magali Di Filippo qui sera de retour de congé de maternité en avril. Benjamin Boyer a passé sept ans chez HSBC Global Asset Management, où il a exercé la fonction de Head of Wholesale en Suisse et contribué au lancement de la succursale à Genève.
Depuis le 22 février, le taux de frais sur encours du Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (aconyme sur NYSE Arca : VYM) a été réduit à 0,10 % contre 0,13 %, rapporte Index Universe. L’encours de ce fonds a plus que doublé à 4,2 milliards de dollars durant les douze mois à fin octobre et il avoisine à présent les 5 milliards de dollars.
Le conseil d’administration de la Société Générale, sur proposition du comité des nominations et du gouvernement d’entreprise, a arrêté les propositions de renouvellement et de nomination d’administrateurs, qui seront soumises au vote de l’Assemblée générale le 22 mai 2013, selon un communiqué publié le 27 février. Il sera proposé aux actionnaires : - de renouveler pour quatre ans le mandat d’administrateur de Jean-Bernard Levy, administrateur indépendant. - de nommer Alexandra Schaapveld pour une durée de quatre ans, en qualité d’administrateur indépendant. Si ces résolutions sont adoptées par l’Assemblée générale, le Conseil d’administration comprendra 15 membres : - 13 membres élus par l’Assemblée générale ; - 2 membres élus par les salariés. Le nombre d’administrateurs indépendants sera de 10 sur les 15 administrateurs, soit 66,66% du Conseil d’administration (76,92% des administrateurs nommés par l’assemblée générale), proportion nettement supérieure au seuil de 50% recommandé par le Code de Gouvernement d’entreprise Afep-Medef. Le pourcentage de femmes sera de près de 31% des administrateurs élus par l’assemblée générale, supérieur au minimum de 20% qui sera applicable aux sociétés cotées à compter de 2014. Le conseil d’administration comportera 5 administrateurs de nationalité étrangère.
Peu de temps après l’annonce de sa démission du poste de managing director pour le Benelux (lire Newsmanagers du 15 février) de Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM), Marc van Heel rejoint iShares pour remplacer Roel Thijssen comme patron de iShares Benelux, rapporte Fondsnieuws, précisant que l’intéressé prendra ses nouvelles fonctions en mai.Marc van Heel sera subordonné à Leen Meijaard, responsable de iShares pour l’Europe, le Moyen-Orient et l’Afrique, qui a succédé à David Gardner. Il était demeuré simultanément responsable de BlackRock Benelux.
Marc Bobbink rejoint Nordea Investment Funds comme sales director à Luxembourg, rapporte Fondsnieuws. L’intéressé était depuis quatre ans chez Pictet comme senior sales manager pour le Benelux.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } KBL European Private Bankers (KBL epb) on 26 February announced the appointment of Frédéric Genet as chief executive officer, professional services, for the group. He will be based in Luxembourg. In this newly-created position on the management committee, he will emphasize reinforcements to services offered by the global investor services, global financial markets, assets & liabilities management and credit departments of the group. Genet previusly served at CEO of Société Générale Bank & Trust, the second-largest bank in Luxembourg. In addition to his position as country head for Société Générale in Luxembourg, Genet was also a member of the board of directors at the Luxembourg stock exchange and the Association of Banks and Bankers, Luxembourg. Following Genet’s appointment, the management committee at KBP epb now includes the following members: · Jacques Peters, Group Chief Executive Officer · Frédéric Genet, Chief Executive Officer, Professional Services · Olivier de Jamblinne de Meux, Chief Executive Officer, Luxembourg · Marc Lauwers, Chief Operating Officer · Yves Pitsaer, Chief Financial Risk Officer · Yves Stein, Chief Executive Officer, Private Banking
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Marc Bobbink is joining Nordea Investment Funds as sales director in Luxembourg, Fondsnieuws reports. Bobbink had formerly spent four years at Pictet as senior sales manager for Benelux.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } In October-December 2012, assets under management by Chinese funds increased by 29%, to CNY2.8trn, or USD449bn, according to Z-Ben Advisors, Asian Investor reports. The increase was primarily triggered by a seasonal trend at Chinese asset management firms to boost their rankings by placing money market fund shares, a category which alone has attracted CNY200bn in net subscriptions.The two largest firms in terms of growth in fourth quarter are asset management affiliates of banks. Bank of China Investment Management is a joint venture of BOC and BlackRock, while CCB Principal is a joint venture of the China Construction Bank, Principal Financial and the China Huadian Group, whose assets have increased to CNY100.1bn and CNY94.5bn, respectively, as they were able to rely on the networks of their parent companies to boost inflows to their money market funds.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Fundweb reports that at a hearing before the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, Martin Wheatley, who has been appointed to lead the future Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), announced that he is studying the US system which rewards whistleblowers and provides them with a cut (20% to 30%) of the funds recuperated due to the information they provide. It has not ruled out importing the practice to the United Kingdom, but it is too early to make a judgement yet.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The ICI Global association founded by the Investment Company Institute (ICI) to defend the interests of investment fund managers internationally will open an office in Hong Kong this May. The office, the first in the Asia-Pacific region, will be led by Yang Qiumei. The former director of development at Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing hopes to contribute to discussions between regulators and actors in the fund industry. The association would like to strengthen its presence in Asia, and would like to recruit new members, Asian Investor reports.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } In addition to the forthcoming opening of a permanent office in Zurich, Carmignac Gestion on Wednesday, 27 February announced the arrival of Benjamin Boyer on the Swiss team, as sales manager. He will aim to strengthen relationships of the asset management firm with independent financial advisers, family offices, banks, insurers and other third-party distribution networks in French-speaking Switzerland, a statement says. He will work in collaboration with Magali Di Filippo, who will be returning from maternity leave in April. Boyer spend several years at HSBC Global Asset Management, where he serves as head of wholesale in Switzerland, and helped to launch the Geneva office.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Raiffeisen banking group has paid CHF560m to acquire the non-US activities of the Swiss Wegelin private bank, which have since been transferred to the new Notenstein bank, according to the Handelszeitung. This total comes from a document formulating the recommendations of the New York state prosecutor’s office for criminal charges against Wegelin in the United States. The transaction was announced in January 2012, shortly before Wegelin was accused of helping US taxpayers to conceal their assets from the tax authorities. The sale price has not then been revealed. With these figures, the prosecutor intends to demonstrate that Wegelin is able to quickly pay the sum in question (USD75m) to settle charges against it.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } EFG International has returned to profitability in 2012, following a variety of reorganisation measures undertaken and a positive development of activities in most sectors. The Zurich-based wealth management firm earned net profits of CHF111m, compared with a loss of CHF2489m the previous year, according to a statement released on 27 February. Net profits, excluding recurrent charges, rose 71%, to CHF142.5m. Assets under management which generate revenues totalled CHF78.7bn as of the end of December 2012, which represents an increase of CHF300m compared with the end of December 2011, despite the impact of abandoning some operations as part of a review of the activities of EFG International. Net inflows totalled CHF3bn for contined activities, up by CHF0.6bn compared with the previous year.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Frankfurt-based MainFirst Asset Management is planning to release a statement on Friday confirming reports in Citywire that Frank Schwarz, one of the three managers recruited from Deutsche Asset Management last year (see Newsmanagers of 29 August), will be entrusted with the management of a Luxembourg-registered long-only global equity fund, scheduled for launch on 1 March, which will have seed capital of EUR10m.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Russell Global Defensive index has outperformed the Russell Gloal Index by 2% or more in some periods over the past decade, according to a statement released on 27 February. The index has posted returns of 12.8% on one year, 12.9% over three years (annualised), 7% over five years (annualised), and 8.3% over ten years (annualised) as of 21 February 2013. “The Global Russell Defensive Index identifies and ranks equities according to their sensitivity to economic cycles, credit cycles, and market volatility, all factors which fall into the category of stability. The index measures the performance of the most stable companies, meaning those which stand out for their characteristics of high quality and low volatility,” says Phil Hoffman, international equity manager at Russell Investments. “The track record of the index helps to support the conviction that an actively-managed portfolio of the most stable defensive shares can present superior risk and return characteristics over time.”
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Investors in money market funds are divided on the question of the impact that reforms of money market funds which included dropping constant net asset value in favour of variable NAV, according to a survey of European treasurers undertaken by the financial ratings agency Fitch Ratings in partnership with Treasury Management International (TMI).The three areas affected by the transition to variable NAV, a proposal which has been made on both sides of the Atlantic, would be the clarity of the investment product, accounting and fiscal treatment of the product, and lastly, the fund’s risk profile.The top concern is clarity of the product, as 27% estimate that the new rules would result in a loss of clarity, while 42% are preferring to wait and see. A part of the problem is due to the lack of such funds in some regions, such as the United Kingdom, meaning that investors don’t know much about how these funds function.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Not long after the announcement that he would be resigning from his position as managing director for Benelux (see Newsmanagers of 15 February) at Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM), Marc van Heel is joining iShares to replace Roel Thijssen as head of iShares Benelux, Fondsnieuws reports, adding that ven Heel will begin in his new position in May.Van Heel will report to Leen Meijaard, head of iShares for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, who succeeded Gardner. He had also continued to serve simultaneously as head of BlackRock Benelux.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } ING Investment Management (ING IM) on 27 February announced the appointment of Hans Stoter as chief investment officer (CIO) and a member of the international management committee. Stoter joined ING IM in 1998, and succeeds Mark Weber, who is returning to the US headquarters of ING IM to take on responsibilities as vice president of structured assets, loans and alternatives. As CIO, Stoter will also oversee the global investment leadership team, which oversees investments teams, investment proceses, the performance of portfolios and risks for mandates and funds managed by the investment boutiques of ING IM International. His appointment is pending approval by the authorities. Tim Dowling will succeed Stoter in his former role as head of corporate bond investments and principal manager of the Global High Yield fund. Dowling, whoc is currently head of the team and principal manager of the US High Yield fund, is a veteran of the sector, with 27 years of experience in corporate and high yield bonds, including five years at ING Investment Management. Dowling will continue to be based at the ING IM International offices in New York, from where he will direct the global credit team and will continue to be responsible for the investment process for the United States. He will report directly to Stoter,
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } After asset management, private banking is the area in which the Edmond de Rothschild bank would like to be present in Germany. According to reports in Private Banking Magazin cited by Finews, Edmond de Rothschild is planning to open a branch office in Frankfurt, which will coordinate activities on the German market.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Performance and risk analytics operations at BNY Mellon will now be united ina single unit entitled global risk solutions, which will be led by Debra Baker, who has previously been responsible for the US financial institutional clients segment of the corporate trust arm at BNY Mellon, where she had been responsble for CDOs and had served as COO.The global risk solutions unit has USD9.6trn under measurement, 500 employees at 10 locations worldwide, and 1,300 clients.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The founder of Appaloosa, David Tepper, was the best-paid hedge fund manager in 2012, due to returns of 30% for his fund specialised in debt from distressed businesses, with USD12bn in assets, Les Echos reports. With USd2.2bn in gains, according to Forbes magazine, he leads Carl Icahn (USD1.9bn in gains) in rankings in which all of the top 10 places are held by veterans of the sector with 20 to 30 years of experience (Cohen, Soros, Griffin, Dalio, and others). The top 40 shares USD16.7bn, or USD420m each.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } As of the end of December, assets under management at Groupama Asset Management reached a record EUR90.4bn, compared with EUR84bn twelve months earlier, and EUR89.9bn at the end of 2010. Assets for Groupama totalled EUR75.6bn at the end of 2012, while assets under management for external clients totalled EUR14.8bn (+EUR1.6bn compared with 2011).External net inflows totalled EUR565m, of which EUR450m were in France, and EUR115m internationally, says Francis Ailhaud, CEO, but net outflows appear to have totalled EUR4.8bn for the group, largely due to sales of the group’s activities in France and internationally for EUR2.2bn, and a noticeable reduction in equity risks in the group’s portfolios totalling EUR2.5bn, meaning that net outflows total EUR4.2bn, or EUR1.8bn for management activities in the strict sense. Net inflows to non-money market SRI products totalled EUR300m, while SRI products total EUR9.4bn in AUM, shared primarily between three funds (European equities, euro credit, and govies).Groupama AM is expected to finish the month of February with external net inflows of EUR300m, and an objective of EUR1bn for 2013, says Jean-Marie Catala, head of development.Net profits fell last year to EUR18.4m, from EUR23m in 2011, when Groupama Fund Pickers was absorbed into Groupama AM, which resulted a EUR3.5m windfall profit. Revenues were down by CHF0.6m to EUR129.6m, and costs fell by EUR1.7m to EUR97.8m.