FRM Capital Advisors has invested USD25m in a hedge fund dedicated to Japan, Arena Capital, managed by a former Highbridge manager, Tony Bartlett, Asian Investor reports.
Asian high net worth clients have not made major modifications to their asset allocations since 2008, with one significant exception: they are reducing their exposure to hedge funds, family office heads have stated at a round table held by Asian Investor. However, it has been observed that a minority of high net worth clients, while avoiding hedge funds, are not hesitating to invest in club deals, venture capital and private equity, which are not risk-free investments by any means.
In January 2013, US mutual funds specialised in equities and diversified funds attracted about USD51bn in net subscriptions, the highest level in over a decade, not counting inflows to equity ETFs, Strategic Insight has concluded on the basis of statistics from the Investment Company Institute and its own study of the major distributors and asset management firms.Bond mutual funds showed inflows of over USD40bn, far more than the USD27bn per month observed on average in 2012.Overall, net inflows were thus considerably higher than the previous record, set in January 2004, with USD58bn.
According to a survey by the Börsen-Zeitung, German asset managers are this year planning to place “high dividend” funds with clients who are hesitant to invest in equities, (this is the case at DWS), or else savings plans based on shares in equity funds (Union Investment). Professionals will also offer diversified funds, funds of funds, and guaranteed funds. Clients of savings banks and co-operative banks continue to show high remand for open-ended real estate funds.
Kneip, a provider of services to the asset management sector, on 4 February announced the appointment of Renaud Oury to the position of head of sales.In his new role, Oury will be responsible for developing Kneip’s services for asset managers, administrators, and jurists.Renaud Oury had previously worked at CetrelSecurities as managing director.
In January 2013, the daily trading volume for on-book ETF trades on European markets of NYSE Euronext totalled EUR228m, 18.07% higher than in December (EUR193.1m), but 13.98% less than in the corresponding month of last year.Total on-book trades last month came to EUR5.24bn, 29.31% more than in the previous month, and 10.07% less than in January 2012.Block trades volumes contracted by 30.71% compared with December, to EUR0.84bn.NYSE Euronext states that the median spread improved last month to 25.1 basis points, which represents a 21% decline compared with December, and a decline of 37% compared with January 2012.
First State Investments has launched a Global Credit Income fund for the British market, in order to target wealth managers and discretionary investors, Investment Week reports. The fund is a mirror of the Australian Global Credit Income fund, with GBP2.7bn in assets.
F&C has recruited Ben Fox, founder of Goodheart Partners, as future head of its multi-alternative activity, ahead of the departure of its current director, Ken Kinsey-Quick, Citywire reports. As a part of the appointment, F&C will take over the flagship fund from Fox, the Goodheart Partners Horizon Fund – Target Return Fund. Alex Jones of Goodheart will also join the firm.
OFI REIM has acquired a real estate portfolio composed of 4 office and commercial buildings with a total area of 16,000 square metres, two of which are located in Paris, and the other two in the central business districts of Marseille and Nice, for one of the investment funds it manages in partnership with F&C REIT, for EUR77m. The transaction brings real estate assets in the fund, launched in 2010, to EUR350m, a statement says.
US authorities are planning to launch civil proceedings against the ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) for its poor evaluation of the risks presented by certain assets before the financial crisis, the ratings agency S&P announced on 4 February. The agency calls the accusation “unjustified.” These will be the first Federal legal proceedings againt a major ratings agency for illicit behaviour which is claimed to be tied to the financial crisis. The civil division of the US Department of Justice (DoJ) has informed the firm that it is planning to file a lawsuit against S&P, and concentrate on the 2007 ratings of certain US bonds backed by CDOs.
Natixis last week provided a few details on its website concerning Vega Investment Managers .The asset management firm, which was unveiled in late December as the Natixis expert unit for multi-management and fund selection under open architecture, dedicated to all clients of the firm (retail, institutional, corporate), is also specialised in investment solutions aimed at wealth management clients.The asset management firm is a joint venture controlled 60% by Banque Privée 1818, and 40% by Natixis Asset Management, with EUR6.5bn in assets under mangement. Marc Riez is its CEO, and Isabelle Reux-Brown, deputy CEO, is responsible for management and due diligence, a statement says.Vega IM has 45 fund managers in the areas of collective management (equities, fixed income, multi-management), mandated management, advising and fund selection under open architecture. It aims to meet the needs of wealth management clients of the Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne networks (BPCE) for portfolio construction and the selection of investment supports.
“EUR200m from the first FCPR are invested. We are aiming for EUR400m for the second (OFI InfraVia European Fund II), an objective which me might achieve in six to nine months, since EUR200m in commitments have already been received. This success is certainly due to our good execution and the fact that we receive quality assistance from OFI,” Vincent Levita, chairman and chief investment officer at OFI Infravia, an asset management firm specialised in infrastructures, in which OFI controls a 40% stake, has told Newsmanagers.For the first FCPR, “We attracted a dozen insurers as investors. For the second, launched in spring 2012, we are planning to double the number of subscribers, while retaining existing ones and extending the circle to pension funds and other European institutionals. One third of our fundraising will involve Swiss, German, Dutch, British and Scandinavian organisations,” the manager adds.When asked about personnel, Levita states that the team currently has 10 members, and is expected to have “15 members by the end of this year, plus one person to manage existing portfolios.”“Not only is the asset class now better known, but results have been good. In 2012, the top fund brought in cash returns for investors of 6%,and performance was a net 12%. We are aiming for the same type of results for the number two fund, with total leverage of 50% to 60%, the head of OFI InfraVia states.
Fidelity Investments has announced that it has been selected by Dell as a provider for its defined-contribution plan. Since 8 January, the Boston-based asset management firm has become the data collector for the 401(k) plan, which has about 50,000 members, and whose assets under administration total about USD3.4bn. In a statement, Fidelity pledges to provide assistance and online and telephone advising, as well as Internet seminars. Affiliates at Dell will also have access to 180 Fidelity investment centres in the United States, as well as the NetBenefits guidance resource from the asset management firm.
BlackRock is being sued by two US pension funds, who accuse it of systematically “looting” revenues from lending the securities of investors, Financial Times Fund Management reports. The lawsuit claims that several iShares ETFs listed in the United States had a commission model which allowed an affiliate, the BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, to retain 40% of revenues generated by securities lending. It claims that BlackRock, iShares and nine administrators systematically violated their fiduciary duties by establishing the remuneration structure.
Thomas Steinemann, ancien directeur de la stratégie et directeur des produits multi classes d’actifs du groupe Vontobel, a été recruté au poste de CIO de la banque privée suisse Bellerive, rapporte Finews. Il s’agit d’une création de poste.
Wealth management at UBS in 2012 posted net inflows of CHF26.3bn, considerably more than in 2011, according to statistics released by the group on 5 February. Sustained inflows to funds from Asia-Pacific, emerging countries, and from high net worth clients worldwide continued. Wealth Management Switzerland posted net inflows of CHF4.2bn, up by CHF1.8bn. Wealth management activities last year posted pre-tax profit of CHF2.9bn, up 1.8%.Wealth Management Americas has posted record pre-tax profits of USD873m, up 40%, and has posted net inflows of USD22.1bn of new money, up by USD8bn.The Global Asset Management unit, for its part, has posted a pre-tax profit up 19% to CHF544m, due to improved returns which benefited clients. In addition to excellent performance in real estate and alternative investment activities, UBS repotts that 62% of collective management funds posted returns which ranked in the first or second quartile in their class for the year.In 2012, UBS, which has reduced its performance premium pool by 7% to CHF2.5bn, has also announced a new remuneration model, in order to better reconcile the interests of employees and shareholders. The changes will place the emphasis on the mid- and long-term performance of employees, offer employees an opportunity to profit from the long-term success of the business, and simplify the UBS remuneration system, while rendering it more transparent.
Invesco Switzerland has appointed Stefan Mosberger as Senior Relationship Manager, the affiliate of the independent wealth management firm Invesco announced on 4 February. Before being appointed to his current position, Mosberger had been a senior consultant at Ecofin Investment Consulting, and before that, was a specialist in alternative investments and deputy head of the investment firm Adavis.
Schroder Investment Management on 4 February announced the release of Wealth Preservation USD, a wealth management sub-fund of its Luxembourg Sicav Schroders International Select Fund (ISF), which is no longer available in France, but which is available elsewhere in four share classes (A, C, E and I).The multi-asset class fund was launched on 30 January 2013. The “all-weather” portfolio is managed by Malcolm Melville, and is aimed at retail investor as well as high net worth private clients. The manager will use no short positions, leverage or complex derivatives. He will focus on in-depth research on countries and commodities to identify investments which are likely to generate returns which are “comfortably” above inflation.CharacteristicsName: Schroder ISF – Wealth Preservation USDISIN codes:LU0877817550 (A share class)LU0877817717 (C share class)LU0877818012 (E share class)LU0877818285 (I share class)Front-end fee:4% (A share class)1% (C and E share classes)0% (A share class)Management commission:1.90% (A share class)1.05% (C share class)0.68% (E share class)0.17% (I share class)
Apax et LBO France ont mandaté la banque Lazard et la société de conseil Messiers Maris & Associés pour céder leur participation de 70% dans l’enseigne d’ameublement et de décoration, ont indiqué à Reuters des sources proches du dossier. Le processus de vente pourrait être enclenché dès la fin du mois de février. L’enseigne serait valorisée à au moins 700 millions d’euros.
40% des sociétés d’investissement françaises disposent désormais de moins de 19% des fonds qu’elles gèrent pour investir dans de nouvelles entreprises. C’est ce qui ressort de la première étude menée par l’Association Française des Investisseurs pour la Croissance (AFIC) sur le volume des capitaux disponibles pouvant être investis dans de nouvelles entreprises (« dry powder »). Une autre population, représentant aussi 40% des acteurs, ne dispose que de 30% de ses fonds disponibles.
La Banque centrale européenne devra plus que doubler ses effectifs et embaucher environ 2.000 personnes afin de répondre aux exigences qui lui sont imposées dans le cadre de la création de l’union bancaire européenne, indique le journal qui cite une note confidentielle d’un cabinet de consultants remis et commandé par l’autorité elle-même.
Craignant les risques d’un afflux de liquidités dans l’économie, les autorités de régulation chinoises auraient pris des mesures pour restreindre la distribution de crédits bancaires, indique le journal qui cite des sources réglementaires. Bank of China et ICBC auraient ainsi été rappelées à l’ordre par la Banque Populaire de Chine pour avoir dépassé leur quota de crédits autorisés en janvier.
SGX, la Bourse de Singapour, serait en négociations pour racheter une participation dans la chambre de compensation, soit de manière indépendante, soit dans le cadre d’une opération qui verrait le London Stock Exchange prendre une participation majoritaire de 60% dans LCH.Clearnet, indique le journal qui cite trois sources des échanges. Les trois parties seraient actuellement en cours de discussion sur la structure de l’opération. Le cours de l’action de SGX chutait de 0,6% ce matin, à 7,78 dollars locaux. Cette opération marquerait une deuxième intrusion des bourses asiatiques en Europe après le rachat du London Metal Exchange par la Bourse de Hong Kong.
La collecte a atteint 9,7 milliards de francs suisses en 2012, portant les actifs sous gestion à 189 milliards avant l’apport international de Merrill Lynch