Renaissance Asset Managers (RAM) has recruited Mark Robinson as director of research, Investment Europe reports. Robinson previously worked at Wood & Company, a Czech asset management firm specialised in emerging markets, where he served as director of research and director of equities.
Improving statistics from the United States and outlooks for a sooner-than-expected aid plan for Spain have driven investors to concentrate on returns. In the week to 17 October, bond and equity funds dedicated to emerging markets attracted over USD1bn each, according to statistics from EPFR Global.High yield funds and dividend equity funds also each posted subscriptions of over USD1bn. Since the beginning of the year, high yield bond funds showed net inflows of over USD67bn.In Europe, investors continued to steer clear of French and Swiss equity funds, preferring German, Italian and British equity funds. European bond funds outside the UK attracted over EUR350m in the week.Overall, bond funds have posted net inflows in the week to 17 October of USD8.4bn, while equity funds, for their part, hve posted net redemptions totalling a net USD1.2bn. Money market funds finished the week to 17 October with inflows of USD23.1bn.
ECPI, a provider of sustainable research, ratings and indices, has launched a second ESG China Series index, developed in partnership with China Securities Index, a provider of Chinese indices, and Caitong Fund Management, an asset management firm based in China, Investment Europe reports. The new index, the CSI Caitong ECPI ESG China 100 index, is composed of the top-rated businesses for environmental, social and governance criteria from the CSI 300 index.
The European Systemic Risk Board is reported to be in the process of studying a controversial plan to forbid money market fund managers from bailing out investors if their funds suffer losses, Financial Times Fund Management reveals. Only two money market funds have lost investors’ money. But, according to Moody’s, 62 money market funds were bailed out by their sponsors or parent companies during the financial crisis, at a cost of at least USD12.1bn.
Axel Schwarzer, head of the asset management division at Vontobel (290 personnel), has announced to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that the Swiss group may use its CHF600m reserved for acquisitions to acquire a German asset management firm, with assets of CHF25bn. However, he did not state which one.As of the end of June, Vontobel had CHF54bn in institutional assets, and Schwarzer, a former DWS manager, is aiming for EUR80bn, without external growth, within 5 years. He also predicts that in five years, 20% of assets will be invested by clients in multi-asset class funds and mandates.
Assets that generate commissions at the Swiss wealth management firm Gottex at the end of September totalled USD7.56bn, up 2% compared with the end of second quarter 2012, according to a statement released on 19 October. Net inflows totalled USD635m, including those of the Chinese firm Penjing Asset Management, the acquisition of which was finalised on 9 August this year. The contribution of Penjing AM to the portfolio of Gottex in third quarter totalled USD390m. Assets under management at Gottex Fund Management in third quarter totalled USD6.16bn, up 8.5% compared with 30 June. Assets at Luma Gottex Solutions Services, for their part, were down 20% in third quarter, to USD1.40bn. According to Joachim Gottschalk, chairman and CEO of Gottex, cited in a statement, it was mostly intervention by central banks which favoured the markets in third quarter. This situation resulted in an increase in revenues to hedge funds, but uncertainties in Europe persist and continue to orient liquidity flows.
The Swiss firm Falcon Private Bank has outsourced the management of its gold-mining equity funds to the New York specialist Tocqueville Finance, Agefi Switzerland reports. During a recent examination of the possibilities to set up a UCITS structure, Falcon Private Bank opted for an external solutions with the asset management firm John Hathaway of Tocqueville and his team.
EFG International has announced in a statement that its stake in EFG Financial Products has decreased from 58% to about 25% as part of the latter’s IPO. As a result, the solvency ratio or pro forma total capital BRI ratio for EFG International will incease to about 17% the firm says. If the greenshoe option is fully exercised, EFG International’s stake will fall further, to about 20%. The reorganisation process at EFG International is now complete, and the performance realised in third quarter 2012 has been “overall in line with those in the first half of the year,” a statement says.
Markus Angst, previously managing director of “external managers” at Credit Suisse, has left the firm, finews.ch reports. His departure comes at a time of reorganization for the operation. From January, the global external asset managers (EAM) department of Credit Suisse, led by Daniel Renner, will be divided into two units. “EAM Switzerland German Speaking” will be led by Peter Vogt, currently head of the North-East region of Switzerland. The EAM Switzerland Basel, French-speaking and Ticino team will be led by Mark Hollenstein.
The Swiss Banque Syz has scaled up its teams in Asia to develop its base among institutional investors in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Australia and Japan, Asian Investor reports. The Swiss bank is also in the process of recruiting senior investment professionals for both equities and bonds, for its Hong Kong office. Assets under management at Banque Syz total about USD26bn, of which only USD800m to USD1bn originate from Asia.
The British firm Schroders has begun to offer its European strategy European Alpha Plus, which it had decided to close to new investors in November 2011, Investment Week reports. The fund had then reached its capacity of EUR5bn. Assets in the fund were then reduced by significant proportions due to a disaffection with European equities related to the ongoing crisis in the euro zone. In the three years to 17 October, the fund has posted returns of 14.2%, compared with average returns of 3.6% for the European equity sector.
The German asset management firm Union Investment Real Estate (UIRE) has acquired the office building Alberga B (5,590 square metres), located in Espoo, near Helsinki, for EUR23.1m. The vendor is the developer NCC Property Development.The property, completed in September 2012, is already 70% leased, and will be added to the portfolio of the open-ended real estate portfolio UniImmo: Europa.This is the third acquisition for UIRE in Espoo: the Hamburg-based asset management firm in 2010 acquired the Alberga A property, which will be added to the institutional real estate fund UniInstitutional European Real Estate fund, and the office property under construction Eventes Business Garden, which when completed will be added to the portfolio of the open-ended real estate fund UniImmo: Deutschland.Open-ended real estate funds from UIRE have invested about EUR270m in Finland.
Selon nos informations, la CNBF tiendra une dernière réunion le 26 octobre en vue de choisir le nom des 8 lauréats sur l’appel d’offres portant sur des mandats de 50 à 400 millions d’euros : 3 gérants d’obligations diversifiées Zone OCDE afin d’améliorer le rendement de la gestion adossée au passif de la CNBF. Le montant global du mandat est estimé à 350 millions d’euros environ. 1 gérant d’actions de la zone EUR afin d’améliorer le rendement de la gestion adossée au passif de la CNBF. Le montant global du mandat est estimé à 50 millions d’euros environ. 3 gérants d’OPCVM toutes classes d’actifs (actions, obligations, diversifié, performance absolue, alternatif), afin d’améliorer le rendement de la gestion adossée au passif de la CNBF. Le montant global du mandat est estimé à 400 millions d’euros environ. 1 gérant d’adossement dont l’objectif sera de constituer et gérer un portefeuille composé d’OAT zéro coupon détenus dans une optique de portage. Le montant global du mandat est estimé à 250 millions d’euros environ.
Le sommet européen qui s'est achevé vendredi n'a pas permis d'aplanir le désaccord entre Paris et Berlin sur les modalités d'activation du Mécanisme européen de stabilité.
L’Agence France Trésor a annoncé l’adjudication, le lundi 22 octobre, d’un montant global compris entre 5,8 et 7,0 milliards d’euros de bons du Trésor (BTF). Cette opération portera sur des montants compris entre 3,4 et 3,8 milliards d’euros de bons à 12 semaines qui arriveront à échéance le 17 janvier 2013, entre 1,4 et 1,8 milliard d’euros de bons à 25 semaines à échéance du 18 avril 2013, et entre 1 et 1,4 milliard d’euros de bons à 51 semaines à échéance du 17 octobre 2013.
Les rendements italien et espagnol à 10 ans sont en nette baisse vendredi, en raison de la forte demande suscitée par des émissions d’obligations indexées italiennes. Le rendement du 10 ans italien a touché un plus bas de sept mois et demi de 4,72% et le rendement du 10 ans espagnol a inscrit un plus bas de six mois et demi de 5,31%. L’Italie a émis pour 18 milliards d’euros de BTP jeudi, un montant sans précédent.
Dans le cadre de leur partenariat annoncé au mois de juin, le gérant et le fournisseur de données ont lancé un fonds investi sur les marchés mondiaux du crédit baptisé LFP R2P Global Credit. Ce fonds est le premier compartiment de la SICAV LFP S&P Capital IQ Fund domiciliée au Luxembourg. Le portefeuille sera composé au minimum de 90 % de titres de la catégorie investment grade.
Le Portugal a sélectionné Synergy Aerospace, société détenue par l’entrepreneur brésilien German Efromovich, comme unique repreneur du transporteur aérien TAP. La cession du groupe, alourdie par une dette de 1,2 milliard d’euros, s’inscrit dans le cadre du programme de privatisations exigé par la troïka en contrepartie d’une aide de 78 milliards d’euros.
Deux associés du hedge fund mis en place par l’ancien trader de Goldman Sachs Pierre-Henri Flamand vont quitter la structure mise à mal par une forte décollecte. Selon Bloomberg, Edoma Partners a vu ses actifs fondre de près de moitié au cours de l’année écoulée à 1,17 milliard de dollars. D’après une note adressée à la clientèle, le fonds a perdu 6,9% depuis le début de ses activités en novembre 2010.
Le sommet a prévu une année pour fixer les capacités de supervision de la BCE et laissé en suspens la rétroactivité de l’intervention du MES dans la recapitalisation des banques espagnoles.
Les montants collectés des FIP et des FCPI auprès des particuliers soumis à l’impôt de solidarité sur la fortune ont reculé de 20% en 2012. Les associations professionnelles s’inquiètent également de la baisse du montant moyen levé, qui menace la viabilité des équipes de gestion.
Le fonds souverain chinois CIC serait intéressé par les ressources canadiennes ainsi que par des investissements en infrastructures dans le pays, indique le China Securities Journal qui cite le dirigeant canadien du fonds, Felix Chee. « Les investissements doivent être réalisés au bon moment, au bon prix pour les meilleurs actifs » précise-t-il ainsi. CIC détient déjà 17% de Teck Resources.
Une série de blocages de fusions et acquisitions entre des sociétés chinoises et américaines, dont la dernière étant la cession avortée de Hawker Beechcraft à une société chinoise pour des raisons de « sécurité nationale », jetterait de l’huile sur le feu des relations commerciales déjà extrêmement tendues entre la première et la deuxième puissance mondiale, selon le journal.
Dans un entretien accordéau journal, David Miles, membre du comité de politique monétaire (MPC) de la Banque d’Angleterre (BoE), indique que l’économie britannique «n’est pas dans un état aussi bon que ce que j’avais espéré il y a environ un an». Et d’ajouter que si le MPC estime à sa prochaine réunion que l’inflation sera sous les 2%, «alors ce sera une raison de pratiquer une politique monétaire plus accommodante».