20/01/2012
La vente de Cœur Défense en 2014 reste à l'ordre du jour
La cour d'appel de Versailles a confirmé hier la sauvegarde pour les sociétés propriétaires de l'immeuble. Mais le plan est suspendu jusqu'en 2013
20/01/2012
Madrid profite du bol d'air de la BCE
L’injection à 3 ans de la Banque fin 2011 a fait retomber la tension d’un cran. L’Espagne a placé 6,6 milliards d’euros d’obligations, plus que prévu.
20/01/2012
Dublin remplit les objectifs de la Troïka malgré des nuages à l'horizon
La mission composée du FMI, de la BCE et de l'UE a ramené sa prévision de croissance du PIB irlandais pour 2012 à 0,5%
20/01/2012
Le Japon souhaite tirer profit du yen fort
Quitte à avoir une monnaie forte, autant en profiter. «Nous devrions nous servir de la force du yen pour investir et acheter, pour être aussi proactif que possible». C’est le message véhiculé par le ministre des finances japonais, Yukio Edano, dans un entretien accordé au quotidien. «Le Japon est court en ressources, nous avons donc besoin d’utiliser cette opportunité pour obtenir fermement des ressources énergétiques et de matières premières». Et d’inciter le secteur privé à se mobiliser en ajoutant que «ça n’est pas seulement de la bureaucratie: c’est quelquechose que j’encourage le secteur privé à faire de manière vigoureuse… Nous devons passer à l’offensive».
20/01/2012
L’Espagne n'atteindra pas son objectif budgétaire
Le gouvernement ne devrait pas pouvoir être en mesure de réduire son déficit à 4,4% du PIB cette année, a indiqué le ministre du budget, Cristobal Montoro, dans un entretien au quotidien. L’objectif a été fixé avec une prévision de croissance de 2,3% qui n’est pas aujourd’hui réaliste. Cristobal Montoro précise qu’il faudra deux ans pour retrouver une croissance suffisante pour créer des emplois.
20/01/2012
La Syrie reprend la main sur sa devise
Le gouverneur de la banque centrale du pays, Adib Mayaleh, a indiqué au journal son intention d’introduire un taux de change flottant garanti dès la semaine prochaine afin de dévaluer la monnaie et d’en contrôler les mouvements. «Pendant les dix dernières années le taux de change a franchi des étapes, nous sommes à présent dans une période de contrôle de ses avancées».
20/01/2012
Le Congrès américain sous pression
Dans un courrier consulté par le quotidien, Ron Kirk, un représentant du département du commerce et John Bryson, Secrétaire au commerce, font pression sur le Congrès pour contourner une décision de justice prise en décembre qui levait des restrictions imposées sur les importations chinoises. «Nous nous tenons prêts à travailler avec le Congrès afin de mettre en œuvre une législation spécifique», avancent-ils.
20/01/2012
Le Trésor espagnol profite de l'opération à 3 ans de la BCE
Le pays a émis 6,6 milliards d'euros de 4 à 10 ans, contre 4,5 milliards visés. Les banques domestiques recycleraient une partie des fonds reçus en décembre
20/01/2012
Un risque de sous-performance qui se réduit
Les tableaux ci-contre présentent les meilleures et plus mauvaises performances en euros des fonds sur le marché des fonds actions américaines et le marché des fonds actions françaises au cours du mois de décembre 2011 (du 2 décembre au 30 décembre).
20/01/2012
Une plus grande visibilité pour la sélection des gérants
Le graphique ci-contre montre la variété des performances des fonds actions européennes, mesurée par la dispersion de leurs rentabilités.
20/01/2012
Les ménages français rechignent à souscrire de nouveaux crédits en 2012
Inquiets de la crise et de certaines mesures de rigueur, les ménages n'ont jamais été aussi prudents en matière financière
19/01/2012
Demande plus forte que prévu pour l’adjudication espagnole
L’Espagne a emprunté jeudi 6,6 milliards d’euros sur des échéances allant jusqu'à 10 ans, attirant une demande plus forte que prévu à l’occasion de l’un des premiers vrais tests de l’appétit des investisseurs pour la dette souveraine de la zone euro en 2012. Le pays espérait initialement lever 4,5 milliards d’euros sur des échéances à quatre, sept et 10 ans. Le Trésor espagnol a ainsi levé 3 milliards d’euros à échéance 2022, avec un rendement moyen en baisse à 5,403% contre 6,975% lors de la précédente adjudication de ce type. Sur l'échéance 2019, Madrid a vendu 2,3 milliards d’euros de titres à un rendement de 4,541% (contre 5,110% précédemment). La demande a représenté deux fois l’offre (contre 2,1). Enfin, l’Espagne a émis 1,3 milliard d’euros de dette à échéance 2016. Le rendement ressort à 4,021% (3,912% précédemment).
19/01/2012
Fitch prévoit de dégrader des pays de la zone euro
Fitch Ratings prévoit que la révision de la notation de six Etats de la zone euro se traduira par une dégradation d’un à deux crans pour la plupart d’entre eux, a déclaré jeudi Edward Parker, qui supervise les notes des pays d’Europe, du Moyen-Orient et d’Afrique au sein de l’agence. Il a dit s’attendre à ce que l’examen des notes soit achevé d’ici la fin janvier.
19/01/2012
Le Japon envisage de soutenir l'Europe via le FMI
Le Japon se dit prêt à accorder des prêts bilatéraux au Fonds monétaire international afin de soutenir les efforts de l’Europe face à la crise de la dette, mais souhaite que les Européens prennent également de solides mesures pour en venir à bout, a déclaré à Reuters un haut responsable gouvernemental.
19/01/2012
La France lève plus de 7,9 milliards d'euros de BTAN
L’Agence France Trésor (AFT), qui gère la dette de la France, a annoncé jeudi avoir levé, comme prévu, 7,96 milliards d’euros de bons du Trésor, à 2014, 2015, 2016 pour cette première émission obligataire depuis la perte du triple A. La demande des investisseurs a été en moyenne plus de deux fois supérieure à l’offre et les taux sont ressortis en nette baisse.
19/01/2012
La Française AM maintains asset levels
Despite falling markets in 2011, La Française AM has maintained its asset levels, and posted positive inflows. As of the end of December, assets under management totalled EUR34.7bn, compared with EUR34.8bn one year previously.Net inflows have not exceeded EUR1bn, as they did in 2010, but they did come to about EUR450m, excluding money market and insurance mandates at the group, Nicolas Duban, head of development at La Française AM, has told a meeting of investors.
19/01/2012
AUM at Goldman Sachs down 1% in 2011
As of 31 December, assets under management at Goldman Sachs totalled USD828bn, USD7bn more than as of 30 September, and USD12bn (or 1%) less than one year previously. The decline compared with a total of USD840bn at the end of 2010 is the result of new outflows of USD17bn from equity and bond funds, partially offset by USD5bn in positive market effects and net subscriptions to money market funds.Net revenues from investment management last year totalled USD5.034bn, compared with USD5.014bn in 2010. This stability is the result of an increase in commission revenues, due to a positive evolution in the product mix offset by falling incentive fees. Net profits for the group as a whole totalled USD2.51bn, compared with USD7.71bn the previous year.
19/01/2012
BMY Mellon's AUM down 8% in 2011
As of the end of December, assets under management by BNY Mellon Corporation, excluding securities lending, represented USD1.26trn, 8% less than one year previously. Compared with 30 September, that corresponds to an increase of 5%, due to rising equity markets and net subscriptions.Profits from consolidated activities in the area of investment management funds for the year 2011 were down to USD150m, from USD167m.Revenues from management and performance commissions contracted by 9%, to USD730m, due to an increase in waivers for money market funds, a decline in earnings from performance commissions, and falling international share prices, which were only partly offset by net subscriptions.BNY Mellon also states that its assets under management and administration increased last year by 3%, to USD25.80bn as of the end of December.Overall, BNY Mellon has earned net profits for 2011 of USD2.516bn, compared with USD2.518bn in 2010.
19/01/2012
Fidelity opposed to Volcker rule
Because it is not a bank but rather an asset management firm, Fidelity would not be subject to the Volcker rule, but Alexander Marx, head of global bond trading at the firm, has nonetheless expressed his opposition to the proposed rule in its current form, because it could have major undesired consequences which would penalise millions of investors.In the written version of his testimony before two financial services subcommittees of the US House of Representatives, Marx says he is concerned by the fact that the Volcker rule would impose a heavy burden on principal trading at banks, which could reduce the efficiency of the markets in which Fidelity operates every day. In addition, the Fidelity executive says that the new regulations could slow economic growth, and would increase the cost for US businesses of raising capital and developing their activities.
19/01/2012
LPO Ventures launches a PE trading platform in Europe
The investment firm LPO Ventures on 18 January launched an online platform which allows professionals to invest in European private, unlisted, businesses, an initiative presented as the first of its kind. The platform, entitled FirstPEX, plans to handle a total volume of EUR1bn to EUR2bn over the next three years.The objective is set in light of a similar platform that already exists in the United States. Overall, the firm values the volume of trades expected in this sector in Europe at more than EUR10bn by 2015. The idea is that all investors (banks, wealth managers, funds, etc.) who sign up for the platform will be able to buy shares in a firm registered on the platform at auction.
19/01/2012
Piguet Galland appoints a board member
The board of directors at the Piguet Galland bank (BCV group) appointed Daniel Varela as a member of the board of directors on 1 January 2012, Agefi Switzerland reports.Varela, who has experience in investment strategy and institutional management, will oversee the ongoing development of these activities, according to the bank’s new strategy.Varela joined Banque Piguet & Cie in Geneva in 1999, as sub-director, in charge of analysis for bond markets, bond management, and institutional management. Varela has been a director since April 2011, and is chief investment officer (CIO) at Piguet Galland.
19/01/2012
Tobin tax would have a heavy cost in Europe, AIMA claims
The proposed European Union financial transaction tax (FTT) could lead to a significant decrease in cross-border trading of financial instruments in the EU, undermining the single market, according to the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA), the global hedge fund association. AIMA, which has carried out a comprehensive analysis of the proposed FTT, said there would be a significant slowdown in trading of financial instruments like shares, bonds and derivatives in the EU.The AIMA analysis concluded that the FTT would have widespread, unintended damaging consequences. As well as undermining the EU’s single market, the FTT would be likely to reduce EU taxpayers’ savings and pensioners’ incomes, lead to a reduction in the level of investment in the real economy, send asset prices lower, widen spreads, hinder efficient price discovery and increase market volatility.The Commission’s own studies concluded that the FTT would leave the EU worse off by tens of billions of euros annually. It estimated that the FTT’s annual revenues would be approximately EUR25bn-€43bn, but there would also be a reduction in EU-wide GDP of between 0.53% (EUR86bn) and 1.76% (EUR286bn).Even that considerable cost may have been underestimated, AIMA said, because it did not fully take account of the “cascade” effect of taxes being applied to every constituent part of a particular trade.
19/01/2012
Aberdeen creates a new management position in Singapore
Peter Elston, who for four years has been head of investment strategy in Asia, based in Singapore, for Aberdeen, has been promoted by the Scottish asset management firm to head of Asia-Pacific strategy & asset allocation, a newly-created position. He will continue to be based in Singapore, and will report to Hugh Young, head of Asian activities in Singapore, and Mike Turner, head of global strategy & asset allocation, who is based in Edinburgh.Aberdeen states that Elston will work in close collaboration with Asian equity and bond teams at Aberdeen, who will continue to manage the underlying asset classes used for existing multi-asset class mandates.
19/01/2012
Emerging market alternative strategies show heavy losses, according to Edhec indices
In December, emerging market strategies offered by hedge funds showed a loss of 1.30%, according to hedge fund indices calculated by the Edhec-Risk Institute. For the year, these strategies are down 10.8%. Long/short equity has lost 0.57% for the month, and 6% over twelve months.However, fixed income arbitrage strategies have earned gains of 0.42% in December, and 3.9% for the year as a whole. Short-selling is up 0.20% for the month, and 6.5% for the year. CTA Global strategies are up 0.29% in December, but show losses of 3.5% for the year.Funds of funds, which lost 0.53$% in December, have finished the year with negative returns of 5.9%.
19/01/2012
CIMB Principal sets up Islamic fund platform in Ireland
Following an agreement signed on 4 November between the Malaysian securities commission and the Irish central bank, the Malaysian business CIMB-Principal Islamic Asset Management has for the first time launched an international fund platform in Dublin which complies with Sharia law, Investment Europe reports.Three UCITS-compliant equity funds will be offered by CIMB-Principal Islamic Asset Management (Ireland) Public Limited: Islamic Global Emerging Markets Fund, Islamic Asia-Pacific ex-Japan Fund, and Islamic ASEAN Equity Fund. They will eventually be offered in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore.
19/01/2012
Pioneer creates a multi-asset class team
Five managers from Pioneer Investments Deutschland have now teamed up in Munich as a single multi-asset class tam, led by Peter Königbauer, in charge of all commodity strategies, who joined the group in 2005.He will be assisted by Francesco Sandrini (multi-asset classes and real value), who began at the firm in 1998, Alfred Grusch (precious metals equities and commodities), who joined in 1990, and Johannes Sienkneckt (multi-asset), who has worked at Pioneer since 2006, and Andreas Marcinkowski (quantitative strategies and commodities), recruited in 1997.However, Markus Steinbeis has decided to leave the business, and will be replaced as manager of the Pioneer Substanzwerte fund ( DE0009792002) by Sandrini.
19/01/2012
Natixis GAM recruits for distribution in Germany
Ralf Bartl has been recruited by Natixis Global Asset Management (NGAM) as director of development for distribution activities in Germany, largely serving family offices, wealth managers, fund of fund managers and private banks, Investment Europe reports.Bartl had previously been head of distribution for equity, bond and real estate funds in Germany and Austria at SEB Asset Management.He will report to Joerg Knaf, managing director Northern Europe.
19/01/2012
MLP files a lawsuit against former Feri shareholders
The financial services provider MLP has asked a Frankfurt court to dismiss a claim by some former shareholders in Feri AG, who are seeking an EUR51.1m increase in the price of the 43.4% stake in its capital sold to MLP in April 2011 for EUR50.6m.Negotiations over a variable portion of the price, in addition to the amount paid at the time, were unsuccessful at the time, but the agreement was accepted by a large majority of the former shareholders, including the current management of the firm.MLP acquired its first 56.6% stake in Feri in autumn 2006.
19/01/2012
Man Group posts outflows of USD2.5bn in third quarter 2011-12
UK-based Man group reports outflows for the third quarter of its 2011-2012 fiscal year of USD2.5bn. Subscriptions in the quarter totalled USD3.1bn, but redemptions totalled USD5.6bn. However, there has been a slowdown in redemptions, which totalled USD7.3bn in the quarter to 30 September.As of the end of December, assets under management in the hedge funds totalled USD47.7bn, compared with USD55.1bn as of 31 March 2011. Long-only strategies totalled USD10.7bn, compared with USD14bn as of the end of March. Hedge funds have posted net inflows in the period of USD300m (USD13.9bn in subscriptions, compared with USD13.6bn in redemptions), while long-only funds have seen net outflows of USD1.8bn (USD2.8bn in subscriptions and USD4.6bn in redemptions).As of 31 December 2011, assets under management totalled USD58.4bn, compared with USD64.5bn as of 30 September 2011, and USD69.1bn as of the end of March 2011. In other words, in the first nine months of the fiscal year, assets at the group fell by more than USD10bn. Pre-tax profits for the first nine months of the fiscal year totalled USD257m, compared with USD599m for the fiscal year ending on 31 March 2011.
19/01/2012
Colombian asset management firm opens for business in Europe
The Colombian asset management firm Bolsa y Renta (ByR) will be offering its management of Colombian equities in Europe in UCITS format, Citywire reports. The Colombia Equity fund, advised by Casa-Funds in Luxembourg, will replicate the strategy deployed locally since February 2007. The fund will be managed by Alejandro Correa, who joined ByR at the beginning of last year.