p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Agefi Switzerland reports that the pan-European platform Chi-X, based in London, last year processed EUR1.58trn in equities trades, putting it ahead of NYSE Euronext, which handled approximately EUR1.533trn in the same period, according to statistics compiled by the European stock market federation. Chi-X Europe, which was founded in 2007, and which is owned by Instinet and a dozen financial institutions (including BNP Paribas and Société Générale), has had a spectacular rise, making it a top player in Europe in a few short years. Chi-X has also become the second-largest stock market in Europe in terms of trading volumes, after the London Stock Exchange, which is host to more than 2 trillion trades a year.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }a:link { } The CFA Institute on 24 January published a new study of questions related to market transparency and the workings of fair competition in the fragmented European equities trading markets. The study was released as part of a consultation over the MiFID directive to regulate markets for financial instruments, which runs until 2 February 2011, and at a time when the market is increasingly fragmenting.The study (http://www.cfapubs.org/doi/pdf/10.2469/ccb.v2011.n3.1), which reviews the structure of European equities markets as well as the regulatory framework applicable to the various types of trading platforms (bilateral and multilateral), concentrates its analysis on the need for transparency on each platform. The report also empirically demonstrates a correlation between high levels of transparency and low trading spreads, a sign that investors would have a lot to gain from increased transparency in trading.The study also estimates that the quality and unity of post-transaction information could be improved, for example, by shortening the deadlines for the publication of information about transactions, as recommended by the CESR, and by setting up a consolidated tape system to collect market data.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The 764th ETF to be listed on the XTF segment of the Xetra electronic platform from Deutsche Börse is the db x-trackers S&P 500 (EUR) ETF (LU0490619193), which replicates the S&P 500 Total Return Net Index. The fund is hedged for currency risks on the euro/dollar currency pair. TER is 0.30%.

Paulson & Co has made more than USD1bn from its stake in Citigroup over the past 18 months. “Citigroup gained 43 per cent in 2010 and was our most profitable bank position,” the USD36bn hedge fund manager said in a letter sent to investors in his Advantage fund. Paulson & Co expects US growth to accelerate this year.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } BNY Mellon Asset Management on Monday, 24 January, announced the launch in France of the BNY Mellon Evolution Global Strategic Bond Fund, a sub-fund of the Sicav BNY Mellon Global Funds composed of international bonds, managed flexibly. The product’s management is overseen by David Leduc, chief investment officer, at Standish Mellon Asset Management Company LLC, one of the boutiques from BNY Mellon Asset Management, specialised in bond management.The fund will seek to generate positive returns over a complete investment cycle, by investing in a wide range of sectors, particularly government bonds from developed and emerging countries, inflation-linked bonds, investment grade corporate bonds, high yield bonds, and currencies. In addition to this, there will be active management of duration via derivative products, in order to create value in period of rising bond yields.CharacteristicsISIN code: EUR (A) shares: IE00B4Z6HQ53; EUR © shares: IE00B4Z6LN01Management fees: A shares: 1.40%; C shares: 0.75%Minimal subscription: A shares : EUR5,000; C shares: EUR5m

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Lyxor AM announced on Monday, 24 January that it has launched two ETFs, one of high yield bonds in euros, and one of emerging markets government debt in US dollars, on 20 January. The two products are listed on Euronext Paris and the London Stock Exchange. The Lyxor ETF iBoxx € Liquid High Yield 30 replicates the evolution of the Markit iBoxx EUR Liquid High Yield 30 index, composed of 30 high yield corporate bonds denominated in euros. The Lyxor ETF iBoxx $ Liquid Emerging Markets Sovereigns replicates the Markit iBoxx $ Liquid Emerging Markets Sovereigns index, which represents bonds issued in US dollars from governments whose revenues are considered low to moderate by the World Bank.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The British management firm Nemesis Asset Management, which is 100% controlled by its CEO and principal fund manager Pier Alberto Furno, on 21 January registered five of its funds with the CNMV. They are the Nemesis Credit Opportunities, European Value, Global Value, Inflation, and USA Value.The products are on sale in Spain from MCH Investment Strategies, Agencia de Valores, S.A., which was founded in June 2010 by Tasio del Castaño and Alejandro Sarrate with partners from MCH Private Equity, and which has already signed distribution agreements for Spain with Ferox Capital, Fulcrum Asset Management and Odey Asset Management. It targets institutional clients in Spain and Portugal.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Amundi and Natixis are the only two remaining candidates to acquire Pioneer, Financial News reports. Resolution has pulled out of the running. The newspaper reports that a deal will eventually fall in the EUR1.5bn price range, well below the valuation of the asset management firm on the books of its parent company UniCredit (EUR3bn).

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Amundi and Natixis are the only two remaining candidates to acquire Pioneer, Financial News reports. Resolution has pulled out of the running. The newspaper reports that a deal will eventually fall in the EUR1.5bn price range, well below the valuation of the management firm on the books of its parent company UniCredit (EUR3bn).

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } On 24 January Allianz Global Investors made an implicit reply to the consumer defence association Stiftung Warentest (see Newsmanagers of 6 January 2011), with the announcement that its open-ended funds would not invest in businesses which are involved in the production of cluster bombs or land mines. In addition, the management firm has put in place the necessary procedures to avoid any investment in businesses of this type. For this, AGI Europe has set up a blacklist of businesses off limits to its open-ended funds. The list is updated regularly, to include the most recent information available on the subject.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } BlackRock has recruited Lavin Mok as head of sales for Hong Kong and Singapore, Asian Investor reports. It is a newly-created position, which marks the group’s desire to offer more Asia-themed products.Mok previously worked at Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management (EDRAM), where he started in March 2010. When asked about his departure from Edram less than one year after his arrival, Mok said effectively that BlackRock had made him an offer he could not refuse.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } About one year ago, the British asset management firm Jupiter entered the French market, with a partnership with the third party marketing firm Alfi Partners. One year later, Eric Bonneville, founding partner, says that “hundreds of millions of euros” have been raised for the London management firm from professional investors. This was no easy task in a market which is highly cautious of equities, Jupiter’s privileged asset class. “We largely benefited from arbitrages, particularly in multi-management,” explains Bonneville, adding that European equities were the most popular destination for investments, particularly the European Growth fund, managed by Alexander FC Darwall, which gained 26.84% in 2010. The New Europe fund, focused on central and eastern Europe, and the Global Convertible fund of global convertible equities were also popular with investors, Bonneville says. The products are part of the Luxembourg Sicav founded in 2001 in order to allow Jupiter to develop in continental Europe. The Sicav saw an increase in its assets from EUR700m to EUR1.3bn last year, while total assets have risen from EUR23bn at the end of 2009 to EUR28.4bn as of 31 December 2010. In 2011, Alfi Partners is hoping that investors will move a little more towards equities, which would work to Jupiter’s advantage. The TPM provider also works with the US independent management firm Brown Advisory, and is hoping to sign new partnerships in the near future in order to extend the range of funds it makes available.

At a press conference held on Monday, 24 January in Paris, Edouard Carmignac, chairman of the eponymous asset management firm, discussed the objectives for his management firm in 2011. As Eric Helderlé had told Newsmanagers a few days ago (see interview dated 20 January 2011), the release of a new fund, the Carmignac Emerging Patrimoine, will take place in the coming quarter – a rare occasion, says Carmignac, as the youngest fund currently in the firm’s range was launched in 2007.The new Luxembourg fund will invest in emerging markets, half in fixed income products and the other half in equities. The fixed income product portion, which will be managed by Charles Zerah, who joined the firm in October 2010. The other portion of the portfolio will be managed by Simon Pickard, and will be composed of shares in emerging market businesses, but may be hedged in times of turbulence.Carmignac Gestion aims the product at some clients in particular. “This fund may be especially suitable for investors who would like to invest in emerging markets, but who are not prepared to confront the volatility,” he explains. In an interview with Newsmanagers, Helderlé, CEO, and Carmignac say they are sure that the new fund will not cannibalise any of the other products in the range, including the Carmignac Patrimoine fund, which weighs in at nearly EUR28bn currently. Helderlé notes that the fund may very well form the lynchpin of a Carmignac product range in Asia, where the firm already has a representative office in Singapore, and where the firm is hoping to build a presence in the next three to four years.Carmignac has also confirmed the opening of a representative office in the United Kingdom, which will have three employees, and which will target independent financial advisers (IFAs) as well as pension funds.As of the end of 2010, assets at Carmignac Gestion totalled about EUR55bn, compared with EUR33bn as of 31 December 2009, with inflows of EUR16bn last year.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } In the week to 19 January, investors steered clear of US municipal bond funds, while European bonds were also not on the agenda due to the government debt crises still raging there, according to the most recent statistics from EPFR Global. The week to 19 January ended with outflows of USD1.7bn.Outflows from US municipal bond funds totalled a record USD3.6bn. Since 11 November, investors have pulled USD17.6bn out of these funds.Inflows to equities funds, meanwhile, totalled USD10.1bn, of which USD6.9bn went to US equities funds. In other words, it was a sixth consecutive week of inflows for US equities funds, which have attracted USD17.3bn since the beginning of December, largely for large cap funds.Emerging market equities funds had total inflows of USD1.7bn for the week, while money market funds lost a further USD30bn.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } According to initial estimates from the Institute of International Finance (IIF) about capital flows towards emerging markets in 2010, presented on Monday, USD908bn in private capital were injected into emerging economies and their markets, of which USD227bn went to China, La Tribune reports. These flows are expected to reach USD960bn in 2011, and USD1.009trn in 2012.As of the end of 2009, emerging market equities accounted for 13% of the MSCI all-country World index, compared with 4.5% in 2003, the newspaper reports.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The British governance research and proxy voting firm Manifest Information Services is planning to enter the US market, Responsible Investor reports.The US partner of Manifest, Proxy Governance International (PGI), pulled out of the market last year. Sarah Wilson, chief executive at Manifest, says that the sales of its North American product range will begin in the near future.The move takes the firm into a rapidly-growing market, where new SEC rules on proxy voting are under debate, and the field is in the process of a transformation. In addition to the withdrawal of PGI, the index provider MSCI has taken control of the largest player in this segment, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), as a part of its acquisition of RiskMetrics last year, while the Corporate Library and eGovernanceMetrics International announced their merger last July.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } On 21 January, UBS Global Asset Management registered the Global Equities UBS (Lux) Islamic Fund (LU0108058487), a product with 30-60 positions launched on 19 May 2000, with assets as of the end of December of USD33.27m, with the CNMV. The benchmark index for the product is the Dow Jones Islamix Market 100 Titans. The average annual performance of the product in the past five years was 2.18% in US dollars; in euros, the fund has lost an average of 0.42%.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Italian sset management firm Azimut, which manages EUR14bn in assets, is planning to enter Asia, Il Sole – 24 Ore reports. Its Asian unit will be operational by the end of the year. The management firm is currently awaiting the necessary licenses to open its new activities. The group will transfer three of its managers currently based in Luxembourg to China, where they will join four local partners. Azimut’s plans for expansion don’t stop in Asia: “we would like to have managers not only in Europe but throughout the world. In four years, one employee our of three will be working abroad,” says Pietro Guiliani, head of Azimut. The firm is primarily looking at Brazil and Turkey. The firm may also make acquisitions, and in this connection, it is in contact with a company in a country close to Italy.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The independent asset management firm Altira Group on 24 January announced that it has recruited the Swiss Jens Schleuniger, who was manager of the DWS Invest Afrika fund (EUR340m). Schleuniger was also manager of the DWS GO Frontier Markets fund, and co-manager of the DWS Türkei.With the future African equities fund, Altira would be adding to a range which already includes a private equity fund, African Development Corporation, founded in 2007. In addition, Schleuniger may collaborate with experts in commodities and shares in commodity businesses at the group, who manage EUR110m in assets.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Oliver Morath, CEO of Baring Asset Management Deutschland, has been appointed head of Europe & MENA, effective immediately. He will continue to be based in Frankfurt, and will report to George Harvey, head of sales, client service & business development.His successor as head of sales at Barings Germany will be Howard Luder, who was previously director of business development, asset servicing, Germany, at RBC Dexia.Barings has also created positions for a head of Switzerland and a head of Northern Europe; the appointments will be made at a later date.

Le FRR lance ce jour un appel d’offres pour sélectionner de nouveaux gestionnaires de mandats investis en actions des pays développés (gestion passive). Pour ce marché, la procédure de marché public retenue est celle d’un appel d’offres restreint composé de 2 lots : Lot 1: actions des pays développés-indices standards Lot 2: actions des pays développés-indices optimisés

Une première audience s'ouvre aujourd'hui devant la justice à Milan au sujet de la liquidation d'un fonds immobilier de BNP Paribas REIM

Le carnet d’ordres intentionnels ouvert hier aurait atteint à mi-séance 13 milliards d'euros

La présidence française souhaite notamment la création d’une base de données mondiale sur la production et les stocks de matières premières agricoles.

Nicolas Sarkozy en a fait la proposition lundi, à l'occasion du lancement de la présidence française du G20

L’association souhaite que soit réalisé un plus grand nombre de transactions sur des marchés organisés

La dette émergente locale et le high yield devraient encore bénéficier de nouveaux flux en 2011

Les plus solides auront intérêt à rappeler leurs lignes existantes d’ici à 2013. Les autres devraient jouer la montre

Le carnet d’ordres intentionnels ouvert hier aurait atteint à mi-séance 13 milliards d'euros

La ministre de l’Economie et des finances a indiqué souhaiter réformer l’impôt au profit des PME sur les sociétés mais pas en 2011. A 33,3%, le taux nominal d’impôt sur les sociétés en France est le plus élevé d’Europe après Malte. «Nous avons un système de fiscalité, en particulier d’impôt sur les sociétés, qui a un taux facial élevé et toute une catégorie de niches fiscales diverses et variées», a déclaré la ministre.