p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Santander Pensiones, an affilaite of Santander specialised in pension funds, has become the most recent firm to sign the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI). Among the management firms which have recently signed the principles are three French firms: Activa Capital, Iris Capital and UFG-LFP. Other big names that have signed the charter are the German Union Investment (co-operative banks), the American Thomson Reuters, and the Canadian Alberta Investment Management Corp.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Janus Capital, known for its US equities management, is now seeking to make a name for itself in other assets classes, and to make its offerings more international. In Europe, the US-based asset management firm this year created five sub-funds reflecting this diversification. It has created two global bonds sub-funds, the Janus Global High Yield Fund and the Janus Global Investment Grade Bond Fund. Bond management is not unknown territory for Janus, which already manages over USD10bn in US bonds. The novelty is the opening to global management. The transition should not be too stressful, as the US market represents a large proportion of global bond indices. The two funds are managed by Gibson Smith and Darrell Watters, who are both co-managers of fixed income strategies from Janus. The firm has also added to tis research teams in London. Janus has also launched the Perkins Global Value Fund, a fund managed by its unit Perkins, a specialist in value management. The manager, Gregory Kolb, was transferred to the affiliate from Janus. At Janus, he managed a global fund, but in light of his value bias, he was moved to Perkins. Janus will also be releasing an emerging markets sub-fund, which will be managed by Wahid Chammas and Matt Hochstetler, in the same way as the Janus Global Research Fund, which brings together the best ideas of all of the asset management firm’s analysts. Although it is the first fund to specialise in emerging markets, Sylvain Agar, head of commercial development for Janus in France and French-speaking Europe, says that Janus has legitimacy in this area, as it already manages nearly USD10bn in these markets as part of its other products.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } For January-September, Munich Re has announced net profits of EUR1.955bn, compared with EUR1.784bn for the corresponding period of last year. The German group now projects net profits for the year 2010 as a whole of about EUR2.4bn, up from the “over EUR2bn” previously predicted.As of the end of September, the financial portfolio of Munich Re totalled EUR194bn, which represents an increase of EUR11.8bn compared with the end of 2009. The portfolio generated EUR7.28bn, compared with EUR5.79bn for the first nine months of 2009, which represents an annualised performance of 5%.Exposure to equities as of the end of September totalled 2.6%, compared with 2.8% as of the end of December, while EUR174bn were invested in bonds, with an allocation of over 46% to government or quasi-sovereign debt.The asset management firm of the group, MEAG Munich Ergo AssetManagement GmbH as of 30 September had external assets of EUR10.6bn in open-ended retail and institutional funds, compared with EUR7.9bn as of the end of 2009.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } On 10 November, Huashang announced that it has successfully raised CNY12bn (USD1.81bn) for its latest diversified fund, the Strategy Enhanced Balanced Fund, which is managed by Sun Jianbo, portfolio manager of the Prosperous Growth Fund and deputy CIO of Huashang. The new product, for which subscriptions were closed before the set date, is very flexible, as it may increase its equities exposure to 85%, and its bond exposure to 65%.Z-Ben Advisors reports that the success of the fundraising reveals that demand has returned, as all equities funds launched this year in China have attracted over CNY1.9bn. Huashang also has a very good track record: its three funds (one equities and two diversified funds) show average performance of 21.4% since the beginning of the year, compared with a 3.6% average for Chinese equities and diversified funds.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that Henderson Global Investors owns a 14.23% stake in Gartmore. The latter asset management firm, listed on the London stock exchange, is currently encountering some difficulties, following the departure of several star managers. As several rumours of an acquisition of Gartmore were circulating, the stake was acquired on behalf of Henderson clients.When asked about it, the UK management firm, which recently acquired New Star, referred to an article in Investment Week, which stated that its UK equities manager, Stephen Peak, has increased his stake in Gartmore to 14.23%, up from 11% in July, on behalf of several long-only funds. “ At the moment the valuation suggests the franchise is dead and there is no hope of future inflows. I believe those views will prove to be wrong ,” the fund manager tells this website.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Skandia Investment Group (SIG) on 8 November announced its decision to award Tom Marsico and Marsico Capital Management a mandate for GBP46m in international equities, previously granted to Martin Currie. The decision to change the manager for the mandate from the Global Best Ideas Fund (GBP310m in assets) is not related to a loss of confidence in Martin Currie, but to better adaptation of Marsico’s approach to the current environment, SIG says in a statement. SIG has also parted with Roger Guy, who is leaving Gartmore (see Newsmanagers of 9 November), who was one of nine managers of the European Best Ideas Fund. The change will cost Gartmore a GBP32.8m mandate. In the same vein, Hargreaves Lansdown is recommending that its clients withdraw from the Gartmore absolute return fund, which was previously managed by Guy.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Since the end of 2009, assets under management at Barclays Wealth have gained 5%, to stabilise at GBP158bn, Pre-tax profits in the first nine months of the year totalled GBP122m, up 9% compared with the corresponding period of 2009. The increase was driven by activities in the high net worth segment. Pre-tax profits for the Investment Management unit, for their part, totalled GBP55m, compared with GBP2bn last year, largely due to dividends on its 19.9% stake in BlackRock. As of 30 September, the value of this stake was recorded on the books as GBP4.061bn, compared with GBP3.60bn as of 30 June.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } According to an analysis of MSCI data by Baring Asset Management, the proportion of global capitalisation in emerging markets has increased by one percentage point per year since 1999. It now accounts for 16% (as of 30 September 2010), compared with 14.06% twelve months previously, and 3.97% at the end of 1998. However, according to statistics from the Investment Management Association (IMA), British retail investors allocate only 1.9% of their portfolios to global emerging markets, compared with 1.6% at the end of June 2008. Exposure to Asia-Pacific ex Japan, for its part, has increased from 4% to 4.8%. James Syme, head of global emerging market equities at Barings, says that this shows that global emerging markets are “seriously” underrepresented in retail portfolios in the United Kingdom, despite robust fundamentals and valuations which remain highly attractive, even regardless of the fact that the MSCI emerging markets index has posted performance of 20.93% on one year, while the MSCI World Index Free in the same period gained only 9.03%.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The British asset management group Schroders has earned pre-tax profits for the first nine months of the year of GBP282.7m, compared with GBP79.9m for the corresponding period of 2009. Net inflows totalled GBP21.5bn, compared with GBP8.7bn one year earlier. Assets under management as of 30 September totalled GBP1815bn, or over EUR210bn, compared with GBP138.9bn as of 30 September 2009. Inflows continued following the end of third quarter, Schroders says in a statement presenting the interim results. Pre-tax profits for the asset management unit in third quarter totalled GBP85.9m, compared with GBP54m one year earlier, on earnings of GBP232.7m, compared with GBP172.7m one year earlier. Over nine months, the asset managemetn unit earned pre-tax profits of GBP263.2m, compared with GBP108.1m previously. Net inflows totalled GBP19.4bn, compared with GBP8.6bn between January and September 2009. Pre-tax profits for the private banking unit totalled GBP2.9bn in third quarter 2010, compared with GBP6.3m in third quarter 2009, on earnings of GBP24m, compared with GBP23.6m. On nine months, pre-tax profits totalled GBP9.5m, compared with GBP20m. Net inflwos in the first nine months of the year totalled GBP2.1bn, compared with GBP0.1bn as of 30 September 2009. For the quarter to 30 September, net inflows totalled GBP5.4bn, of which GBP3.7bn were from institutional clients, GBP800m in intermediated inflows, and GBP900m from private banking. Of the GBP21.5bn in net inflows over the nine months, 79% came from clients outside the United Kingdom.
Le Département américain à l’Agriculture a revu une nouvelle fois en baisse ses prévisions de rendements et de stocks sur les matières premières, après un rapport d’octobre déjà très pessimiste. Les prévisions de l’USDA ont entraîné le prix de la livre de coton vers de nouveaux records et provoqué des hausses de 4,3% du prix du soja et de 1,8 % du blé à Chicago.
La chaîne américaine d’établissements de santé, acquise il y a quatre ans dans le cadre d’un LBO de 33 milliards de dollars, prévoit de verser un dividende de 2 milliards à ses propriétaires, dont les fonds KKR et Bain Capital. Une opération financée en partie par une émission obligataire à haut rendement de 1,53 milliard de dollars.
La banque américaine a fait part de son souhait de céder les 30,9 millions de titres Invesco acquis en juin dernier dans le cadre de la vente de l’acticité de fonds réservés aux particuliers de Morgan Stanley. Les deux parties ont assuré que cette opération, de 717 millions de dollars au cours de clôture d’Invesco hier soir, n’avait pas vocation à remettre en cause leurs relations.
Conformément à son engagement de mettre en œuvre rapidement la position définie par le CESR en mai 2010, l’AMF a modifié son règlement général pour introduire un régime complet de transparence des positions courtes nettes sur les actions. Cette modification entrera en vigueur le 1er février 2011, mettant fin à l’interdiction de ventes à découvert sur certaines valeurs financières.
L’opérateur boursier allemand a annoncé l’acquisition d’une participation minoritaire dans ID’s (Investors Derivatives Solution), une société établie à Paris et spécialisée dans la fourniture de solutions technologiques en ligne dédiées aux acteurs sell-side et buy-side. L’accord prévoit le paiement d’un montant à un chiffre en millions d’euros.
La société de private equity, qui était entrée en 2004 via une opération de LBO dans le capital du concepteur et fabricant de moules de haute précision, a cédé sa participation au management, dont Laurent Buzzo, président et fils du fondateur du groupe de Castelnaudary. NiXEN indique réaliser à l’occasion de cet OBO (owner buy-out) un multiple de 2,6 fois sur son investissement historique.
Le Bundestag a voté un texte qui permettra aux autorités de réorganiser des banques en difficulté et leur passif. Dans ce cadre, les porteurs de dettes subordonnées pourraient être mis à contribution. Le projet de loi doit encore être validé par le Bundesrat pour entrer en vigueur début 2011.
La société britannique de capital-investissement négocierait son entrée au capital de Lucien Barrière, le groupe d’hôtels et de casinos dont l’introduction en Bourse a échoué fin septembre. Accor, qui en détient une part de 49%, avait répété après cet échec que ses parts n'étaient pas stratégiques et que d’autres options que la Bourse étaient ouvertes.
Le groupe de distribution Auchan a émis un nouvel emprunt obligataire de 500 millions d’euros à 7 ans. Le livre d’ordres a été clos en moins d’une demi-heure avec plus de 2 milliards d’euros de demande, indique Obliginfos. Le prix a été fixé dans le bas de la fourchette indicative avant l’émission, soit un spread de 48 points de base au-des taux midswaps.
Technip annonce une émission d’obligations à option de conversion et/ou d'échange en actions nouvelles ou existantes (Ocane) à échéance 1er janvier 2016, d’un montant initial d’environ 450 millions d’euros.Ce montant est susceptible d'être porté à environ 500 millions d’euros en cas d’exercice en totalité de la clause d’extension de 11,11% et à environ 550 millions en cas d’exercice en totalité de l’option de surallocation.
Le déficit commercial de la France a légèrement reculé à 4,683 milliards d’euros en septembre après 4,975 milliards (révisé) le mois précédent, selon les données CVS/CJO publiées mardi par les Douanes.
LGT Bank in Liechtenstein a proposé plus de 300 millions d’euros pour le rachat de la filiale de la Deutsche Bank, la banque BHF, rapporte L’Agefi suisse qui cite l’agence Dow Jones Newswires. La valorisation de BHF est estimée à 600 millions d’euros.
Le britannique Aviva Investors a obtenu l’agrément de commercialisation en France, en Allemagne et au Royaume-Uni du fonds coordonné de performance absolue Index Opportunities géré par Iyad Farah et Ned Kelly assistés d’une équipe de sept gérants et analystes qui suivent jusqu'à 25 indices européens, d’Amérique du nord, de la région Asie-Pacifique et des pays émergents.L’objectif consiste à profiter des inefficiences et des distorsions liées à la repondération des indices et donc des portefeuilles des fonds passifs. Cela se traduit par la prise de positions longues sur les actions qui entrent dans un indice et par la vente à découvert de celles qui en sortent.Le fonds, qui a été lancé le 23 avril, vise une performance supérieure de 500 points de base à l’euribor 1 mois, avec une volatilité ex-ante inférieure à 7,5 %.CaractéristiquesDénomination : Aviva Investors - Index Opportunities Fund ACode Isin : LU0469930712Droit d’entrée : 5 %Commission de gestion : 0,90 %Souscription minimale : 2 000 euros
Janus Capital International Limited, la division internationale de Janus Capital Group Inc, vient de lancer deux nouveaux compartiments de sa gamme irlandaise : le Janus Global Investment Grade Bond Fund et le Janus Global High-Yield Fund.Le Global Investment Grade Bond Fund sera principalement investi dans des obligations à taux fixe ou à taux variable de qualité «Investment Grade» d’émetteurs situés dans le monde entier. Le Global High-Yield Fund investira principalement dans des titres de créance ou des actions assortis d’une notation inférieure à «investment grade» ou de qualité équivalente. Les deux nouveaux compartiments seront co-gérés par Gibson Smith, co-directeur des investissements de Janus Capital Management, et par Darrell Watters. Tous deux sont co-gérants de portefeuille sur l’ensemble des stratégies à revenu fixe de Janus. Ils bénéficieront de l’appui de l’équipe de recherche en titres à revenu fixe basée à Denver et à Londres.
Selon Financial News, Fidelity Investment Managers a décidé de réduire ses effectifs au Royaume-Uni de 500 personnes à 1.500 sur les cinq prochaines années, en raison d’une approche moins accueillante de la part des autorités réglementaires britanniques, de la hausse de la fiscalité et de la détérioration des perspectives en termes d’activité. Le site internet précise qu’il n’y aura pas de licenciement.