Après le Eaton Vance Short Duration Strategic Income Fund, le Eaton Vance Short Duration Real Return Fund et le Eaton Vance Short Duration Government Income Fun, Eaton Vance Management (EVM), filiale d’Eaton Vance Corp, a lancé le Eaton Vance Short Duration High Income Fund (*) géré par Michael W. Weilheimer, vice president & director of high yield investments, ainsi que par Andrew P. Szczurowski (vice president chez EVM) comme co-gérant de portefeuille, aux côtés de Eric A. Stein , vice president & co-directeur du global income group d’EVM.Le fonds investira principalement en instruments de rendement de catégorie spéculative, dont des prêts à taux flottant et des obligations convertibles. L’objectif est de respecter une duration moyenne pondérée en dollars de trois ans ou moins, dans une optique de «total return».(*) code mnémonique : ESHAX pour les parts A et ESHIX pour les parts I). Le taux de frais sur encours ressort à 1,05 % et le droit d’entrée à 2,25 % pour l’ESHAX. Pour les parts I, sans droit d’entrée, le taux de frais sur encours s’inscrit à 0,60 %.
Amundi a recruté début novembre Pierre Cailleteau en tant que responsable de la clientèle institutionnels et entités souveraines. L’intéressé était, de 2010 à 2013, managing director chez Lazard dans l’équipe de conseil aux gouvernements. Il a également travaillé chez Moody’s, Calyon, au FMI et à la Banque de France.Frédéric Semama a parallèlement été nommé directeur adjoint de la clientèle institutionnels et entités souveraines. Il était précédemment directeur adjoint des entités souveraines de la société de gestion française qu’il a rejoint en 2009.Pierre Cailleteau rejoindra également le comité exécutif d’Amundi, présidé par Yves Perrier, et qui s’est enrichi de plusieurs nouveaux membres, comme l’annonce un communiqué.Outre Pierre Cailleteau, les nouveaux membres du comité sont Pedro Antonio Arias, responsable des gestions spécialisées (private equity et immobilier), Valérie Baudson, responsable du métier ETF et indiciel, Christophe Lemarié, directeur général de Société Générale Gestion et responsable des solutions patrimoniales pour les réseaux partenaires, et Jean-Eric Mercier, directeur général de CPR AM.
Entré chez Franklin Templeton en 2005 dans l’équipe ventes pour l’Ibérie, Javier Villegas a été nommé coordinateur des relations avec les clients mondiaux et les consultants les plus importants pour la catégorie «America Offshore» ainsi que pour l’Amérique latine, rapporte Funds People. L’intéressé sera désormais basé à Miami.
Alors que BPCE souhaite confier dès 2016 à Natixis, et non plus à la CNP Assurances, les nouveaux contrats d’assurance de personnes vendus aux clients des Caisses d’Epargne, le premier actionnaire (41% en direct) de l’assureur, la Caisse des dépôts, fait valoir ses intérêts, rapporte L’Agefi. Jean-Pierre Jouyet, le directeur général va reprendre son mandat d’administrateur de CNP Assurances. Le dirigeant souligne la nécessité pour la compagnie «d’accélérer son développement pas uniquement en assurance vie, mais aussi dans la prévoyance et l’assurance emprunteur. En moyenne, entre 2009 et 2012, l’assureur vie a apporté près de 400 millions d’euros par an de résultat net dit récurrent au groupe Caisse des dépôts, note le quotidien.
Deux acheteurs sont encore sur les rangs pour reprendre les activités de banque privée en Allemagne du Credit Suisse. Selon la Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Bethman Bank, une filiale d’ABN Amro et Merck Fink & Co, une filiale de KBL Luxembourg, sont encore en lice. Un de ces deux établissements devrait remporter la mise, probablement encore avant Noël, précise le quotidien, sans citer de source. En juin dernier, la direction du Credit Suisse avait annoncé qu’elle examinait ses affaires en Allemagne et que toutes les options étaient ouvertes. La grande banque détient neuf succursales et gère des actifs estimés entre 4 et 5 milliards d’euros en Allemagne.
Avec le DB Platinum IV Equity Risk Premia, Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management (DeAWM) propose aux investisseurs institutionnels et aux particuliers avertis un portefeuille actions très diversifié. Ce produit de beta intelligent se fonde sur les recherches de Spyros Mesomeris, global head of quantitative investment solutions de la Deutsche Bank, et cherche à profiter de cinq primes de risque différentes tout en conservant une exposition neutre au marché. Dans la pratique, le fonds extrait sa performance exclusivement des primes de risque, indépendamment d’une hausse éventuelle des marchés d’actions.Chaque prime de risque est reproduite de manière passive et transparente dans un portefeuille qui est pondéré en fonction de stratégies obéissant à des règles stables. Autrement dit, l’investisseur peut avec ce fonds investir sur le marché des actions sans s’exposer au risque classique de ce marché, souligne Sandra Niethen, head of systematic funds de DeAWM pour l’Europe et l’Asie.Le gestionnaire prévoit de proposer très prochainement des parts retail de ce fonds qui bénéficie déjà d’un agrément de commercialisation au Luxembourg, en Allemagne et au Royaume-Uni.CaractéristiquesDénomination : DB Platinum IV Equity Risk PremiaSociété de gestion : DB Platinum AdvisorsCodes Isin LU0902964005 (parts 1 C-E)LU0902964344 (parts 2 C-E)Droit d’entrée : 0 %Commission de gestion : 0,50 % (parts 1 C-E)0,40 % (parts 2 C-E)Droits de garde 0,15 %Taxe d’abonnement : 0,01 %Taux de frais sur encours :0,66 % (parts 1 C-E)0,56 % (parts 2 C-E)Souscription minimale initiale :10.000 euros (parts 1 C-E)7,5 millions d’euros (parts 2 C-E)
Christian Rauner «ne travaille désormais plus pour Universal-Investment (UI)», selon un communiqué du gestionnaire allemand qui précise que le poste de directeur de la distribution a été supprimé dans le cadre d’une restructuration du pôle produits blancs (private label), indique Fonds Professionell.. L’intéressé était responsable de la division private label funds & services d’Universal-Investment et l’un des directeurs généraux de la filiale Universal-Vertrieb-Services (UVS) depuis 2007. Les services coiffés par Christian Rauner passent sous l’autorité directe de Bernd Vorbeck, président du comité directeur d’UI.
Dans la convocation à une assemblée générale extraordinaire pour le 20 décembre, la société allemande de conseil en investissements durables versiko AG indique que compte tenu de la notoriété et de l’importance du chiffre d’affaires de sa filiale luxembourgeoise à 100 % ÖkoWorld Lux SA, le conseil de surveillance et le directoire proposent de modifier les statuts et de changer la raison sociale de la société en ÖkoWorld AG.
Les fonds commercialisés en Norvège ont enregistré en octobre des souscriptions nettes de 3,1 milliards de couronnes norvégiennes (soit 377 millions d’euros), avec une contribution des investisseurs institutionnels à hauteur de 1,7 milliard de couronnes, selon les chiffres de l’association norvégienne des fonds. L’effet marché a de son côté représenté 18 milliards de couronnes, soit 2,2 milliards d’euros. Les encours ont atteint 652 milliards de couronnes, soit 79,3 milliards d’euros, ce qui représente une hausse de 17 % par rapport au début de l’année.
Russell on Tuesday announced the acquisition of On-Line Partnership Group Limited (OLPG), the parent company of the British financial adviser networks In-Partnership and Whitechurch, representing a total of 600 independent financial advisers. The operation will allow advisers from OLPG to rely on the expertise of Russell in asset management and to make use of its training, technological and compliance support resources.
The CNMV has received a notification from the Santander group that the management of its Santander Select Prudente, Moderato and Decidido profiled funds (totalling EUR1.258bn, of which EUR405m were net inflows this year), hitherto managed in Spain, will be transferred to Santander AM UK, Funds People reports.The global multimanager team led by Tom Caddick in London (fund management) and José María Martinez San Juan in Madrid (fund selection) are taking responsibility for the funds, after having done likewise with other similar poducts from local asset mangaement firms of the Santander gorup in Chile, Germany and Mexico.
Duncan Goodwin will be leaving Martin Currie at the end of the year, after eight years at the firm, Citywire reports. Goodwin had been head of global resources, and manager of the Martin Currie GF Global Resources fund since he joined Martin Currie in 2005.
Funds on sale in Norway in October posted net subscriptions of NOK3.1bn (or EUR377m), with a contribution from institutional investors of NOK1.7bn, according to figures from the Norwegian fund association. Market effects, for their part, represented NOK18bn, or EUR2.2bn. Assets totalled NOK652bn, or EUR79.3bn, which represents an increase of 17% compared with the beginning of the year.
Erste Asset Management is throwing its weight behind the war on obesity, Financial Times fund management reports. The Austrian asset management firm has put Unilever, the maker of Ben & Jerry’s on its watchlist, after the group refused to answer questions about obesity. Erste, which manages EUR717m in seven socially responsible equity and bond funds, is concerned about sugar, salt, fat and colours addition in foods labelled as “healthy” by consumer groups.
Amundi in early November recruited Pierre Cailleteau as head of institutional clients and sovereign entities. Cailleteau had from 2010 to 2013 been managing director at Lazard in the sovereign advisory team. He also worked at Moody’s, Calyon, the IMF and the Bank of France.Frédéric Semama has been appointed as deputy head of institutional clients and sovereign entities. He had previously been deputy head of sovereign entities at the French asset management firm, which he joined in 2009.Cailleteau will also join Amundi’s executive committee, chaired by Yves Perrier, which has gained several new members, a statement announces.In addition to Cailleteau, the new members of the committee are Pedro Antonio Arias, head of specialised investment (private equity and real estate), Valérie Baudson, head of ETF and index equity management, Christophe Lemarié, head of Société Générale Gestion and of wealth management and asset preservation for partner networks, and Jean-Eric Mercier, CEO of CPR AM.
With the DB Platinum IV Equity Risk Premia, Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management (DeAWM) is offering institutional investors and qualified retail investors a highly diversified equity portfolio. The smart beta product is based on research by Spyros Mesomeris, global head of quantitative investment solutions at Deutsche Bank, and seeks to benefit from five different risk premia, while retaining a market neutral stance. In practice, the fund extracts its performance exclusively from risk premia, independently of any potential gains on the equity markets.Each risk premium is reproduced passively and transparently in a portfolio which is weighted according to rule-based strategies. In other words, the investor can invest with this fund in the equity market without exposure to the traditional risk of this market, says Sandra Niethen head of systematic funds at DeAWM for Europe and Asia.The asset management firm plans to offer retail share classes very soon in this fund, which already has a sales license for Luxembourg, Germany and the United Kingdom.CharacteristicsName: DB Platinum IV Equity Risk PremiaAsset management firm: DB Platinum AdvisorsISIN codesLU0902964005 (1 C-E shares)LU0902964344 (2 C-E shares)Front-end fee: 0 %Management commission: 0.50 % (1 C-E)0.40 % (2 C-E)Custody fee 0.15%Taxe d’abonnement: 0.01%Total expense ratio:0.66% (1 C-E shares)0.56% (2 C-E shares)Minimal initial subscription:EUR10,000 (1 C-E shares)EUR7.5m (2 C-E shares)
Investible assets at Asian institutionals outside Japan topped USD10trn for the first time in 2012, with an increase of 9.6% year on year, according to a study recently published by Cerulli Associates (“Institutional Asset Management in Asia 2013”).This trend is expected to continue in the next few years and over the 2013-2017 period. Asian institutional assets may total about EUR17trn in 2017, an annual increase of 10.1%. These increases are expected to be particularly significant in South-East Asia, insofar as the institutional sector is relatively underceveloped in the region.Exposure to alternative management remains very modest for most institutionals, with an allocation often lower than 10% of total portfolios, but this exposure is tending to rise very regularly, Cerulli observes.
Christian Rauner “now no longer works for Universal-Investment (UI),” according to a statement from the German asset management firm, which states that the position of director of distribution has been discontinued as part of a restructuring of the private label product unit, Fonds Professionell states.Rauner had been head of the private label funds & services division of Universal-Investment, and one of the MDs of its affiliate Universal-Vertrieb-Services (UVS) since 2007. The services overseen by Rauner will now be overseen directly by Bernd Vorbeck, chairman of the executive committee at UI.
At the convocation of an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting for 20 December, the German sustainable investment advising firm versiko AG says that, due to the notoriety and the size of the turnover at its wholly-owned Luxembourg affiliate ÖkoWorld Lux SA, the supervisory board and the board are proposing to modify the statutes and to change the name of the company to ÖkoWorld AG.
Pioneer Investments is launching a pure investment grade corporate bond fund, which will be co-managed by Tanguy le Saout, head of European bonds, and Garrett Walsh, head of credit research for Europe, Citywire Global reports. The Pioneer Funds Global Investment Grade Corporate Bond fund will be invested in a global universe. It will exclude high yield bonds and emerging market bets outside the indices.
Concerns are mounting about “cosy” relationships between hedge funds and prime brokers, Financial Times fund management observes. Tens of billions of US dollars are paid each year in direct and indirect commissions by hedge funds to brokers. Analysts warn that hedge funds have to pay large commissions and award large trading volumes to those who find investors for their funds.
After the Eaton Vance Short Duration Strategic Income Fund, the Eaton Vance Short Duration Real Return Fund and the Eaton Vance Short Duration Government Income Fund, Eaton Vance Management (EVM), an affiliate of Eaton Vance Corp, has launched the Eaton Vance Short Duration High Income Fund (ticker: ESHAX for A and ESHIX for I shares), managed by Michael W. Wellheimer, vice president & director of high yield investments, as well as Andrew P. Szczurowski (vice president at EVM) as co-portfolio manager, alongside Eric A. Stein, vice president & co-director of the global income group at EVM.The fund will invest primarily in high yield instruments, including floating-rate loans and convertible bonds. The objective is to respect a weighted average duration in US dollars of three years or less, with a total return perspective.The total expense ratio is 1.05%, and the front-end fee is 2.25% for the ESHAX. For I-class shares, without a front-end fee, the total expense ratio is 0.60%.
Loomis Sayles and Camignac Gestion have both reduced their exposure to Irish debt at a time when the economy of the country is recovering. Irish government bonds have earned returns of over 10% this year, and more than 100% since mid-2011. According to Bloomberg, Loomis Sayles held Irish bonds totalling at least EUR659bn at the beginning of the year. Carmignac, for its part, had built up Irish bonds totalling EUR456m as of the end of September.
Investment in hedge funds by institutionals is expected to remain stable in the next three years, according to a study by Ernst & Young sited by Asian Investor. Only 17% of respondents to the survey (out of 65 institutionals managing a total of USD190bn), have said they expect an increase in their allocation to this asset class, compared with 72% who say they would like to maintain the same level of exposure, and 11% who would like to reduce it. The reasons cited as preventing them from increasing their exposure to hedge funds are largely the costs and the disappointing past performance. In the short term, Asian hedge funds are expected to benefit from a rise in interest in their region on the part of institutional investors who would like to benefit from strong Asian growth, Ernst & Young analyses. The interest is reportedly particularly strong on the part of funds of hedge funds and European family offices, Asian Investor says.
Expansión reports that before the crisis, Santander AM and BBVA AM shared 40% of the Spanish market, but that they now control only 30%. The duopoly of these two actors is threatened byInverCaixa, whose assets as of the end of Octobrr totalled EUR20.75bn, just behind the EUR20.89bn at BBVA AM. In the past two months, Santander AM, now oriented to equities, has posted net inflows of EUR1.44bn, while BBVA AM, a specialist in bonds and guaranteed funds, had attracted only EUR502m. At the same time, InverCaixa attracted EUR667m.
European “captive” asset management firms owned by banks or insurers are facing a major challenge, Financial Times fund management reports. Traditionally, they “owned” retail distribution channels on the continent and they took full advantage of this position of strength. But all that is changing. In 2007, captive asset management firms attracted 67% fo the EUR9.8bn in profits earned by serving European retail investors, or about EUR6.6bn, according to figures which are expected to be released by McKinsey. But the proportion of captive firms has fallen to 53% of a reduced total of EUR6bn last year, which corresponds to profits of only EUR3.2bn.
Rothschild & Cie Gestion has recruited Gil Platteau as country manager in Switzerland for its Zurich office, a statement from the French asset management firm has announced. Platteau had previously been head of sales in Switzerland for the asset management activities of Barclays since 2010. At Rothschild & Cie Gestion, he will be supported by Valérie Kaliski, head of relationships with distributors in French-speaking Switzerland, and Thibaud Nonotte-Varly, responsible for development serving institutionals in this region. The announcement comes at a time when Rothschild & Cie Gestion has opened a branch in Italy (see Newsmanagers of 19 November 2013). Five funds have also been licensed in the country for sales to Italian institutional investors. France is not being left aside either, as Rothschild & Cie Gestion has also added to its sales team for France. Oivier Le Braz has joined the France institutionals team composed of Lionel Deny, Aurélie Ferrer, Marie-Line Hashatel and Thibaud Nonotte-Varly,with Nonotte-Varly dividing his time between France and French-speaking Switzerland. In distribution the development unit has been reinforced with the arrival of Gregory Maes as co-head of Distribution France. Maes will concentrate on development of relationships with financial adviser networks and IFAs. He will lead a team composed of François L’Henoret, Adrien Rollando and Marion Semblat.
US fund managers have bet several billions of US dollars on a recovery at euro zone banks in the past few months, in the hopes that the timid economic recovery in the region will gather pace, the Financial Times reports. The value of equities held by funds based in the United States in the 10 largest publicly-traded banks in the region has increased by 40% since June 2013, to EUR33bn, according to calculations from the FT based on data from Thomson Reuters. The number of equities held has gained 10% over the period, following major investments by T. Rowe Price, BlackRock and Waddle & Reed, among others.
The savings accounts exempt from capital gains and dividend taxes which the Japanese government are expected to introduce in early 2014 may lead Japanese investors to engage more in high-risk assets, according to Nikko Asset Management, Asian Investor reports. The Japanese have cash savings totalling about JPY8.5trn, according to estimates by the Bank of Japan. In a deflationary environment, holding cash may be worthwhile; however, the prospects of the return to an inflationary environment is expected to incite the Japanese to modify their behaviour, Hiroki Tsujimura, chief investment officer at Nikko AM, estimates. According to Nikko AM, Japanese retail investors already placed about USD25bn in equity mutual funds between April and the end of September. This trend is expected to strengthen with the introduction of accounts at the beginning of 2014 similar to British ISAs.
Credit Suisse would like to stimulate growth in its activities, reshuffling its Private Banking and Wealth Management units. The two heads of the division, enthroned one year ago, Hans-Ulrich Meister and Robert Shafir, are bettig on emerging countries and ultra-high net worth clients, and are planning to get rid of the smaller clients. At this time, private banks are in a delicate situation, Meister says in an interview published on 19 November by the Reuters press agency. “But as soon as rates rise and client activity accelerates, we will have enormous potential.” In the past few months, Credit Suisse has done it with a savings programme for several billions of francs. But opportunities for growth have often been ignored, says Meister. Credit Suisse is aiming for emerging market entrepreneurs. The Ultra High Net Worth Individuals (UHNWI) segment, starting from USD50m invested with the Swiss firm, currently represents 44% of the CHF812bn under management by the private bank.