Schroders has appointed David Thompson as client director in charge of development of client relationships within the Insurance AM team, the blog of Brian Bollen reports. He had previously worked at ECM Asset Management as head of sales and marketing since 2011.
The former star manager Bill Stormont has returned to the asset management sector, nearly nine months after leaving Henderson. Citywire Global reveals that he has become a consultant for Absolute Strategy Research, a firm founded in London in 2006 which provides independent research on macro strategies to the fund sector. Stormont will be based in Vancouver, his native city.
ETFs from Fidelity are expected to be launched this Thursday, according to Mutual Fund Wire, citing Barron’s and ETF Trends. They will be powered by BlackRock and will offer coverage comparable to similar products from State Street, but at a lower price.
The average cost of new regulations affecting the hedge fund sector has been estimated by KPMG at USD700,000 for a small asset management firm, USD7m for a mid-sized firm and USD14m for a large firm, the Financial Times reports. Overall, KPMG calculates tht hedge funds have spent USD3bn to comply with new regulations since 2008, which corresponds to an increase of about 10% in annual operating costs.
The Spanish asset management firm Bestinver (Acciona group) has received a license from the AMF to sell three of its main products in their Luxembourg versions in France, the funds Bestinfund (LU0389173070), Bestinver Iberian (LU0389174128) and Bestinver International (LU0389173401).The asset management firm has recently received two amLeague-Newsmanagers prizes for the Actions Europe mandate (see Newsmanagers of 11 October).According to statistics from the Spanish Inverco association of asset management firms, Bestinver in January-September achieved a share of 28% for total net inflows to equities funds (which totalled EUR1.24bn), followed by Santander AM (14%), Mutuactivos (13%) and Invercaixa Gestión.
Assets under management at GAM Holding AG have remained stable in third quarter, at 116 as of 30 June 2013,according to figures released by the firm. This stagnation is due to the weakness of the US dollar against the Swiss franc, which neutralised the good performance of the financial markets in third quarter. In detail, the Investment Management unit has posted assets under management which remain unchanged over three months at CHF72.1bn, handicapped by outflows in emerging markets and low-margin products. Pivate Labelling activities also tread water at CHF44.5bn. GAM admits that net inflows overall have been “modest.” The group nonetheless reiterates its intention to retain a dividend distribution rate of about 50% of net profits. GAM states that the integration of the integration of the teams from the old GAM (alternative management) and Swiss & Global (traditional fund) divisions is largely complete. Teams have been merged in the distribution and sales functions throughout the globe and the HR, finance and legal departments have been integrated throughout the group. It is also to be noted that Swiss & Global has announced that 10 funds will be merged into five new strategies. The changes will take effect by the end of November. The five new funds are the following: JB Europe Focus Fund ( Julius Baer EF Europe Selection merged with Julius Baer EF Europe Stock ) JB Asia Focus Fund ( Julius Baer EF Asia Stock merged with Julius Baer EF Chindonesia) JB Eastern Europe Focus Fund ( Julius Baer EF Black Sea and Julius Baer EF Central Europe Stock ) JB Africa Focus Fund ( Julius Baer EF Africa Opportunities and Julius Baer EF Northern Africa) JB Health Innovation Fund (Julius Baer EF Health Opportunities andJulius Baer EF Biotech)
In January-September, comdirect bank (Commerzbank group) reported net profits down 10.4% to EUR48.26m, but a gradual improvement in results has led the chief financial officer to revise upwards the outlook for the profit before tax for this year overall.In terms of assets, B2C activities (comdirect bank) as of the end of September totalled EUR30.49bn, compared with EUR27.91bn as of the end of December, while the B2B unit (ebas) posted assets of EUR22.33bn, compared with EUR20.95bn. Overall, the group thus shows assets under management or administration of a record EUR52.81bn, compared with EUR48,85bn. Net subscriptions totalled EUR1.7bn out of EUR3.96bn in increased assets, while the remainder is due to market appreciation.
For the quarter to 30 September, Morningstar Inc has reported net profits of USD31.46m, compared with USD27.07m in the corresponding period of last year, while in the nine months of 2013, total net profits are up 22.85 to USD92.2m, compared with UDS75.09m. In January-June, however, net profits increased even more sharply, by 26.5% to USD60.7m.
Société Générale Morocco, an affiliate of the Société Générale group, is launching a private banking product range aimed at high net worth clients residing in Morocco. The affiliate will rely on the expertise of Société Générale Private Banking. The range includes services and advising for the management, protection and transmission of wealth. Clients will be welcomed by dedicated advisers in a network of eight private banking branches located throughtout the country.
Franklin Templeton has recruited Rod MacPhee as a portfolio manager specialised in European bonds for its London office, Citywire reveals. MacPhee previously worked as an analyst at Western Asset Management Group. He will now be responsible for bond funds alongside John Beck and David Zahn
Assets under management at Creit Suisse totalled CHF1.2527trn as of the end of third quarter 2013, up 3.4% compared with the end of December 2012, according to figures released by the Swiss group on 24 October.In Private Banking & Wealth Management, the results of the group in third quarter “were affected by an interest rate environment which remains low and weak client business,” a staement says.Net inflows for the quarter remained high, however, at CHF8.1bn, with contributions remaining strong for high-margin Asset Management products, emerging market products and the Ultra-High Net Woth Individuals segment, which were offset in particular by cross-border capital outflows in Western Europe.Pre-tax profits for the Private Banking & Wealth Management division totalled slightly over CHF1bn.Due to progress with its cost reduction programme, the group has nearly doubled its net profits to CHF454m in third quarter 2013.
S&P Dow Jones Indices has announced the integration of the S&P MILA 40 index into the range from Horizon ETF Management in order to serve as an underlying for a new ETF. The ETF will be listed on the Colombian stock exchange, the Bolsa de Valores de Colombia (BVC), and will offer exposure to shares in the most liquid companies of the Mercado Integrado Latinoamericano platform, which includes Chilean, Colombian and Peruvian shares.
Brevan Howard, a hedge fund firm with USD41bn in assets under management, has transferred most of its activities out of of the United Kingdom, the Financial Times reports. Dozens of positions have been moved to the Channel Islands, Switzerland, Asia and the United States, in order to avoid European regulations and to spur international growth. Three years after opening a satellite office in Geneva, Brevan Howard now has only a small number of traders based in London, sources familiar with the matter say. Four years ago, most employees were located in the British capital.
In September, funds on sale in Italy posted net outflows of EUR343m, according to statistics from Assogestini, the Italian association of asset management professionals.Equity and flexible funds, however, recorded net inflows, of EUR236m and EUR1.323bn, respectively.Since the beginning of this year, Italian funds have posted inflows of nearly EUR40bn, and their assets total nearly EUR532bn.With the addition of closed funds and management under mandate, the Italian asset management sector in September posted net subscriptions of EUR3.1bn in September, particularly under the effect of institutional mandates, with net inflows of EUR3.7bn. As of the end of September, total assets in the sector came to EUR1.284trn.
Les indices PMI du mois d’octobre publiés jeudi par Markit ont reculé contre toute attente, tout en restant au-dessus du seuil des 50 qui signale un expansion de l'économie. Le composite est retombé à 51,5 contre un pic de deux ans de 52,2 en septembre et un chiffre attendu à 52,5 par le consensus Reuters. Une baisse venue des services, dont l’indice a reculé à 50,9 contre 52,2 en septembre et un consensus à 52,4. Le PMI manufacturier est quant à lui ressorti à 51,3, contre 51,4 prévu et 51,1 en septembre. En France, le composite s’est inscrit à 50,1 contre 50,5 en septembre, et la contraction s’est accentuée dans le secteur manufacturier avec un PMI reculant à un plus bas de quatre mois à 49,4 contre 49,8 en septembre.
Andrea Rossi, le nouveau directeur général d’Axa IM, imprime sa marque à la tête du gérant d’actifs. La société a annoncé aujourd’hui la nomination de Laurent Seyer au poste de responsable mondial de la distribution. L’actuel patron des solutions clients multi-classes d’actifs (MACS) d’Axa IM sera chargé d’accroître la collecte des actifs gérés pour compte de tiers. Christophe Coquema, actuellement chief operating officer, remplacera Laurent Seyer à la tête de MACS, tandis que Joseph Pinto lui succédera aux opérations.
Qualium Investissement a indiqué n’être «nullement en contact» avec Burger King concernant le rachat de Quick par l’enseigne américaine, contrairement à ce qu’avançait le magazine Challenges. Qualium assure que Quick «devrait réaliser un exercice 2013 historique, tant en matière de chiffre d’affaires que d’Ebitda».
La Bank of Canada a abandonné hier son biais haussier à l’issue de sa réunion de politique monétaire qui a laissé le taux directeur inchangé à 1%. La banque centrale canadienne justifie sa prudence par la révision à la baisse de ses perspectives de croissance, par une inflation toujours inférieure à sa cible, et par le risque de correction du marché immobilier.
Le hedge fund, dont les actifs atteignent 41 milliards de dollars, a selon le quotidien transféré la plus grande partie de ses activités hors de Londres afin d’échapper à la réglementation européenne et pour grandir dans le monde. 200 des 450 salariés seraient encore en poste à Londres, les autres étant disséminés dans les Iles anglo-normandes, en Suisse, en Asie et aux Etats-Unis.
Bien que d’autres candidats soient encore susceptibles de faire surface selon la chaîne de télévision, deux prétendants restent en lice pour le rachat du gestionnaire d’actifs Scottish Widows auprès de Lloyds. Il s’agit de Macquarie et d’Aberdeen Asset Management, qui présenterait une offre uniquement en titres après avoir publiquement fait part de son intérêt le mois dernier.
Selon nos informations, Réunica a procédé à une consultation auprès d’un nombre très réduit de sociétés de gestion sur un mandat obligataire de type assurantiel pour le compte de la prévoyance. Le processus de sélection est maintenant terminé sur ce mandat de taille modeste. Aucun consultant n’a été sollicité. L’institution n’a pas souhaité commenter cette information.
La Bank of Canada (BoC) a abandonné son biais haussier à l’issue de sa réunion de politique monétaire qui a laissé le taux directeur inchangé à 1%. La banque centrale canadienne justifie sa prudence par la révision à la baisse de ses perspectives de croissance, par une inflation toujours inférieure à sa cible, et par le risque de correction du marché immobilier.
Le 23 octobre, First Trust Advisors (76 milliards de dollars) lancera sur le Nasdaq le First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund (code mnémonique : FTGC), un ETF à gestion active qui fournira une exposition aux matières premières tout en visant un profil de risqué relativement stable en investissant au maximum 25 % de son encours en contrats à terme sur les matières premières et en instruments cotés sur les matières premières au travers d’une filiale à 100 %.Le restant des actifs sera principalement investi en obligations à court terme de qualité investissement, en instruments du marché monétaire, en ETF et autres fonds ainsi qu’en liquidités.Le fonds sera géré de manière tactique au jour le jour par Rob Guttschow, gérant de portefeuille senior, ainsi que par John Gambla, sous la direction d’un comité d’investissement de six personnes.
Au troisième trimestre 2013, State Street a vu ses encours sous gestion augmenter de 4,4 % à 2.241 milliards de dollars. Par rapport à l’année précédente, les encours sont en hausse de 8,5 %. Les encours sous conversation sont quant à eux ressortis à 26.033 milliards de dollars, en progression de 1,1 % sur le trimestre et de 11,1 % sur un an.
La Française a annoncé mardi 22 octobre le recrutement de Philippe Peirs au poste de responsable du développement international immobilier. L’intéressé a travaillé vingt ans à la Société Générale, où ses dernières fonctions étaient managing director et responsable du département Private Equity Fundraising. Il sera basé à Londres et «cherchera des opportunités dans les régions paneuropéenne et asiatique, ainsi qu’au Moyen-Orient, et travaillera en étroite collaboration avec Forum Partners, le partenaire mondial de La Française spécialisé dans la gestion d’investissements immobiliers», souligne un communiqué. La nomination de Philippe Peirs intervient peu de temps après la prise de participation de près de 25 % par La Française dans Forum Partners (lire Newsmanagers du 12/09/2013).
La société de gestion Janus Capital Group a annoncé sa première participation à la formation validante organisée par MyFlow Institute, organisme de formation de la société MyFlow. Le thème porte sur la stratégie pour bâtir un portefeuille diversifié. Janus Capital Group a pour volonté de développer sa visibilité sur le marché francophone et s’ouvrir à de nouveaux investisseurs comme les conseillers en gestion de patrimoine, indique un communiqué.