P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } On 29 July, GLG Partners LP, a discretionary asset management affiliate of Man Group, released the GLG Total Return Fund for sale, which is managed by the macro & relative value (MARV) team, led by Jamil Baz and Sudi Mariappa. Strategic bets are made by an investment committee led by Baz, while James Ind, who has recently been recruited from Russell Investments, will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the fund.The new product is a UCITS-compliant fund, which may invest in several liquid asset classes, such as equities, forex, government bonds, cash, credit, fixed income, currencies and commodities, using a value approach and a flexible strategy based on macroeconomic bets and rigorous stock-picking.The GLG Total Return Fund will offer daily liquidity, and the management team will aim to generate outperformance of 500 basis points exceeding Libor over a rolling three-year period, with ex ante volatility of about 7%.The management commission is set at 0.75%, and GLG will charge no performance commission.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } In the first six months of 2013, Spanish retirement savings plans, known as pension plans, saw net redemptions of EUR748m, of which EUR471m came from individual plans, EUR264m from corporate plans, and EUR12m from mixed plans, Funds People reports. The largest net outflows were from VidaCaixa de Seguuros y Reaseguros (EUR71m), Mapfre Vida Pensiones (EUR65m), and Santander Pensiones (EUR59m). The leader in the sector, BBVA Pensiones, for its part, has seen net redemptions of EUR46m. According to statistics from the Spanish Inverco association of asset management firms, individual pension plans as of the end of June represented 62% of total assets, compared with 37% for corporate plans, and 1% for mixed plans.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) has set up a new commission which will be responsible for inspecting and issuing a license to insurers who would like to enter the Chinese market. Each candidate will be subject to an audit and the issuance of a license will be subject to a vote by the comission, Z-Ben Advisors reports. The commission will be responsible for real estate insurance, personal insurance (life, health and retirement), mutual insurance, special insurance, reinsurance, and even asset management firm affiliates of insurers. The objective is to improve the health of the sector by increasing the quality and visibility of audits.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Although well below EUR8.7bn in May and EUR6.9bn in April, inflows to Italian asset management have remained positive overall for the sixth consecutive month in June, with EUR2.54bn (of which EUR2.49bn are for foreign-registered funds). Since the beginning of this year, net subscriptions totall EUR38.36bn.However, assets as of 30 June were down by nearly EUR23bn compared with the end of May, at EUR1.24162trn, compared with EUR1.2644trn, according to statistics from Assogestioni.In detail, among open-ended funds (which had total inflows of EUR2.78bn), equity funds saw net redemptions of EUR1.22bn, while net redemptions from bond funds totalled EUR722m, but balanced and flexible funds attracted EUR1bn and EUR2.2bn, respectively. Money market funds attracted net subscriptions of EUR1.9bn.The four asset management firms which posted the highest net inflows last month were Intesa Sanpaolo (EUR826.4m), Banco Popolare (EUR721.1m), Pioneer Investments (EUR603.7m) and Amundi (EUR414.5m), The heaviest net outflows were from BNP Paribas (-EUR362.8m) and Franklin Templeton Investments (-EUR258.9m).
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } In September 2012, investors were informed that the Nordea 1 North American Growth fund, managed by Aletheia, had fallen to USD53.5m, compared with USD468m two years previously, and would be merged with the Nordea North American All-Cap sub-fund, managed by Eagle Asset Management.On this subject, Financial Times Fund Management (FTfm) reports that several former Nordea employees accuse their former employer of completely concealing from investors the fact that Aletheia, the US outsourced management firm, and its head, Peter Eichler, were sentenced to a fine by the SEC for various fraud and accounting irregularities. In addition, the state of California has imposed a fne of USD2m on the firm, which Aletheia was not able to pay, leading to its bankruptcy.Nordea claims that the accusations by its former employees on the subject of legal issues and accusations concerning Aletheia and Eichler had virtually no impact on the performance of the fund.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } As of the end of June, assets under management in ETFs domiciled in Europe (Ireland) by the US firm Vanguard Group totalled USD1.4bn, compared with USD1.3bn one month earlier (see Newsmanagers of 18 June).In the United States, Vanguard has posted net inflows of USD26bn for its 67 ETFs, which represents the best results in the industry, a statement says.Branded ETF assets in Australia and Canada each total about USD1bn. And Vanguard states that it admitted its first ETF to trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange in May.Worldwide, assets under management in ETFs by Vanguard totalled USD281bn as of 30 June.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Index Universe reports that Fidelity Investments has submitted applications to the SEC for ten sectoral ETFs which will be based on MSCI indices. These are the first results of a partnership signed with BalckRock (see Newsmanagers of 14 March). The funds for which licenses have been applied for are the following: Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETFFidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETFFidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETFFidelity MSCI Energy Index ETFFidelity MSCI Financials Index ETFFidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETFFidelity MSCI Industrials Index ETFFidelity MSCI Information Technology Index ETFFidelity MSCI Materials Index ETFFidelity MSCI Telecommunications Services Index ETF Fielity has not disclosed any tickers or total expense ratios for these products.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } An annual survey by TNS Infratest on behalf of Allianz Deutschland, undertaken between 20 and 22 June, has found that in 2013, the percentage of households which are satisfied with their savings has increased to 45%, from 38% in 2012. At the same time, 40%, compared with 33% of respondents say they are satisfied with their income, which is probably the result of recent pay increases and which has resulted in a higher propensity to spend Burkhard Keese, chief financial officer at Allianz Deutschland observes.The constitution of savings nonetheless remains “high” to “very high” for 62% of respondents, and 77% of those surveyed say they want to stick to “safe” forms of investment such as traditional savings products and retirement savings plans. However, retail estate remains the preferred savings vector.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } According to statistics from the Spanish securities commission (CNMV), Spanish investment funds and Sicavs had EUR17.528m invested in other collective investment vehicles as of 31 March, which represents 11.3% of their total assets, which had increased by 5.04% in first quarter to EUR130bn for funds, and 3.7% of EUR24bn in Sicavs, Funds People reports.In January-March, funds increased their exposure to Spanish funds by 12.40%, and exposure to foreign funds by 11.14%, as investment in the form of shares in foreign funds totalled EUR7.904bn as of the end of March, while investment in shares of other Spanish funds totalled EUR3.563bn. That corresponds to 6.07% and 2.74% of total assets under management, respectively.International funds, at EUR5.261bn, represented 21.42% of assets in Spanish Sicavs, compared with EUR800m or 3.26% for Spanish funds.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } As of 30 June, investment funds from Mapfre had assets under management up 14% compared with the end of December, at EUR2.7bn, while assets in pension funds, at USD5.1bn, were up by 3.4%, Funds People reports.The increase in assets under management is attributed to efforts on the life insurance network, net subscriptions, and performance effects.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } As of 30 June, total assets at Aberdeen Asset Management plc, which has acquired Artio Global Investors (GBP6.7bn in assets under management) and SVG Advisers (GBP4.3bn), totalled GBP209.6bn, compared with GBP212.3bn as of the end of March, according to an interim management statement released on 29 July. Net outflows exceeded a decline of GBP2.7bn in assets, totalling GBP3.4bn, of which GBP0.3bn are due to Artio, while market, performance and currency effects, for their part, wiped out a net GBP10.3bn of total assets under management in the period.Martin Gilbert, CEO, says that in gross terms, net inflows in second quarter totalled GBP9.66bn, meaning that in the first nine months of the year to 30 September, they total GBP34.26bn, In the last three quarters under review, Aberdeen posts net inflows of GBP1.04bn.Aberdeen is pleased that net outflows largely affected the least profitable products. Gross subscriptions to the global emerging market strategy were down due to measures taken to restrict inflows, which resulted in net outflows of GBP926m, but Asia-Pacific funds saw net inflows of GBP744m.The report states that nearly GBP2.5bn in net redemptions took place in June.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The most recent Feri rankings, as of the end of June, of the best asset management firms by the percentage of funds rated A or B out of all funds rated from the business, finds that among firms with at least 25 products rated in France, only Lazard AM places in the top ten, with 16 A and B rated funds out of a total of 36, or only 44.4%, while Schroders leads with 34 A or B funds out of 47, or 72.4%, followed by Threadneedle, with 31 funds out of 51, or 60.8%.Among small firms, those with a total of 8 to 24 funds rated, the rankings are somewhat better, as DNCA places far in the lead with 9 funds rated A or B out of 11, or 81.8%. The Le Conservateur group placed in fourth place, with 7 funds out of 11 rated A or B, or 63.6%, while Comgest takes sixth place, with 8 funds out of 1, or 60%. These are the only three French asset management firms in the Feri rankings for France.However, Comgest takes fourth place in Germany and Austria (4.3% and 61.5%), while Natixis takes 5th place in Switzerland (58.5%) and 7th in the United Kingdom (56.3%), Lastly, LCF Rothschild takes 8th place in Italy (57.1%).
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Swiss firm Reyl & Cie is planning to announce this Tuesday in French that it has promoted Gideon Wittenberg to the position of COO and senior client manager at Reyl & Co (UK) LLP, whose London office opened on 22 February. On his LinkedIn account, Wittenberg states that he joined Reyl in May 2013 from SG Hambros.Wittenberg will assist Ladislas Safyurtlu, managing partner, who is responsible for developing Reyl’s activities in the United Kingdom, both in the area of investment funds and the private office and investment bank.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Jim O’Neill, the economist who coined the acronym BRIC, and former president of the asset management division at Goldman Sachs, will join the board at the British Ministry of Education, Investment Week reports. The Education minister Michael Gove asked him to join the ministry this autumn. O’Neill has stood out in the area of education, founding the Shine programme, which collected over GBP17m to support education for disadvantaged children.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The New York-based asset management firm Reich & Tang, an affiliate of Natixis Global Asset Management, on 23 July announced that its assets have topped USD32bn, which represents a 22% increase since the beginning of the year, as assets in its money market funds are up by as much as 40%.Assets in money market funds and segregated accounts represent about USD16bn, while sums administered in programmes with FDIC coverag on sale from banks and broker-dealers also totals USD16bn.Michael Lydon, CEO, says that in addition to the recent acquisition (with Nationwide Financial) of the mutual funds HighMark from UnionBanCal, he is expecting inflows of USD2bn to USD3bn in the next 45 to 60 days and that assets in money market funds will increase by about 65% this year.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The German ratings agency Feri EuroRating Services on July 29th published its quarterly rankings for seven countries (Germany, Austria, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Switzerland). The now traditional names of the three British firms in these rankings is more muted, as only Threadneedle retains a strong lead, with two top spots (in the United Kingdom and Switzerland) and two second-place finishes. The rankings are based on the percentage of funds rated A or B out of the total funds from the firm on sale in a given country. Feri also distinguishes between “large” firms, with more than 25 funds rated in total, and “small” firms, with 8 to 24 funds rated. Threadneedle also ranks in second place among “small” firms in Sweden, and among the “large” firms in Germany, Austria, Italy and France.Schroders takes two top places (in Italy and France) among large firms, while Aberdeen takes one among large firms in Austria, and one for small firms, in Sweden.Franklin Templeton Investments stands out with three third place finished in the large category in Austria, Sweden and France. Statistically, in the category of large firms with at least 25 funds rated, the number of asset management firms with over 50% of funds rated A or B caries strongly: in Sweden, for example, only Invesco is over this line (52%), while in Germany, there are eight names on the board, including Investec, Threadneedle, Aberdeen, Franklin Templeton, Schroders, Fidelity, Legg Mason, and lastly JPMorgan with 50.7%.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } At the end of second quarter 2013, the US firm Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc, based in Milwaukee, had assets of USD85.79bn, compared with USD83.18bn three months earlier, and USD64.07bn one year previously. However, net inflows in April-June, at USD1.41bn, were lower than in January-March (USD2.19bn), while remaining slightly higher than the USD1.36bn posted in the corresponding period of last year.Market effects were positive to the tune of USD1.2bn, compared with USD6.66bn in first quarter; they were negative by USD1.36bn in April-June 2012.By GAAP accounting standards, net profits in April-June totalled USD5.7bn, compared with USD3bn in the previous quarter. The Artisan Partners initial public offering was completed on 12 March 2013.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } After serving as a portfolio manager at Prudential Fixed Income (USD400bn in assets as of the end of March 2013), Yves Trinquet has taken care of his family and then served as a consultant. He has recently been appointed as managing director and head of quantitative research and co-head of risk management at his former employer, which is an asset management affiliate of Prudential Financial (USD1.06trn in assets), specialised in bond solutions for institutional investors.Trinquet will be responsible for the development of exclusive rate curve and credit risk models, as well as all aspects of portfolio risk management and performance analysis.He will also become the sole head of risk management, following the departure of Martin Lawlor, who has announced plans to retire in 2014.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The New York-based ETF management firm WisdomTree has reported record net profits and earnings in second quarter, according to its chairman & CEO, Jonathan Steinberg. Its pre-tax profit margin totalled 33% in April-June, on average total assets of USD28.4bn.In detail, on earnings of USD37.3m, net profits in second quarter totalled USD12.2m, compared with USD29.3m and USD7.9m in January-March; in the corresponding period of 2012, net profits were limited to EUR0.1m, on earnings of EUR20.4m.As of 30 June, total assets came to USD29bn, compared with USD25.1bn three months earlier, and USD15bn one year previously. Net subscriptions were still very high, with USD5bn in April-June, compared with USD5.9bn in first quarter, and only USD0.3bn in the corresponding period of 2012.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Deutsche Börse on 29 July announced that it had admitted three new German-registered bond ETFs from iShares to trading, two of which replicate Barclays indices, while one tracks a JPMorgan index. This brings the number of ETFs currently listed on the XTF segment of the Xetra electronic trading platform to 1,013.CharacteristicsName : iShares Euro Corporate Bond Financials UCITS ETFISIN code: DE000A1W0MX4Benchmark index: Barclays Euro Aggregate Financial IndexTER: 0.20%Name: iShares Global Corporate Bond EUR Hedged UCITS ETFISIN code: DE000A1W2KG9Benchmark index: Barclays Global Aggregate Corporate Index (EUR hedged)TER: 0.25%Name: iShares J. P. Morgan $ EM Bond EUR Hedged UCITS ETFISIN code: DE000A1W0PN8Benchmark index: J.P.Morgan EMBI Global Core Index hedged to EuroTER: 0.50%
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Hua An and Guotai on 29 July became the first Chinese asset management firms to list gold ETFs on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE). The exchange has published a regulation applicable to subscriptions and redemptions from gold ETFs, which are required to pass through a brokerage firm, Z-Ben Advisors states.Investors are required to have an A equity or mutual fund account as well as a gold account. In addition, brokers are required to provide commodity investors with advising about risks and rules for investing in ETFs based on gold, and investors are required to sign a release stating that they have been alerted to the risks.
Au 30 juin, les fonds d’investissement de Mapfre affichaient des actifs sous gestion en hausse de 14 % sur fin décembre, à 2,7 milliards d’euros tandis que l’encours des fonds de pension, à 5,1 milliards, affichait une progression de 3,4 %, rapporte Funds People.La hausse des actifs gérés est attribuée aux efforts du réseau vie-épargne, aux souscriptions nettes et à l’effet de performance.
Index Universe rapporte que Fidelity Investments a déposé auprès de la SEC des demandes d’agrément pour dix ETF sectoriels utilisant des indices MSCI. C’est le premier indice de concrétisation du partenariat conclu avec BlackRock (lire Newsmanagers du 14 mars). Les fonds pour lesquels l’agrément a été demandé sont les suivants : Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETFFidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETFFidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETFFidelity MSCI Energy Index ETFFidelity MSCI Financials Index ETFFidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETFFidelity MSCI Industrials Index ETFFidelity MSCI Information Technology Index ETFFidelity MSCI Materials Index ETFFidelity MSCI Telecommunications Services Index ETFFidelity n’a communiqué aucun acronyme et aucun taux de frais sur encours pour ces produits.
Après avoir été gérant de portefeuille chez Prudential Fixed Income (400 milliards de dollars d’encours fin mars 2013), Yves Trinquet s’est occupé de sa famille puis a exercé une activité de consultant. Il vient d'être nommé managing director et head of quantitative research et co-head of risk management chez son ancien employeur, qui est une filiale de gestion d’actifs de Prudential Financial (1.060 milliards de dollars d’encours) spécialiste des solutions obligataires pour les investisseurs institutionnels.Yves Trinquet sera responsable du développement de modèles exclusivfs de courbe des taux, de crédit et de risque ainsi que de tous les aspects de gestion du risque des portefeuilles et de l’analyse de performance.D’autre part, il deviendra unique head of risk management après le départ de Martin Lawlor, qui a annoncé son intention de prendre sa retraite en 2014.
Le gestionnaire new yorkais d’ETF WisdomTree a affiché selon son president & CEO Jonathan Steinberg avec un chiffre d’affaires et un bénéfice net record au deuxième trimestre. Sa marge bénéficiaire avant impôt a atteint 33 % en avril-juin pour un encours moyen de 28,4 milliards de dollars.Dans le détail, sur un chiffre d’affaires de 37,3 millions de dollars, le bénéfice net du deuxième trimestre est ressorti à 12,2 millions contre 29,3 millions et 7,9 millions pour janvier-mars ; pour la période correspondante de 2012, le bénéfice net s'était limité à 0,1 million sur un chiffre d’affaires de 20,4 millions.Au 30 juin, l’encours total se situait à 29 milliards de dollars contre 25,1 milliards trois mois plus tôt et 15 milliards un an auparavant. Les souscriptions nettes ont encore été importantes, avec 5 milliards de dollars en avril-juin contre 5,9 milliards au premier trimestre et seulement 0,3 milliard pour la période correspondante de 2012.WisdomTree estime que sa part aux souscriptions nettes de l’ensemble du secteur a été de 29,4 % durant le deuxième trimestre 2013 contre 10,8 % au premier et 1,4 % en avril-juin de l’an dernier.
Mackenzie Investments, filiale de gestion du groupe canadien Power Group vient de recruter Arris Partners au poste de responsable de la distribution auprès de la clientèle institutionnelle asiatique, rapporte Asian Investors. Blake Moore, vice président en charge de la distribution, a indiqué que, parallèlement, la société cherchait à acquérir des équipes de gestion basées en Asie.Principalement active au Canada, Mackenzie Investments, qui gère 63 milliards de dollars, souhaite se développer sur de nouveaux marchés, principalement aux Etats-Unis et en Asie.
La Deutsche Börse a annoncé le 29 juillet avoir admis à la négociation trois nouveaux ETF obligataires de droit allemand d’iShares, dont deux répliquant des indices Barclays et un suivant un indice JPMorgan. Cela remonte à 1.013 le nombre d’ETF actuellement cotés sur le segment XTF de la plate-forme électronique Xetra.CaractéristiquesDénomination : iShares Euro Corporate Bond Financials UCITS ETFCode Isin : DE000A1W0MX4Indice de référence : Barclays Euro Aggregate Financial IndexTFE : 0,20 %Dénomination : iShares Global Corporate Bond EUR Hedged UCITS ETFCode Isin : DE000A1W2KG9Indice de référence : Barclays Global Aggregate Corporate Index (EUR hedged)TFE : 0,25 %Dénomination : iShares J. P. Morgan $ EM Bond EUR Hedged UCITS ETFCode Isin : DE000A1W0PN8Indice de référence : J.P.Morgan EMBI Global Core Index hedged to EuroTFE : 0,50 %
Pour le deuxième trimestre, le bénéfice avant impôt du pôle gestion d’actifs et de fortune (asset & wealth management ou AWM) de la Deutsche Bank est ressorti à 82 millions d’euros contre 222 millions pour janvier-mars et 98 millions pour la période correspondante de l’an dernier. Toutefois, si l’on exclut les charges exceptionnelles de 171 millions liées au programme «Operational Excellence» ou OpEx, le bénéfice aurait été de 171 millions d’euros supérieur et serait ainsi ressorti en hausse sur le premier trimestre, avec 253 millions.La Deutsche Bank indique aussi que les «actifs investis» ont baissé de 27 milliards d’euros au deuxième trimestre, principalement à cause d’effets de marché et de change négatifs.Au niveau du groupe Deutsche Bank, le bénéfice net a plongé à 335 millions pour avril-juin contre 1.661 millions au premier trimestre et 666 millions pour la période correspondante de l’an dernier. La chute s’explique à la fois par les charges liées au programme OpEx et à des frais très élevés de contentieux.
Au 30 juin, l’encours total d’Aberdeen Asset Management plc, qui a acheté Artio Global Investors (6,7 milliards de livres d’actifs gérés) et SVG Advisers (4,3 milliards) est ressorti à 209,6 milliards de livres contre 212,3 milliards fin mars, d’après l’interim management statement publié le 29 juillet. Les sorties nettes ont été supérieures à la baisse de 2,7 milliards de livres de l’encours, atteignant 3,4 milliards de livres (dont 0,3 milliard imputable à Artio), sachant que les effet de marché, de performance et de change ont pour leur part prélevé durant le trimestre 10,3 milliards de livres en net sur le total des actifs gérés.Martin Gilbert, CEO, a souligné qu’en termes bruts les rentrées du deuxième trimestre ont porté sur 9,66 milliards de livres, de sorte que, pour les neuf premiers mois de l’exercice au 30 septembre, elles ont totalisé 34,26 milliards de livres. Sur les trois derniers trimestres sous revue, Aberdeen enregistre des rentrées nettes de 1,04 milliard de livres.Aberdeen se félicite que les sorties nettes ont surtout affecté les produits les moins margés. Les souscriptions brutes de la stratégie actions émergentes mondiale ont diminué du fait des mesures prises pour restreindre les rentrées, ce qui s’est traduit par des sorties nettes de 926 millions de livres, mais les fonds Asie-Pacifique ont collecté en net 744 millions de livres.Le rapport précise que près de 2,5 milliards de livres de rachats nets se sont produits en juin.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Swiss financial services provider Swissquote has posted a contraction of 41.4% in its inflows to CHF379.5bn in first quarter; they were already down 55.1% to CHF280m in January-March.However, revenues were up 5.1% year on year, to CHF60.2bn, while net profits were up 19.2% compared with January-June 2012, at CHF16.6m.Lastly, Swissquote states that savings deposits as of 30 June totalled nearly CHF9.27bn, which represents an increase of 13.6% year on year. As of the end of March, the volume totalled CHF9.1bn.