P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); }P.western { font-family: «Times New Roman»,serif; font-size: 12pt; }P.cjk { font-family: «WenQuanYi Micro Hei"; font-size: 12pt; }P.ctl { font-family: «Lohit Hindi"; font-size: 12pt; } The third week of February saw nearly every major EPFR global-tracked fund group post inflows as cash pulled from US money market funds at the fastest clip since mid-3Q11 looked for new investment ideas. Overall, money market funds saw USD32.1bn pulled out during the week ending February 20 – with USD25.8bn of that coming from US funds. Meanwhile, equity funds absorbed a net USD8.58bn, bond funds USD3.47bn, balanced funds USD1.11bn and alternative funds USD710m.Year-to-date flows into EPFR Global-tracked Emerging Markets Equity Funds pushed past the USD33bn mark in late February as they extended their current inflow streak to 23 weeks. Once again the diversified Global Emerging Markets (GEM) Equity Funds took in the lion’s share of the new money with Asia ex-Japan Equity Funds a distant second while EMEA Equity Funds posted outflows for the fourth time in the past five weeks.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); }P.western { font-family: «Times New Roman»,serif; font-size: 12pt; }P.cjk { font-family: «WenQuanYi Micro Hei"; font-size: 12pt; }P.ctl { font-family: «Lohit Hindi"; font-size: 12pt; } At a time when many acedemic studies have considered the question of the performance of actively-managed funds, Lyxor Asset Management has found that studies measuring the performance of tracker funds such as ETFs do not exist. The tools used are primarily for measuring the performance of actively-managed funds, and are not adapted to passive funds, which require the use of information ratios to measure tracker funds. These ratios are only pertinent to compare the performance of ETFs, Lyxor says in a study (attached).The study, by Marlène Hassine and Thierry Roncalli of Lyxor AM, proposes another performance measure based on value at risk, which is “perfectly appropriate for passive management and ETFs,” the authors say. On the basis of three parameters, the difference in performance between the fund and the index, the volatility of tracking error and the liquidity spread, “measurement can help investors to more easily choose between different products,” Lyxor explains.The study also discusses the importance of the liquidity spread to measure the effectiveness of an ETF, particularly for institutional investors, who invest larger amounts in ETFs.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); }P.western { font-family: «Times New Roman»,serif; font-size: 12pt; }P.cjk { font-family: «WenQuanYi Micro Hei"; font-size: 12pt; }P.ctl { font-family: «Lohit Hindi"; font-size: 12pt; } Amundi will be closing three of its commodity ETFs in the coming weeks, the Financial Times website reports, citing Ignites Europe. The Amundi ETF Commodities S&P GSCI Agriculture, Amundi ETF All Commodities S&P GSCI Light Energy and Amundi S&P GSCI Non Energy ETF represent total assets of EUR18.7m. The Crédit Agricole affiliate says that the decision was taken several months ago, and that it is not a reaction to a recent report by Oxfam France, which accused French asset management firms of speculating on hunger with such products.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } As announced more than two months ago, State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) on 21 February finally officially launched two SPDR-branded ETF funds reproducing Russell low volatility indices which had been used as underlying for ETFs closed by Russell (see Newsmanagers of 21 August and 7 December 2012), Index Universe reports.They are the SPDR Russell 1000 Low Volatility ETF (acronym LGLV on NYSE Arca), which will charge 0.20%, and the SPDR Russell 2000 Low Volatility ETF (SMLV), whose ter is 0.25%.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); }P.western { font-family: «Times New Roman»,serif; font-size: 12pt; }P.cjk { font-family: «WenQuanYi Micro Hei"; font-size: 12pt; }P.ctl { font-family: «Lohit Hindi"; font-size: 12pt; } Since Thursday, db x-trackers and db x-markets have been announcing on their websites that they belong to the asset & wealth management (AWM) unit of Deutsche Bank, which is a visible representation of an announcement that active (asset management) and passive (investment banking) management activities had been united in a single structure, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports Reinhard Bellet, who heads the passive management unit from London, says that passively-managed assets at Deutsche Bank total EUR98bn, of which 40% are in db x-trackers ETFs, 26% in options and certificates from db x-markets, and 9% in DB Platinum funds.Currently, Deutsche Bank is the fourth-largest provider of passively-managed products in Europe, after iShares (BlackRock), with EUR425bn, Legal & General with EUR300bn, and State Street with EUR203bn. Vanguard remains relatively modest in Europe, with EUR51bn. For ETFs, db x-trackers is second, after iShares.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); }P.western { font-family: «Times New Roman»,serif; font-size: 12pt; }P.cjk { font-family: «WenQuanYi Micro Hei"; font-size: 12pt; }P.ctl { font-family: «Lohit Hindi"; font-size: 12pt; } Les Echos reports that the Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR) group will this Monday announce that it is in exclusive talks with the fund Nordic Capital to sell it Ellos the Scandinavian arm of its Redcats mail-order unit, for a value of EUR300m, 8 or 9 times EBITDA. The Nordic Capital fund is interested in the acquisition in order to acqhieve strategic consolidation on the market in Scandinavia.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); }P.western { font-family: «Times New Roman»,serif; font-size: 12pt; }P.cjk { font-family: «WenQuanYi Micro Hei"; font-size: 12pt; }P.ctl { font-family: «Lohit Hindi"; font-size: 12pt; } “If everything goes according to nominal trajectory this year, we will have EUR1.812bn in gross inflows by the end of December, which will represent annual growth since 2007 of 34%, of which 6% are due to acquisitions, and 28% are organic. Total assets of the group as of the end of 2012 come to EUR5.2bn, where we started out in 2007 with EUR1.8bn. And we are expecting to reach EUR7.1bn-EUR7.2bn by the end of 2013,’ Patrick Petitjean, CEO of Primonial, a group which claims to be one of the top independent providers of investment solutions, has told Newsmanagers.For asset management, Primonial has launched the “Voltaire project,” led by François Barthélémy, director of Primonial Asset Management. The concept is “based on the observation that in France, many managers manage well, but don’t get inflows, and the success of managers comes from the independent world, before it is confirmed by institutional demand. The idea is to acquire a series of small managers who have already proven themselves, to help them with sales.”In this context, “Primonial has already acquired a 70% stake in Roche-Brune, a specialist in European equities, led yb Bruno Fine “and we are planning to add one to three new managers or funds per year to our little collection; they will retain their brand names, like Roche-Brune. We profit from their expertise, while the managers, freed from having to worry about sales, can focus on what they do best: managing. And they can also make money themselves,” says Petitjean, who has also announced plans to create a distribution platform in Luxembourg this year.So far, Primonial AM (20 employees, including 8 managers) has slightly under EUR1bn in multi-management and strategic allocation in the form of mandates. Primonial is planning to add to its range of mutual funds soon with a commodity fund.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); }P.western { font-family: «Times New Roman»,serif; font-size: 12pt; }P.cjk { font-family: «WenQuanYi Micro Hei"; font-size: 12pt; }P.ctl { font-family: «Lohit Hindi"; font-size: 12pt; } The management of Victory Capital Management (144 employees and USD22.1bn in assets under advisory or management as of the end of December) will take control of Victory, with the help of the private equity investor Crestview Partners. It will acquire the firm for USD246bn, 1.1% of assets under management, from KeyCorp, which says that it will make a total capital gain on the sale of USD145m to USD155m.The transaction will be completed in third quarter. The two heads of Victory, David Brown and Christopher Ohnmacht, will remain at the helm of the firm, the former as CEO and the latter as chairman.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); }P.western { font-family: «Times New Roman»,serif; font-size: 12pt; }P.cjk { font-family: «WenQuanYi Micro Hei"; font-size: 12pt; }P.ctl { font-family: «Lohit Hindi"; font-size: 12pt; } Richard Sullivan US district judge in Manhattan, has forbidden Apple from holding a bundled vote on three resolutions at its general shareholders’ meeting, including one which would allow the group to issue preferential shares, the Wall Street Journal reports. The alternative asset management firm Greenlight Capital, led by David Einhorn, is opposed to the move, as he would like a vote to be allowed to let shareholders get their share of USD137bn in cash accumulated by Apple.The two parties have until 1 March to make new proposals.

Since the irruption of ETFs into the European market and the beginning of the price war for these products in the United States in 2012, Europeans have been asking about the intentions of the giant Vanguard (USD2trn in assets). Newsmanagers speaks to its head of institutional activity for Europe.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); }P.western { font-family: «Times New Roman»,serif; font-size: 12pt; }P.cjk { font-family: «WenQuanYi Micro Hei"; font-size: 12pt; }P.ctl { font-family: «Lohit Hindi"; font-size: 12pt; } Dealogic reports that Gingko Tree Investment Ltd., a British, wholly-owned subsidiary of the Chinese State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), has recently invested over USD1.6bn in four British properties, including a water utility, student housing, and office properties in London and Manchester, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to sources familiar with the matter, other deals are also said to have taken place, but details have not been released.The investments mark a significant turn in the way in which the secretive managers of the largest currency reserves in the world use their financial resources.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); }P.western { font-family: «Times New Roman»,serif; font-size: 12pt; }P.cjk { font-family: «WenQuanYi Micro Hei"; font-size: 12pt; }P.ctl { font-family: «Lohit Hindi"; font-size: 12pt; } The asset management unit of the British HSBC group has decided to close a hedge fund dedicated to India due to excessive outflows, the news agency Reuters reports. The long/short equity fund India Alpha, launched in 2007, posted returns of 26% last year, compared with an average of 10.3% for hedge funds dedicated to emerging markets, according to Hedge Fund Research. Assets in the fund, which peaked at USD300m in 2008, as of the end of December 2012 totalled USD85m.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); }P.western { font-family: «Times New Roman»,serif; font-size: 12pt; }P.cjk { font-family: «WenQuanYi Micro Hei"; font-size: 12pt; }P.ctl { font-family: «Lohit Hindi"; font-size: 12pt; } The BlackRock World Resources Income fund is changing names to become the BlackRock Natural Resources Growth & Income fund, in order to better reflect its investment philosophy, Fund Web reports. The investment objectives for the fund have also been updated in order to clarify its management. The changes will take effect from 5 April.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The fund of funds Skandia UK Best Ideas, whose assets under management total GBP118m, will be integrated into the Old Mutual UK Select Equity fund, which has GBP80m in assets, Investment Week reports. The operation may take place next month, Old Mutual Global Investors (OMGI) says, claiming that the two funds represent a “redundancy zone” in the range, following the merger of the two firms Old Mutual Asset Managers and Skandia Investment Group to create the new entity OMGI.

Depuis l'irruption de ses ETF sur le marché européen et le début de la guerre des prix sur ces produits aux Etats-Unis en 2012, les Européens s'interrogent sur les intentions du géant Vanguard (2.000 milliards de dollars d'encours), qui pourrait souhaiter se diversifier sur l'Europe ainsi que sur l'Asie-Pacifique, régions dans lesquelles il entretient déjà des centres de gestion, à Londres et Sydney. Newsmanagers a interrogé le patron de l'activité institutionnelle pour l'Europe.

Les obligations d’Etat britanniques n’ont que brièvement cédé du terrain lundi après la décision de Moody’s de priver la Grande-Bretagne de sa note suprême Aaa, une perte largement anticipée par les investisseurs bien qu’elle soit intervenue un peu plus tôt qu’attendu. Les futures sur les «gilts» perdaient jusqu'à 65 points de base en début de séance mais ils sont ensuite revenus à l'équilibre à 116,06.

L’Italie a vu ses coûts d’emprunt à deux ans légèrement augmenter lundi, les investisseurs se montrant prudents à quelques heures de l’annonce du résultat d'élections législatives susceptibles de réserver des surprises. Le Trésor a adjugé pour 2,818 milliards d’euros de papier à deux ans zéro coupon, à un rendement brut de 1,682%, au plus haut depuis décembre. Ce rendement avait été de 1,43% lors d’une opération comparable le mois dernier. Le Trésor a également placé 941 millions d’obligations indexées sur l’inflation européenne arrivant à échéance en septembre 2021 et 309 millions d’obligations à échéance septembre 2026, des titres tous deux indexées sur l’inflation.

Alain Zeitouni, directeur gestion multi-actifs chez Russell

Paris aurait jusqu'à 2014 pour ramener son déficit à 3% du PIB, contre 3,7% en 2013

Paris aurait jusqu'à 2014 pour ramener son déficit à 3% du PIB, contre 3,7% en 2013

Les remboursements de 61 milliards d'euros prévus cette semaine pour la deuxième opération de LTRO seront inférieurs aux attentes

La possible nomination de Haruhiko Kuroda à la tête de la Banque japonaise a fait chuter le yen et les taux et provoqué une envolée du Nikkei

Le quotidien américain souligne le vif appétit de Gingko Tree Investment pour le marché immobilier britannique ainsi que pour les infrastructures. Cet investisseur n’est autre qu’une filiale de l’administration chinoise gestionnaire des colossales réserves de change du pays, la Safe. Le quotidien évoque des investissements «discrets», au moins quatre depuis mai dernier, pour au moins 1,6 milliard de dollars.

L'agence de notation s'inquiète de la trajectoire de la dette publique. Sa décision accroît la pression sur le gouvernement de coalition

Coup dur pour le gouverment de David Cameron. Moody’s a sorti la note britannique du cercle restreint des triple A, la dégradant d’un cran, tandis que la perspective passe de négative à stable. Malmené par l’opposition, le ministre des Finances George Osborne assure vouloir maintenir le cap.

Contrairement à la Nouvelle-Zélande, l'autorité australienne ne compte pas intervenir sur les changes et estime le niveau de ses taux approprié

Emmanuel Morano, responsable gestion actions chez La Française AM

François Raynaud, gérant analyste chez Edmond de Rothschild AM

Selon Bruxelles, le déficit a représenté 10,2% du PIB en 2012 dont 3,2 points imputables à la recapitalisation des banques

Nordine Naam, stratégiste taux et change chez Natixis