Le 7 juillet, Pimco ETF Trust (groupe Allianz Global Investors) a notifié à la SEC que la future version ETF du mutual fund obligataire Pimco Total Return géré par Bill Gross (242,8 milliards de dollars) sera assortie d’une commission de gestion de 0,55 %.
Comme en mai, les créations d’emplois ont été très faibles en juin et le taux de chômage poursuit sa remontée, ce qui fait planer des doutes sur la conjoncture aux Etats-Unis. Faisant office de valeur refuge, les Treasuries ont vu leur rendement se rapprocher de 3 % vendredi.
Tous les acteurs du monde de l’assurance n’attendent pas avec le même degré d’anxiété la mise en œuvre début 2012 de Solvabilité 2. L’Agefi, en partenariat avec Ofi AM, lance un baromètre de l’état de préparation des institutions soumises à cette directive. Sa première édition fait apparaître que près d’un tiers d’entre eux n’en mesure pas encore aujourd’hui les «impacts réels». Du fait de la diversité de leurs profils, près de la moitié estiment d’ailleurs que Solvabilité 2 n’est pas «de nature à modifier l’organisation de (leurs) placements». Pour accéder à l’article et à l'étude CLIQUEZ ICI
Silvio Berlusconi affirme dans un entretien publié vendredi au quotidien de gauche La Repubblica qu’il s’effacera lors des prochaines élections législatives italiennes en 2013 et désigne le ministre de la Justice Angelino Alfano comme son successeur pour mener la droite à la victoire.
Le gouverneur de la banque centrale chinoise, Zhou Xiaochuan, a souligné vendredi que la politique monétaire de la Chine avait à la fois pour objectif de soutenir la croissance économique et de contrôler l’inflation. Le gouverneur, qui s’exprimait lors d’un forum à Pékin, a toutefois précisé que la Chine n'était pas prête à adopter un objectif d’inflation en bonne et due forme pour sa politique monétaire.
La Banque de France a revu en baisse sa prévision de croissance pour le deuxième trimestre à 0,2%, contre 0,4% précédemment et 0,5% en première estimation, au vu de l'évolution de l’activité dont fait état son enquête de conjoncture de juin. Celle-ci montre un recul de l’activité industrielle et un ralentissement sensible de la progression de l’activité dans les services, explique la BdF.
Le déficit du budget de l’Etat ressort à 68,4 milliards d’euros à fin mai contre 67,9 millairds un an plus tôt, selon les données publiées vendredi par le ministère du Budget. L'évolution d’une année sur l’autre s’explique notamment par une dégradation du solde des comptes spéciaux (avances et opérations financières) de 11,6 milliards d’euros, principalement liée aux décaissements du prêt octroyé à la Grèce. Le solde du budget général s’est parallèlement amélioré de 11,1 milliards d’euros.
La CPRSNCF a décidé d’avoir une liquidité totale de ses placements, en passant de 85% à 100% d’investissements en fonds monétaires. La CPRSNCF s’est ainsi désengagée des BMTN, EMTN, crédits court terme et autres produits structurés. Cette décision s’explique par l’horizon très court terme de la CPRSNCF.
Il s’agit de sélectionner une société de gestion qui va accompagner l’Ircantec (Institution de retraite complémentaire des agents non titulaires de l'État et des collectivités publiques) dans la création et la gestion d’un organisme de placement collectif immobilier. Le marché sera conclu pour une durée de 4 ans à compter de sa notification, expressément reconductible pour une durée identique. Pour lire l’avis complet: cliquez ici
The Swiss private bank and asset management firm Clariden Leu (Credit Suisse group) has received sales licenses for Germany and Austria from BaFin and the FMA for the Luxembourg-registered, non-benchmarked Clariden Leu Global High Yield Bond fund, launched on 29 April, managed by the US firm Oaktree Capital Management.As its name indicates, the product is a fund investing in high yield bonds with lower sensitivity to variations in interest rates than higher-rated bond issues. The fund is available in a B USD share class (LU0614322484), H EUR B (LU0614322641) and H CHF B (LU0614322997).Management commission is set at 1.2%, and assets in all share classes currently total USD267.8m.
Assets under management at Man Group as of 30 June 2011 totalled USD71bn, compared with USD69.1bn as of 31 March 2011, the group announced in a statement on 7 July.Gross inflows in second quarter totalled a record USD9bn. Redemptions totalled USD5.3bn, a moderate level historically, Man Group observes, while net infllows totalled USD3.7bn.Net inflows to hedge funds totalled USD4.1bn, while long-only funds saw outflows of USD400m (USD1.5bn in subscriptions, and Usd1.9bn in redemptions).Guaranteed products saw their highest inflows in two years, at USD500m, due to the launch of ManIP 220 GLG, the largest FCP vehicle to combine AHL and GLG strategies. Redemptions from guaranteed products totalled USD600m.In terms of performance, difficult market conditions contributed to a negative market effect of USD1.1bn in second quarter. In the GLG range, negative performance impacted positive results, with positive returns for European long/shoirt and European distressed strategies, but negative performance for global macro and other long/short strategies.
The British asset management firm Ignis Asset Management has announced a few changes in its team dedicated to British equities.Ignis had recruited Mark Holden as manager for the Ignis UK Focus fund, whose assets under management total GBP112m. Holden, who had previously been a partner at Vestra Wealth, will report to Mark Lovett, chief investment officer at Ignis for the equities unit, who joined the firm in October 2010 from Allianz RCM.Ralph Brook-Fox, currently manager of the UK Focus fund, will take over the Ignis Balanced Growth fund (GBP173m), effective immediately. He will also work on institutional mandates, in collaboration with Lovett.Ignis has also recruited an analyst, Bilal Raja, for the UK equities team. Other analysts will soon join the team.
Following months of speculation, Lloyds Banking Group has announced that it will retain its majority stake of 60% in the management firm St James’s Place, Money Marketing reports. Assets under management at St James’s Place as of 31 March totalled GBP28bn, compared with GBP27bn as of the end of 2010, and GBP21.4bn as of the end of March 2010.
Money Marketing reports that HSBC is considering launching a low-cost actively-managed fund, to rival products of this type from Schroders and JP Morgan.According to the firm’s head of external distribution for the UK, Phil Reid, investors keep a close eye on the ratio of costs to returns, and it is therefore essential to offer them viable options which fall between active and passive management.
With the ETF iShares MSCI Japan Monthly EUR Hedged, iShares MSCI World Monthly EUR Hedged and iShares S&P500 Monthly EUR Hedged, BlackRock has increased the number of its ETFs registered with the CNMV in Spain to 96, including the iShares MSCI Poland and iShares MSCI USA sub-funds of its iShares V Public Ltd. Sicav. The three physical replication funds named above have been listed on the London Stock Exchange since October, and are hedged for currency risks.
Aon Hewitt on 7 July released the European results of its global 2011 survey of risks related to social engagements at businesses (“Global Pension Risk Survey 2011.”) The survey brings together and analyses responses form multinationals in 13 countries of continental Europe, representing financial assets of EUR127bn, and over 1 million members.One of the major lessons of the study is that “de-risking,” or cancelling out risk factors, has become a top priority throughout Europe, and half of respondents would like to reach an economic level which would allow their pension regimes to be autonomous.A trend which could be considered realistic is developing: five times more businesses surveyed than in 2009 (when the last survey was undertaken) say that they are now planning to manage their pension regimes with a 20-year horizon in view. The survey also finds that employers are aware that they will need to bear costs related to retirements: more than half of respondents are planning to finance deficits through contributions alone.Among the other key findings: Fewer businesses are planning to change regimes, as those who are planning to modify their pension plans have already done so, and others are seeking to maintain their plans and are taking on the costs engendered themselves. In a large number of countries, the definition of the advantages and the rules as pension funds develop play a key role, particularly when risks can be managed, as they can, for example, in the choice of a new method for indexing incomes. More sophisticated risk-taking than in the past: employers are turning to alternative asset classes in order to bring in higher revenues, while running fewer risks related to derivatives and interest rates. There is still some way to go until coverage instruments are used more widely: 25% of businesses surveyed have no official policy about interest rates or hedging assets against inflationary risks. Hedging against risks related to longevity is a practice which is gaining popularity, particularly in the Netherlands, which appears to be following in the footsteps of the United Kingdom.
Ben Mooney, who had been director & client operations manager for operational and risk attenuation solutions for clients of Wellington Management International for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region (EMEA) has returned to State Street Corporation as vice president and transition manager for the EMEA region. He will report to Rick Boomgaardt, managing director and head of transition management for EMEA. Mooney already served as a transition manager at State Street from 2007 to 2010.