P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Lazard Asset Management has decided to rename its top-performer UK Equity Income fund (GBP101m in assets) as Lazard Multi-Cap UK Income, Investment Week reports. The objective with the move is to better reflect the multi-cap size approach of the vehicle, 40% of whose portfolio is invested outside the FTSE 100. According to the website, the fund is one of the best performers in the sector, with returns of 132% over five years as of 28 March, compared with 120% for the sector, according to Morningstar data.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Allianz Global Investors plans to launch a US small caps fund for UK investors in June, Investment Week reports. The fund, which replicates a strategy available to US investors, will be managed by a team based in San Diego, led by John McCraw. It will be available in a Sicav envelope based in Luxembourg. The fund may be the first in a series which may be offered to UK investors. A UK large cap fund is also rumoured to be in the work, which would rival existing strategies.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Franklin Templeton Investments is adding to its sales team, with the recruitment of Peter Gorynski. Gorynski will be responsible for relationships with distributor partners in Germany (central and northern regions of the country), Das Investment reports. He will report to Thomas Knigge, director of sales for Germany at the asset management firm. Gorynski was previously spokesman for the board at the SJB Fondsskyline company.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Capital Group is putting down roots in Italy. The asset management firm has recruited Cristina Mazzurana and Paola Pallota for the newly-created positions of managers in charge of business development for the Milan office, Funds Europe reports. The two join Vlasta Gregis, who joined Capital Group in May 2012, and who has led the Milan office since its opening last year. Mazzurana joins from Carmignac Gestion, where she served as director of development for the activity, while Pallota most recently worked at HSBC Global Asset Management as sales manager.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } State Street Global Advisors has recruited Desirée Scarabelli in Italy as senior sales manager, Bluerating reports. She joins from BNY Mellon Investment Management, where she had served in the same position. Scarabelli will be based in Milan, and will report to Danilo Vercadanna, head of SSgA in Italy. SSgA has recruited two other people for its Intermediary Business Group team: Steve Muzzlewhite in the United Kingdom, and Elaine Coussement in Benelux.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Marie Repiquet and David Zerbib have joined the European sales team at Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management (EdRAM), as sales managers in charge of partners. They will report to Michel Dinet, head of partnerships for France, according to a statement released on 7 April. The two recruitments are a sign “of the desire of Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management to participate in its development and the growth of assets from partner clients,” the statement says. After starting her career at Edmond de Rothschild Luxembourg as a fund analyst, Repiquet moved up in the company to the position of private banker. She now joins Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management, where she will be responsible for assisting independent advisers and platforms in Paris and the North and East regions and entrepreneurial asset management firms, as part of the Distribution Partners team. Zerbib began his career in London in sales of derivative products at UBS and HSBC, and then joined a well-known wealth management firm in Paris. He will be responsible for assisting independent advisers and platforms in Paris, and will also serve Western France and entrepreneurial asset management firms.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Schroders is in talks to increase staff for its multi-asset class team in the United States, as the asset management firm seeks to double the share of its revenues originating from North America, Financial News reports. Multi-asset strategies from Schroders represent over USD9.3bn in assets.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } BNP Paribas Investment Partners (BNP Paribas IP) on Monday, 7 April announced the appointment of François Hullo has head of external distribution from 31 March 2014. He replaces Andrea Favaloro, who is leaving the group. Hullo was previously head of Fixed Income management at BNPP AM, a statement says, adding that at BNP Paribas, he served in development of alternative and structured management, head of sales for France, and then institutional sales for Southern Europe. He was then head of Alfred Berg, the asset management affiliate for the countries of Northern Europe.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } InverCaixa Gestión is adding to its product range on the Spanish market. The asset management firm, an affiliate of the banking group CaixaBank, will this week launch a new non-guaranteed performance objective fund, Funds People reveals. The vehicle, entitled FonCaixa Rentas Abril 2020, will be composed of six sub-funds, and will invest primarily in Spanish public debt, with an investment horizon set for April 2020. On this date, the objective of the fund is to maintain 100% of the initial investment, in addition to which there will be an annual performance objective of 1.5% to 1.85% for each of the six sub-funds. The minimal initial investment varies from EUR600 to EUR150,000 according to the sub-fund.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The global ETF and ETP sector is still doing well. Inflows to these products totalled USD11bn in March, according to preliminary data released on 7 April by ETFGI. This perfomance, combined with positive market effects, will drive total assets in the industry to a new record total of USD2.45trn as of the end of first quarter 2014. In the month of March, equity ETF/ETPs posted their strongest net inflows, with USD9.9bn, followed by commodity funds (USD876m in net inflows). At the same time, bond ETF/ETPs posted a net outflow of USD1.4bn. For first quarter, net subscriptions totalled USD33bn, significantly below than the USD73.1bn posted at the same time last year. In the first three months of this year, bond ETF/ETPs brought in USD17.8bn in net inflows, followed by equity funds (USD8.4bn in inflows). However, commodities had outflows of USD207m. In the past quarter, the winner for best inflows was Vanguard, with USD14.7bn in net subscriptions, followed by iShares (USD8.6bn) and Nomura AM (USD4.9bn).
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Shane Sutton, who trained Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins and Olympic gold medalist Chris Hoy, has teamed up with the investment consultant Inalytics to offer motivational training to client asset management firms, Financial Times fund management reports. The two partners founded the Trading Peaks academy, which seeks to provide fund managers with “the same mentality as athletes, in order to make them able to confront pressure and deliver endurance.” GLG, a division of Man Group, is the first asset management firm to subscribe to the academy.
Ashcourt Rowan has completed its acquisition of UK Wealth Management Limited (UKWM) having obtained Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) approval, according to a press release published on April 7. This increases its assets to over GBP5 billion, of which GBP2.2 billion is discretionary and managed.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } It was a smooth end to the year for Liontrust Asset Management. The British asset management firm has posted a very slight increase in its assets under management of 1.2% at the end of its fourth quarter, ending on 31 March, from GBP3.57bn at the end of 2013 to GBP3.61bn as of the end of March 2014. In the past three months, Liontrust has posted a modest GBP16bn in net inflows. This performance has been penalised by outflows of GBP196m from a single client of the Liontrust Global Strategic Bond Fund vehicle. However, the asset management firm can claim to have brought in GBP160bn in net subscriptions from British retail clients and GBP60m in net inflows form institutionals. In the past fiscal year, from 1 April 2013 to 1 March 2014, assets under management have risen by GBP574m (or 18.9%) and net inflows totalled GBP381m, of which GBP293m were from retail clients and GBP109m from institutionals.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Gibraltar financial market is making use of its membership in the European Union to offer the European passport to Swiss managers, Agefi Switzerland reports. Gibraltar plans to offer cross-border solutions to Swiss managers both to register funds and for private asset management, offering them a passport for the European Union. Joey Garcia, a partner at the law firm Isolas, claims that the LPCC involves the same costs as AIFMD, but without offering the same advantages, such as opening to Europe, until 2015 in the best case, if the European Union agrees without delays, and without difficulties, to the equivalence of the Swiss standards. Changing the domicile of a fund or a non-European manager to a European jurisdiction appears to be an advantageous solution from this standpoint, particularly if it can be done quickly and inexpensively.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Pension funds are the largest and most generous investors in the hedge fund sector, according to a study performed by the Prime Brokerage division of J.P. Morgan, the website ValueWalk reports. As of the end of September 2013, total assets invested by defined contribution programmes in hedge funds had risen more quickly than any other category, the study finds. The 200 largest pension funds in the United States last year had a total of USD150bn in direct investment in hedge funds and funds of hedge funds, an increase of slightly over 10% compared with the previous year.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Eric Schreiber, former head of commodities at the Swiss wealth management firm Union Bancaire Privee (UBP), will be launching a fund specialised in commodities. The EMS Commodity Volatility Fund will be registered in Liechtenstein, and will aim for assets of USD1.5bn, according to Das Investment. Fundraising is currently in progress. The portfolio will be invested in commodity derivatives of all types (energies, precious metals, soft commodities).
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Norwegian sovereign fund, whose assets under management total about USD860bn, is not yet ready to commit to new asset classes, and is taking a year to study opportunities to invest in infrastructure or non-publicly traded assets, finance minister Siv Jansen told a group of journalists on 7 April, the news agency Reuters reports. The fund will first have to evaluate its allocation to real estate, which is still very modest, but which is rising steadily. “We are in a period of apprenticeship with our allocation to real estate, and we are currently discussing an extension into non-publicly traded,” says Jensen. But the sovereign fund clearly has no intention of extending its investment spectrum this year, as some specialists had supposed. 2014 will be primarily a time to think. “If we extend our active portfolio, it will be logical to discuss infrastructure as well as other categories... We will discuss the topic again next year,” says Jansen.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Gazprombank Asset Management is adding to its product range. After launching its first UCITS fund in January (see Newsmanagers of 21 January 2014), the Russian asset management firm is stepping up its presence on the market with the launch of two new UCITS vehicles focused on Russia, Citywire Global reports. The two funds, domiciled in Luxembuorg, cover both equities and bonds in the region, and were launched with seed capital of USD45bn each. The first fund, GBP Russia Equities, is concentrated on sectors of activity outside commodities in Russia and the Community of Independent States (CIS), using the MSCI Russia 10/40 Net TR USD index as a benchmark. The second, the GBP Russia Fixed Income Fund, invests primarily in government and corporate bonds denominated in US dollars, rubles, and other currencies. Its benchmark is the Euro-CBonds IG 3Y.
Netherlands’ TOM has launched best execution in exchange traded funds (ETFs). The product scope now consists of equities, options and ETFs. «Offering best execution in these products is a unique approach in Europe. Clients can benefit from using a single TOM connection to trade a wide range of products while receiving best execution in all those financial instruments according to MiFID requirements,» according to a press release.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Senior bank loans are increasingly of interest to institutionals, according to a recent study by ING Investment Management of 84 pension funds, surveyed in March 2014. 42% say that institutional investors have increased their exposure to credit awarded to non-investment grade businesses. “These are private issues negotiated directly between banks and institutional investors on a private secondary market and not the stock market,” the manager says. According to ING IM, demand for this asset class is expected to increase. 40% expect institutional investors to increase their exposure in the next 12 months, while 8% feel that the exposure will fall “slightly.” When asked about the main advantages of investments in senior bank loans, 29% of pension funds cite diversification of bond portfolios, while 19% cite risk-adjusted returns. 14% mention the low risk of payment defaults. ING IM states that assets under management by senior bank loan strategies were up 46% in the past 12 months, from USD13bn to USD19bn. “The potential for this asset class in the asset management sector is enormous, since comprehension of this product by some institutional investors is still very slight. That is what one pension fund out of four said when asked what they felt was the largest challenge for senior bank loans as an asset class,” says Dan Norman, managing director and gorup head of the senior bank loans team at ING IM.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The private equity firm Waterton Global Resource Management has raised USD1.06bn for its latest fund dedicated to precious metals, the news agency Reuters reports. The Waterton Precious Metals Fund II will concentrate on projects at advanced stages in politically stable jurisdictions, primarily in North America. The acquisitions planned will be priced between USD25m and USD200m.
Australia’s AMP Capital has launched a Luxembourg-domiciled UCITS platform, which will offer UCITS versions of its Global Listed Infrastructure Fund and Global Real Estate Securities Fund to UK and European institutional investors, according to a press release published on April 7. The platform has been launched with USD156 million in assets under management, which will be split equally between the two strategies. Both funds will be available to investors in the UK, the Netherlands and Luxembourg initially, «with plans to expand into other jurisdictions in Europe and Asia,» according to the press release. «The establishment of a UCITS platform is a key step in our continued commitment to further develop AMP Capital’s offering in Europe,» said Anthony Fasso, CEO international and head of global clients at AMP Capital. The AMP Capital Global Listed Infrastructure Fund and the AMP Capital Global Listed Real Estate Securities Fund both provide investors with access to a global portfolio of securities that are diversified across regions and sectors. The infrastructure fund has USD897 million in funds under management and the real estate fund has USD5.9 billion in funds under management (as at 31 March 2014).
Marie Repiquet et David Zerbib viennent de rejoindre l’équipe de vente distribution Europe d’Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management (EdRAM), en qualité de commercial partenaires, sous la responsabilité de Michel Dinet, responsable partenariats France, selon un communiqué publié le 7 avril. Ces deux arrivées s’inscrivent ainsi «dans la volonté d’Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management d’accompagner son développement et sa croissance des encours auprès de la clientèle partenaires», souligne le communiqué.Marie Repiquet, 28 ans, est diplômée de l’EDHEC. Après un début de carrière au sein de Edmond de Rothschild Luxembourg en tant qu’analyste de fonds, elle a évolué au sein de la structure vers la fonction de banquier privé. Elle rejoint aujourd’hui Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management où elle sera chargée, au sein de l’équipe «Distribution Partenaires», du suivi des conseillers indépendants et plateformes à Paris et dans les régions Nord et Est ainsi que les sociétés de gestion entrepreneuriales.Diplômé de Dauphine et de l’ESSEC, David Zerbib, 32 ans, a débuté sa carrière à Londres dans la vente de produits dérivés chez UBS et HSBC avant de rejoindre une structure de gestion de patrimoine reconnue de la place parisienne. Il prendra en charge le suivi des conseillers indépendants et plateformes à Paris et couvrira également la région Ouest ainsi que les sociétés de gestion entrepreneuriales.
La société de gestion NextStage vient d’annoncer le lancement du FIP NextStage Rendement 2021 dans le cadre de l’ISF 2014. Destiné aux particuliers, ce fonds sera investi à hauteur de 100% de ses souscriptions dans 21 PME françaises, familiales ou entrepreneuriales. Les entreprises en question sont implantées dans les régions Ile-de-France, Bourgogne, Rhône-Alpes et Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur. La gestion a favorisé les PME en mesure de devenir des ETI et être positionnées autour des cinq tendances de fond de la 3ème révolution industrielle : la transition énergétique, l’internet industriel, l’industrie à la demande (les nouveaux services incorporant des biens), l’économie émotionnelle, l’évolution démographique (vieillissement de la population dans les pays développés et croissance rapide d’une classe moyenne dans les pays émergents qui font naître des biens et services spécifiques).Une approche multisectorielle a été retenue, qui permet de minimiser l’impact, sur l’ensemble du portefeuille, de la baisse éventuelle d’un secteur. Le FIP NextStage Rendement 2021 utilisera, à hauteur de 60% maximum, le mécanisme des obligations convertibles pour accompagner le développement des PME sélectionnées. Le solde, 40%, sera investi en actions, et notamment en actions de préférence.Caractéristiques Codes ISIN : FR0011780691 (parts A) – FR0011843010 (parts B)TFAM GD : 4,95% dont 3,6% de frais de gestionSouscription minimale : 3000€ (hors droits d’entrée)Valeur initiale (part A) : 1 euroValorisation : trimestrielleObjectif de distribution du fonds : six ans et demi, soit en principe au 1er janvier 2021.
Avenir Finance a annoncé, lundi 7 avril, la réalisation définitive de la prise de contrôle majoritaire par Ageas France de Sicavonline et Sicavonline Partenaires.Conformément aux termes du partenariat conclu entre Avenir Finance et Ageas France en décembre dernier, la participation d’Ageas France au capital de Sicavonline et au capital de Sicavonline Partenaires devait être portée de 49 à 65%, indique un communiqué.Suite à l’autorisation de prise de contrôle de Sicavonline et de Sivaconline Partenaires par Ageas France donnée par l’ACPR, Avenir Finance a cédé, en date du 2 avril 2014, 16% du capital de Sicavonline et de Sicavonline Partenaires sur la base d’une valorisation de ces deux sociétés de 20 millions d’euros. Avenir Finance garde une participation minoritaire de 35% du capital de Sicavonline et de Sicavonline Partenaires.La cession de 30% du capital de Sicavonline et de Sicavonline Partenaires a généré une plus-value de 5,1 millions d’euros au titre de l’exercice 2013 pour Avenir Finance.
Le groupe BPCE a annoncé la semaine dernière l’arrivée de Catherine Colonna au sein de son conseil de surveillance en tant que membre indépendant. Elle est également membre du comité des nominations et des rémunérations.Auparavant, de 2005 à 2007, Catherine Colonna était ministre déléguée aux Affaires européennes puis, en 2008, ambassadrice de la France à l’Unesco. Depuis 2010, Catherine Colonna est managing partner de Brunswick Group.
Capital Group pousse ses pions en Italie. La société de gestion vient en effet de recruter Cristina Mazzurana et Paola Pallota aux postes nouvellement créés de «managers» en charge du développement de l’activité pour son bureau à Milan, rapporte Funds Europe. Les deux intéressées rejoignent ainsi Vlasta Gregis qui a intégré Capital Group en mai 2012 et dirige le bureau milanais depuis son ouverture l’année dernière.Cristina Mazzurana arrive en provenance de Carmignac Gestion où elle officiait en tant que directeur du développement de l’activité, tandis que Paolo Pallota travaillait dernièrement chez HSBC Global Asset Management en tant que responsable des ventes.
AllianceBernstein a annoncé le 7 avril le recrutement de Roberta Methany en qualité de vice president et senior client service officer, responsable de la clientèle institutionnelle et du développement des activités dans le secteur des programmes de retraite à contributions définies. Une activité dont les actifs sous gestion s'élèvent à environ 30 milliards de dollars. Rattachée à Roy Decker, responsable des solutions de retraite à contributions définies pour la clientèle institutionnelle et récemment promu managing director, Roberta Methany sera notamment responsable du développement des fonds à horizon et des stratégies de long terme sur mesure.Roberta Methany travaillait précédemment chez J.P. Morgan où elle était dernièrement responsable des programmes de retraite des grandes et très grandes entreprises.
Le groupe Tikehau s’apprête à annoncer une augmentation de capital d’un peu plus de 100 millions d’euros pour Tikehau Capital Partners (TCP), la SAS en charge de l’investissement pour compte propre, révèle L’Agefi. Elle permettra de faire entrer deux institutionnels à son capital, dont un étranger. Les deux nouveaux entrants ne devraient toutefois pas modifier les équilibres au sein de TCP.L’ internationalisation du groupe reste la priorité de ses dirigeants. Elle passe par une diversification du recrutement et l’ouverture de bureaux à l'étranger. Après l’ouverture d’un bureau à Londres au cours de l'été 2013, deux autres projets sont à l'étude en Europe. Le plus avancé concerne l’Italie, dont l'économie montre des signes encourageants. La galaxie Tikehau (principalement TCP, Tikehau Investment Management, Salvepar et Duke Street) gère aujourd’hui 4 milliards d’euros (fonds propres compris). Ses dirigeants souhaitent arriver à 10 milliards «dans les deux à cinq ans».
De sources proches du dossier, la Caisse des dépôts et consignations aurait retenu deux candidats pour la gestion du fonds d’investissement en viager de 100 millions d’euros, rapporte L’Agefi. Les deux candidats de la «short list» seraient, d’une part, Virage Viager, le cabinet d’Eric Guillaume, et d’autre part le groupe Renée Costes. Structure de l’appel d’offres oblige, chaque spécialiste fait équipe avec une société de gestion agréée par l’AMF, puisque le fonds devra lui aussi recevoir un agrément. Virage Viager s’est allié à Icade AM pour pouvoir notamment greffer sur son dossier une offre de services à la personne. Renée Costes ferait de son côté équipe avec La Française AM, spécialiste de longue date de la gestion d’actifs immobiliers. Le choix du vainqueur devrait intervenir dans les prochaines semaines, compte tenu de la volonté de la CDC de lancer ce véhicule avant l'été.