The private equity group KKR has launched its first publicly-traded closed fund, the KKR Income Opportunities Fund. The stock market listing raised USD305m.The fund, which aims for a high level of income as well as capital appreciation, says that it aims to achieve these objectives through investments in secured and non-secured loans, as well as high yield corporate debt instruments.
Assets under management at the US-based group Och-Ziff Capital Management totalled USD36.6bn as of 30 June, up 12%, or USD4bn, compared with the end of December 2012, Och-Ziff has announced in a statement. This development is the result of a net inflow of USD2bn, and a positive market effect, also of USD2bn. As of 1 August 2013, assets under management totalled USD36.7bn, due to a positive market effect of about USD300m, partly offset by a net outflow of about USD200m since 30 June 2013.
The HFRX Global index gained 1.01% in the month of July, bringing its performance since the beginning of the year to 4.20%. The HFRX Market Directional, for its part, gained 1.87% ni July. The HFRX Equity Hedge index is up 2.57% in July, with positive contributions from Fundamental Value (+2.91%), Growth (+2.32%), and Market Neutral (+0.60%) strategies. The HFRX Special Situations index has posted growth of 2.08% in July, meaning that in the first eight months of the year, it is up 11.78%. The HFRX Macro index, for its part, is down by 0.54% in July.
The German alternative management specialist Aquila Capital has recruited Dorothee Goerz, with plans to offer a new strategy that may be launched this autumn, Citywire reports. Goertz previously worked in London at Aremus Partners, where she managed event-driven and long/short equity strategies.
The Hedge Fund Association, an international organisation including hedge funds, funds of funds, family offices, financial advisers and service providers, on 5 August announced the appointment of two alternative management experts to head the Latin American chapter, due to the departure of the first head of that chapter, Victor Hugo Rodriguez, who had served since the chapter opened in March 2011. The Latin American chapter will now be led by two co-directors, Juan Garrido and Les Baquiran. Garrido is the global head of investment solutions at BBVA Global Private Bank in New York, while Baquiran had been principal at Park Hill, an alternative investment placement agency of the Blackstone group.
Samir Mane, chairman and CEO of the Balfin group, has become the first known billionaire from Albania, according to the wealth specialist website Wealth-X. The wealth of Mane, who opened the first shopping centre in Albania, is estimated at about USD1.2bn.
Euro zone stock markets posted strong gains in the month of July, according to Russell indices as of 29 July, with monthly returns of 5.46% for the Russell Eurozone index, following returns of 3.75% in first half 2013. These results compared with returns of 2.78% for the Russell Global ex-U.S. Index for July, after returns of 2.09% for first half 2013. In the countries which constitute the Russell Eurozone index, Ireland (20.5%), France (12.8%) and Germany (9.7%) top the performers since the beginning of the year as of 29 July, while Austria (-0.02%), Luxembourg (-3.32%) and Greece (-12.36%) earned the weakest returns in the same period. Among member countries, Spain (+9.47%) has posted the best returns from the beginning of the month to 29 July, while Greece (-1.29%) takes last place in the rankings of the index in the same period.
The Italian asset management firm Arca Sgr has agreed to acquire all capital in its rival Carige Asset Management Sgr from Banca Carige for a price of EUR101m, a statement released on Friday announces. The acquisition will allow Arca Sgr to increase its assets under management by EUR4.2bn to EUR23.5bn. The Italian asset management firm also extends its network, with access to 677 branches of the Banca Carige group. The sale is accompanied by a strategic agreement which includes “a long-term preferential commercial relationship” in asset management between the banking group and Arca Sgr.
Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management has appointed Massimo Aslvadori in Italy as head of its Tuscany team, Bluerating reports. He is already part of the Florentine team at the German firm. The firm has also recruited Alessandro Cecchinato to serve clients from Verona.
53% of hedge fund managers have launched a ’40 Act mutual fund (a liquid alternative fund), are in the process of launching a ’40 Act fund or are considering doing so, according to a survey led by Infovest21 on ’40 Act funds - “Hedge Fund Use of ’40 Act Registered Investment Funds”. Another 25% are a subadvisor to a ’40 Act fund or considering becoming a subadvisor. 8% have decided not to launch a ’40 Act fund.While launching a liquid alternative fund is considered by most to be a recent development, almost 30% of the respondents have been managing a ’40 Act fund for more than 10 years.In fact, 42% of those surveyed have more than one ’40 Act mutual fund.As one would expect, the manager’s generally reported that their hedge fund performance has been higher than its mutual fund counterpart. On a year-to-date basis (January -June), hedge funds have returned 6.8% compared with 4.1% for the ’40 Act fund. Over 130 hedge fund managers responded to Infovest21′s which was conducted in June.
CCR Asset Management on 5 August announced in an informational letter that it is dissolving the CCR Flex Bamboo Sicav, due to “persistently low asset levels.” The deputy CEO of CCR AM, Jean François Sarlat, says in the letter that the strategy of the Sicav, which had been based on the use of quantitative models, requires “sufficient assets to permit management in the interests of shareholders.” However, “due to the persistently low level of assets, the General Shareholders’ Meeting voted to dissolve the Sicav without waiting for assets to fall belwo the threshold defined by regulations. This dissolution was approved by the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) on 30 May 2013. The conclusion of liquidation was approved on 2 August 2013, and the net proceeds of the liquidation, after settlement of debts, will be distributed by the appointed trustee to shareholders, by 9 August, 2013, at the latest.” After a peak of EUR3.6m in mid-2012, assets in the fund have since fallen below EUR1.8m, and according to a document obtained by Citywire, they may have fallen as low as EUR300,000 in May 2013.
The Spanish boutique Abante Assessores has launched a multi-asset class strategy, which will be led by Alberto Espelosin, Citywire reports. The new strategy, Abante Global Fund Pangea, will be part of the Luxembourg-based Sicav range from the firm. The fund may invest up to 100% in shares in companies registered in OECD countries. The fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in shares in companies from outside the OECD.
The Italian bank BNL (BNP Paribas group) will launch a fund of EUR150m after this summer, which will invest in Italian small cap corporate bonds, Il Sole – 24 Ore reports. The fund is reserved for institutional investors, and will replicate an analogue product in France. It will buy senior bonds issued by small and mid-cap businesses with a maximal duration of 5 years. 30 to 40 bond issues, created ad-hoc, will be targeted. Il Sole – 24 Ore notes that many initiatives of this type are being created at present, due to a dearth of bank financing.
Mirova, the arm of Natixis Asset Management dedicated to socially responsible investment, is launching three funds in Italy, Bluerating reports. Mirova Global Climate Change is an equity fund based on the theme of climate change, Mirova Europe Sustainable Equity, a European responsible equity fund, and Mirova Euro Sustainable Corporate Bonds, a socially responsible corporate bond fund.
Franklin Templeton has recruited Toby Hayes, a former manager at Insight and Armstrong, to manage a new multi-asset class range, Investment Week can reveal. Hayes will report to Brent Smith, CIO of Franklin Templeton Multi_Asset Strategies. Hayes previously worked at Pacific Real Estate Capital Partners.
Hedge fund firms based in New York and London are reorganizing as family offices in order to avoid oversight by regulators, Financial Times fund management reports. “Single family offices” are exempt from Dodd-Frank legislation in the United States and the AIFM directive in Europe. George Soros was the first to make such a move earlier this year.
Funds on sale to retail clients in the United Kingdom in second quarter posted their strongest net quarterly inflows in two years, according to the most recent edition of the Pridham Report, cited by Fund Web. Net inflows to retail funds totalled GBP5.3bn, as the market rally compensated for the negative effects of RDR. Standard Life Investments takes first place in terms of net subscriptions in the three-month period, with GBP920.2m. M&G leads for gross inflows with GBP2.3bn.
Aviva Investors will close its US Equity Income fund to new investors in early October, slightly two years after its launch, and is planning to launch a new fund to meet investors’ appetite for the strategy, Investment Week reports.The fund, with GBP366m, is managed by Henry Sanders and Thomas Forsha. Since its launch in July 2011, it has earned returns of 29.3%, compared with 23.2% for the IMA North America sector.
GIC, the Singapore sovereign fund, has earned real annualised returns over the past 2 0years of 4% per year as of the end of March 2013, compared with 3.9% as of the previous year, the fund has announced in its 2012-2013 annual report. The Singapore sovereign funds has also announced that it anticipates an improvement in the Western banking sector, which may lead to increased investment in the finance sector.
Le spécialiste allemand de la gestion alternative Aquila Capital vient de recruter Dorothee Goerz avec l’ambition de proposer une nouvelle stratégie qui pourrait être lancée dans le courant de l’automne, rapporte Citywire.Dorothee Goerz travaillait précédemment à Londres chez Aremus Partners où elle gérait des stratégies event driven et long-short equity.
La société de gestion italienne Arca Sgr a signé l’acquisition de la totalité du capital de sa concurrente Carige Asset Management Sgr à Banca Carige pour un prix de 101 millions d’euros, annonce un communiqué vendredi.Ce rachat va permettre à Arca Sgr d’accroître ses encours sous gestion de 4,2 milliards d’euros à 23,5 milliards d’euros. La société de gestion italienne élargit aussi son réseau en ayant accès aux 677 filiales du groupe Banca Carige.La cession s’accompagne en effet d’un accord stratégique prévoyant une « relation commerciale préférentielle de long terme » dans la gestion d’actifs entre le groupe bancaire et Arca Sgr.
Mirova, la structure de Natixis Asset Management dédiée à l’investissement responsable, lance trois fonds en Italie, rapporte Bluerating. Il s’agit de Mirova Global Climate Change, un fonds actions sur la thématique du changement climatique, de Mirova Europe Sustainable Equity, un fonds actions européenne responsables, et de Mirova Euro Sustainable Corporate Bonds, un fonds d’obligations d’entreprises socialement responsables.
La banque italienne BNL (groupe BNP Paribas) va lancer après l’été un fonds de 150 millions d’euros qui sera investi dans les obligations de petites et moyennes entreprises italiennes, rapporte Il Sole – 24 Ore. Réservé aux investisseurs institutionnels, répliquera un produit analogue en France. Il achètera des obligations senior émises par les petites et moyennes entreprises, avec une durée maximale de 5 ans. 30 à 40 émissions obligataires, créées ad hoc, seront ciblées. Il Sole – 24 Ore note que de nombreuses initiatives de ce genre voient le jour en ce moment, face au tarissement du financement bancaire.
Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management vient de nommer en Italie Massimo Salvadori en tant que responsable de son équipe toscane, rapporte Bluerating. Il fait déjà partie de l’équipe florentine de la société allemande. Par ailleurs, cette dernière a recruté Alessandro Cecchinato pour s’occuper de la clientèle de Vérone.
La Hedge Fund Association, une organisation internationale regroupant des hedge funds, des fonds de fonds, des family offices, des conseillers financiers et des fournisseurs de services, a annoncé le 5 août la nomination de deux experts de la gestion alternative à la tête du chapitre latino-américain en raison du départ du premier responsable de ce chapitre, Victor Hugo Rodriguez, en fonction depuis le lancement de ce chapitre en mars 2011.Le chapitre latino-américain sera désormais piloté par deux co-directeurs, Juan Garrido et Les Baquiran. Juan Garrido est responsable mondial des solutions d’investissement chez BBVA Global Private Bank à New York tandis que Les Baquiran était principal chez Park Hill, un agent de placement en investissements alternatifs du groupe Blackstone.
Le GIC, le fonds souverain de Singapour, dégage un rendement réel annualisé sur 20 ans de 4% sur l’année à fin mars 2013, contre 3,9% pour l’année précédente, indique le fonds dans son rapport annuel 2012-2013.Le fonds souverain, dont les actifs sous gestion s'élèvent à plus de 200 milliards de dollars, donne pour la première fois des détails sur sa nouvelle politique d’investissement. Elle repose sur trois piliers : un portefeuille de référence comprenant 65% d’actions internationales et 35% d’obligations internationales, un portefeuille stratégique comprenant six classes d’actifs core, et un portefeuille actif, qui peut se différencier du portefeuille stratégique en ajoutant de la valeur avec des stratégies spécifiques.Le fonds souverain relève qu’un portefeuille prudent comprenant 30% d’actions, 40% d’obligations et 30% de cash aurait dégagé en moyenne une performance de 5,8% par an sur les vingt dernières années, contre 7,2% pour le portefeuille de référence 65/35.Le fonds souverain de Singapour indique par ailleurs entrevoir une amélioration de la situation du secteur bancaire occidental qui pourrait l’inciter à investir davantage dans la finance.
Les fonds commercialisés aux particuliers au Royaume-Uni ont enregistré au deuxième trimestre leurs plus fortes souscriptions nettes trimestrielles en deux ans, selon la dernière édition du Pridham Report citée par Fund Web. Ainsi, la collecte nette des fonds retail a atteint 5,3 milliards de livres, le rally boursier ayant compensé l’effet négatif de la réglementation RDR. Standard Life Investments se classe premier en termes de souscriptions nettes sur les trois mois avec 920,2 millions de livres. M&G est en tête pour la collecte brute avec 2,3 milliards de livres.
Aviva Investors va fermer son fonds US Equity Income aux nouveaux investisseurs début octobre, un peu plus de deux ans après son lancement, et prévoit de lancer un nouveau fonds pour répondre à l’appétit des investisseurs pour la stratégie, rapporte Investment Week. Le fonds, de 366 millions de livres, et géré par Henry Sanders et Thomas Forsha. Depuis son lancement en juillet 2011, il a dégagé une performance de 29,3 %, contre 23,2 % pour le secteur IMA North America.
Franklin Templeton a recruté Toby Hayes, un ancien gérant d’Insight et d’Armstrong, pour gérer une nouvelle gamme multi-classes d’actifs, révèle Investment Week. L’intéressé sera placé sous la direction de Brent Smith, CIO de Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Strategies.Toby Hayes travaillait précédemment chez Pacific Real Estate Capital Partners.
CCR Asset Management a annoncé le 5 août dans une lettre d’information la dissolution de la sicav CCR Flex Bamboo en raison de «la faiblesse persistante des encours».Le directeur général délégué de CCR AM, Jean François Sarlat, rappelle dans ce courrier que la stratégie de la sicav, qui reposait sur l’utilisation de modèles quantitatifs, nécessite «des encours suffisants pour permettre une gestion dans l’intérêt des actionnaires». Toutefois, «compte tenu de la faiblesse persistante des encours, l’Assemblée générale extraordinaire a acté la dissolution de la sicav sans attendre que ses actifs passent au-dessous du seuil défini par la réglementation. Cette dissolution a été agréée par l’Autorité des marchés financiers le 30 mai 2013. La clôture de la liquidation a été approuvée le 2 août 2013, et le produit net de la liquidation, après le règlement du passif, sera réparti, par liquidateur désigné, en espèces entre les actionnaires, au plus tard le 9 aout 2013".Après avoir culminé à 3,6 millions d’euros à la mi-2012, les actifs du fonds ont depuis passé sous la barre des 1,8 million d’euros et, selon un document consulté par Citywire remontant à mai 2013, ils seraient même tombés à 300.000 euros.