P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Intech Investment Management, a subsidiary of Janus Capital, on 23 April announced launch of its suite of Emerging Markets (EM) strategies, which include Emerging Markets Managed Volatility, Emerging Markets Low Volatility and Emerging Markets Core, reflecting increased institutional investor demand for these types of products. These products are benchmarked to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The Managed Volatility strategy has an excess return target of 3% to 4% above the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, with a risk target of approximately 25% less than the benchmark, on average. The Low Volatility strategy seeks market-like returns with a risk target of approximately 35% less than the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, on average. Intech’s Emerging Markets Core strategy seeks an excess return of 3% to 4% above the benchmark, with 3% to 4% tracking error. Intech, founded in 1987, has approximately USD40bn in assets under management, and offers investors highly rigorous mathematical equity investment strategies, whose objective is to earn long-term returns higher than those of a target benchmark index, while reducing the risk of significant underperformance.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The La Française group is remaining faithful to its objective of becoming a European leader among multi-specialist asset management firms. «We are therefore going to continue to focus on core expertise, while developing partnerships to assist our development,” the chairman of the board at La Française, Xavier Lépine, said on 23 April at a press conference.With this in mind, the firm is in the process of setting up a planned merger between UFG Courtage and Colet Dupont Partenaires, which will become CD Partenaires, with an increase in the stake held by La Française AM to 75% of capital in the new platform.CD Partenaires will offer a global range dedicated to independent financial advisers through open architecture, “but not to everyone,” says Lépine. In other words, there will be a qualitative selection of manager partners, with a specific range of a few life insurance policies. With capitalisation of slightly over EUR2bn, CD Partnenaires, whose commercial resources are also expected to be enlarged, is already positioned as the second-largest platform on the French market.Another project planned for 2013 is a merger, recently reported by Newsanagers (16 April 2013) of New Alpha Am and NextAM, to create the European leader in asset management incubation Alongside this new unit, La Française is planning to launch a holding company separate from Next AM, which would aim to assist independent players with distribution both in France and abroad. The aim is to construct a portfolio of 4 to 7 positions, with two projects under study, one in France, and the other elsewhere.Lastly, as announced slightly under one year ago (Newsmanagers of 14 June 2012), La Française is entering a new area of business, investment solutions, with the creation of La Française Global Investment Solutions (LFGIS). This third pillar of the group, which is now operational, comes as an addition to its securities and real estate activities at La Française AM, and its incubation activities at NexT AM.La Française GIS aims to offer investors a platform which incorporates absolute return, quantitative management and credit management type alternative management techniques, as well as a platform for custom investment solutions via mandates or dedicated funds, or index-linked issues to meet liability/asset balance issues related to contractual or legal obligations.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Xavier Linsenmaier, 42, is joining UBGI - Groupe Union Bancaire Privée, the Paris-based asset management firm for Union Bancaire Privée, specialised in the management of convertible bonds, as a portfolio manager specialised in this asset class, and particularly the Asian market. He comes as an addition to convertible teams following the launch of the UBAM Convertibles Global fund. Linsemmaier began his career at JP Morgan, and joined proprietary trading at Bred Banque Populaire in 1996. In 2000, he becamse Deputy CIO at CCR Gestion (UBS AM), and founded the first volatility arbitrage fund, before joining the convertibles arbitrage hedge fund at Equalt, formerly CPRA2M, in 2003. From 2005, he specialised in Asian markets, as head of the Asian convertibles desk at HSBC in Hong Kong. More recently, he was a partner at Acropole AM, where he managed Asian convertibles, and contributed to credit funds.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } According to Index Universe, Van Eck has submitted a license application to the SEC to replace the benchmark indices of the Market Vectors Africa ETF (NYSE Arca ticker: AFK) and the Market Vectors Gulf States ETF (MES).The asset mangement firm would like to replace the Dow Jones Africa Titans 50 Index with the Market Vectors GDP Africa Index and the Dow Jones GCC Titans 40 Index with the Market Vectors GDP GCC Index.The new in-house indices include 106 positions, in the case of AFK, and 55 for MES, compared with 52 and 42 positions for the Dow Jones indices, respectively.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Pimco (Allianz group), seeking to replicate the success of the Total Return ETF (ticker: BOND), which replicates the Total Return Fund from Bill Gross in the form of a tracker fund, Pimco (Allianz group) has announced that it has been issued a license by the regulator to release the Pimco Diversified Income ETF (with fees of 0.85%), Pimco Real Return ETF (0.55%), and Pimco Low Duration ETF (0.55%), Index Universe reports.As of the end of March, BOND had assets of nearly EUR4.6bn, although it was launched only on 29 February, 2012.The new funds replicate, in ETF form, the mutual funds Pimco Diversified Income Fund (ticker: PDVAX), whose assets total USD7.32bn, the Pimco Real Return Fund (PRTNX, USD24.88bn) and the Pimco Low-Duration Fund (PTLAX, USD23.70bn), respectively.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } With the UniEuroRenta Corporates Deutschland 2019, Union Investment (co-operative banks) on 23 April announced the launch of a Luxembourg-registered fund of primarily German corporate bonds, with a maturity date fo 15 May, 2019. The portfolio for the fund, created on 28 March, may include corporate bonds from the entire world denominated in euros or hedged “almost” totally for currency risks, as well as guaranteed bonds issued by governments for up to a maximum of 10% of the portfolio. All securities selected have a maturity shorter than that of the fund.The product is available in two share classes: A and -net- A .CharacteristicsName: UniEuroRenta Corporates Deutschland 2019 (Class A)ISIN code: LU0880274856Front-end fee: 2% (maximum 3%)Management commission: 0.9% (maximum 1.5%)Early withdrawal penalty: 1% (maximum 1.5%)Name: UniEuroRenta Corporates Deutschland 2019 (Class -net- A)ISIN code: LU0880275150Front-end fee: 0%Management commission: 1.2% (maximum 1.5%)Early withdrawal penalty: 1% (maximum 1.5%)

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Le Temps reports that Russian has issued an arrest warrant for William Browder, the UK head of the financial firm Hermitage. He had employed Sergey Magnitsky, a lawyer who died under dubious circumstances in a Moscow prison in 2009.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The UK bank HSBC on 23 April announced that it is cutting a net total of 1,149 jobs in the United Kingdom, largely in its wealth management activities serving high net worth clients.A total of 3,166 employees will be affected by restructuring, but 2,017 positions will meanwhile be created, and most of these will be offered to those employees, the firm explains.The changes reflect the changing behaviour of clients and regulations, according to HSBC. From 1 June, wealth management advisers will no longer be distinguished from advisers in the retail bank.High net worth clients of the firm will have a single interlocutor for their current accounts and wealth management.HSBC had previously laid off 2,000 in the United Kingdom last year, as part of a vast social plan worldwide to cut costs.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The UK asset management firm Ashcourt Rowan on 23 April announced that it had sold its pension fund administration business at Ashcourt Rowan Pension Trustees Limited at Robinson Gear Management Services Limited, as well as a part of Ashcourt Rowan Administration Limited, to Mattioli Woods, for a total amount that may reach GBP1.3m, according to a statement from the group.The volume of assets sold totals slightly over GBP300m.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The five-member team led by Kevin Loome, who was recruited in February from Delaware Investments, is expected to launch its first US high yield bond fund by the end of the month, Steven Thariyan, head of credit at Henderson Global Investors, has announced, Citywire reports. The team will continue to be based in Philadelphia, and will be joined by Tom Ross, who is currently based in London.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The British firm Standard Life Investments (SLI) has announced that it is adding to its multi-asset class potential with the recruitment of Jeremy Lawson for its global strategy team, as senior international economist. He had previously been director, senior US economist at BNP Paribas in New York (since 2011).Lawson will report to Andrew Milligan, head of global strategy, and will be responsible for economic forecasting and “generating ideas” for the multi-asset class unit. He will also provide detailed research to serve as a basis for the “House View” and will contribute to “Global Publications” from SLI.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } A former executive from UBS, the credit specialist Yassir Benjellounn Touimi, will soon be launching a hedge fund with USD150m in assets, the news agency Reuters reports.The hedge fund, entitled Arcade Capital Partners, is expected to concentrate on the most liquid parts of the market, and may be launched in early July.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The BBVA has announced the sale to Integra and Profuturo of its Peruvian pension fund management firm Horizonte for USD544m, generating capital gains of USD272m.The Spanish bank had announced on 22 April that it four days previously, it had completed the sale of Horizonte Colombia to Aval Acciones y Valores, and its affiliates Banco de Bogotá, Banco de Occidente and Porvenir, for USD541.4m, for a capital gain of USD263m.The two sales conclude a process to sell BBVA pension fund management firms in Latin America. Overall, Funds People reports, they will have generated capital gains of USD1.765bn, on a total of USD4bn.

L'OCDE exhorte Tokyo à stabiliser le niveau de sa dette publique, alors que S&P estime à un tiers la probabilité de dégradation de la note du pays

Le président italien doit désigner aujourd’hui une personnalité chargée de former un gouvernement d'alliance, alors que le taux à 10 ans passe sous les 4%

Il devrait progresser de 3% en valeur absolue, sous le coup d'une nouvelle comptabilisation des dépenses de recherche et développement

L'assureur a placé 600 millions de dette en dollars dont la moitié en Asie. Son offre d'échange sur des titres en euros émis en 2003 a aussi été suivie

Nasdaq OMX Group prévoit de mettre 10 millions de dollars de côté, en vue de mettre fin aux poursuites dont il fait l’objet de la part des autorités de régulation concernant son rôle dans la gestion de l’introduction en Bourse de Facebook il y a près d’un an, indique le journal qui cite des sources internes à l’opérateur boursier. Un accord mettrait fin à des mois de négociations.

Le gestionnaire d’actifs américain renonce à son projet de mettre en place sa propre plateforme permettant à ses clients de réaliser des transactions directes sur le marché obligataire, selon le journal qui cite des sources proches. A la place, BlackRock prévoit d’annoncer un partenariat qui lui permettra de proposer ces services à 60 de ses clients par l’intermédiaire de MarketAxess Holdings.

La Commission de supervision des sociétés sous contrôle de l’Etat chinois aurait exigé des sociétés étatiques une croissance de leurs résultats de 10% sur l’année 2013, selon le China Securities Journal qui cite des propos du président de la commission, Jiang Jiemin. Sur le premier trimestre, leurs profits ont progressé de 7,7% pour atteindre 513,73 milliards de yuans (64 milliards d’euros).

La Banque Populaire de Chine (PBOC) devrait rencontrer dès aujourd’hui les dirigeants des plus gros établissements bancaires chinois concernant une enquête en cours sur des transactions illégales qui auraient été réalisées sur les marchés obligataires, indique le journal. La banque centrale en profitera également pour sonder les banques sur les moyens d’améliorer le fonctionnement des marchés.

Contractés par des entreprises publiques, ces instruments pourraient générer jusqu'à 3 milliards d'euros de pertes

Les indices PMI pour avril en zone euro montrent que la crise se propage à l’Allemagne. La perspective d’une baisse du refi le 2 mai s’accroît.

Les indices PMI montrent que la crise rattrape le secteur privé en Allemagne. Les marchés tablent sur une baisse des taux de la BCE dès mai

Le montant des CLO émis depuis le début de l'année avoisine le milliard d'euros. D'autres opérations sont déjà annoncées

Le gérant multiplie les partenariats et a confirmé la création de La Française Global Investment Solution, une filiale spécialisée dans les produits structurés et utilisant des techniques de gestion alternative. Il compte atteindre au total 50 milliards d’euros sous gestion en 2015.

Le gérant multiplie la création de plates-formes et renforce ses partenariats. Il compte atteindre 50 milliards d'euros sous gestion en 2015

Si elle est favorable aux pays émergents, la régionalisation des échanges accentue l’impact global des chocs économiques, selon Euler Hermes

Les sénateurs démocrate Sherrod Brown et républicain David Vitter doivent présenter aujourd’hui une proposition de loi qui forcerait les établissements avec plus de 500 milliards de dollars d’actifs à respecter des standards plus stricts en matière de fonds propres. Au moins six banques répondent à ce critère de taille: JPMorgan, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America et Wells Fargo.

Le fonds monté par les assureurs français et la CDC d’environ 1 milliard d’euros destiné aux ETI et PME avec des emprunts moyens de 30 millions, débute la phase de mise en concurrence des sociétés de gestion. Résultat des courses fin mai.