L’Agefi rapporte que la Chine aurait, selon l’agence Reuters, choisi de créer un nouveau véhicule d’investissement chargé de lui assurer de meilleurs rendements que ses placements traditionnels. Sous le contrôle de la Banque centrale, ce véhicule pilotera deux fonds, l’un destiné à investir aux États-Unis, l’autre en Europe, pour un montant cumulé de 300 milliards de dollars.Compétition oblige, le nouveau fonds souverain chinois devra faire mieux que le CIC. Depuis ses débuts il y a quatre ans, ce dernier affiche une performance moyenne annuelle de 6,4%.

Alain Wicker, l'une des figures emblématiques de la gestion d'actifs française revient sur l'évolution du secteur. Soumis à une concurrence multiple et forte, ce dernier est d'ores et déjà entré dans une phase de consolidation. Mais les candidats manquent en France en dépit de la bonne réputation dont profite la gestion hexagonale. Par ailleurs, le responsable de La Française AM est revenu pour Newsmanagers sur la crise actuelle et sur les projets, à un horizon proche, de sa société de gestion.

Début décembre, alors que la crise de la dette dans la zone euro continue de faire la une de la presse, les investisseurs ont confirmé leur préférence pour les fonds américains sur fond de signaux timides mais positifs sur l’évolution de l’environnement macroéconomique aux Etats-Unis. Durant la semaine au 7 décembre, les fonds dédiés aux actions américaines ont ainsi enregistré leur septième semaine de collecte nette sur les neuf dernières semaines et les fonds d’obligations américaines high yield ont réalisé une collecte nette de plus de 2 milliards de dollars, selon les données communiquées par EPFR Global.Globalement, les fonds d’actions ont subi une décollecte nette de 481 millions de dollars alors que les fonds obligataires affichent une collecte nette de 1,4 milliard de dollars. Les fonds monétaires ont drainé 36,4 milliards de dollars, enregistrant ainsi leur cinquième semaine consécutive de collecte. Une partie de ces flux serait lié à la liquidation par certains grands fonds monétaires américains de leurs avoirs dans les banques européennes. EPFR Global relève que les fonds d’actions mettant l’accent sur le dividende ont enregistré depuis le début de l’année une collecte nette de plus de 35 milliards de dollars. Les fonds d’actions dédiés aux marchés émergents accusent depuis le début de l’année une décollecte nette de quelque 36 milliards de dollars alors que les fonds d’actions dédiés aux pays développés affichent une collecte nette de 79,9 milliards de dollars contre 77,1 milliards de dollars pour la période correspondante de 2010.

Selon le dernier baromètre de Coller Capital, les investisseurs (limited partners, ou «LP») qui confient leurs liquidités aux gérants de fonds de private equity demeurent encore confiants pour 2012.D’après cette étude, menée en août et en septembre auprès de 107 investisseurs, 83% d’entre eux ont l’intention de maintenir ou d’accroître leur allocation à cette classe d’actifs en 2012, une proportion «similaire aux intentions exprimées les années passées», précise le baromètre. Parmi eux, 24% comptent augmenter leur exposition. En outre, 68% des LP nord-américains et 56% de leurs homologues européens estiment que l’année prochaine sera un bon, voire un excellent millésime.L'étude souligne néanmoins que les investisseurs vont poursuivre le sérieux écrémage qu’ils ont entamé il y a deux ans. Selon le baromètre, 93% des LP disent qu’ils refuseront des «re-ups» à plusieurs gérants dans les 18 mois qui viennent, c’est-à-dire de leur confier de l’argent lorsque ceux-ci viendront les solliciter pour les fonds de la génération suivante.

Guy d’Albrand, ex Société Générale et Newedge, a été nommé head of securities lending chez RBC Dexia Investor Services, qui a également présenté son nouveau business model mondial MPS (Market Products & Services). Le nouvel arrivant prendra ses fonctions à Londres en janvier 2012. Il sera subordonné à Susan Pike, global head, MPS.D’autre part, Morgan McDonnell, head of foreign exchange, prendra les nouvelles fonctions de head of global foreign exchange, cash & credit markets, Il coiffera le nouvel ensemble résultant de la fusion des équipes de gestion de produits et de développement du pôle forex et cash & investment finance (IF).Dans ce contexte, Susan Coleman, qui était head, cash & IF product management, devient head of cross-product initiatives, poste auquel elle sera responsable de la stratégie transversale (cross-product) de gestion du collatéral pour la division MPS.Fay Coroneos, qui était head of risk & investment analytics, devient head of MPS service delivery, l'équipe qui centralise toutes les fonctions de livraison.Enfin, Blair McPherson, actuellement head of portfolio solutions, a été nommé head of market product innovation.

The Hartford et Wellington renforcent leur collaboration. Récemment, l’assureur américain a annoncé que Wellington sera désormais le seul «sub-advisor» pour ses 77 fonds. Cet accord concerne également les fonds obligataires de The Hartford, dont le sub-advisor était jusqu’alors sa propre filiale de gestion d’actifs Hartford Investment Management Company.

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services vient de lancer ETF-Fusion, qui proposera divers services dédiés aux professionnels des ETF. L’interface DASH met en relation les promoteurs et les distributeurs alors que la base de données GENIUS offre des solutions d’inventaire et comptables.

Eli M. Salzmann, qui a rejoint Neuberger Berman en janvier 2011 comme managing director et gérant de portefeuille spécialiste des stratégies de grandes capitalisations américaines, devient avec effet immédiat gérant du Neuberger Berman Partners Fund et du Neuberger Berman AMT Partners Portfolio. Il demeure également gérant du Neuberger Berman Large Cap Value Fund ainsi que de la stratégie Large Cap Value pour la clientèle institutionnelle. Au total, il gérera ainsi plus de 2,2 milliards de dollars pour le compte d’investisseurs institutionnels et particuliers.D’autre part, Michael C. Greene, managing director et gérant de portefeuille au sein de The Greene Group (l’une des plus de 40 équipes d’investissement de Neuberger Berman), se voit confier la gestion du Neuberger Berman Regency Fund et du Neuberger Berman AMT Regency Portfolio, ce qui porte à plus de 2,4 milliards de dollars le volume des actifs dont il est responsable avec son équipe.

Lancé le 15 novembre 2011, le fonds de droit français EdR Millésima 2016 a été enregistré le 25 novembre par la CNMV pour la vente en Espagne. Ce fonds à échéance (31 octobre 2016) s’appuie sur des stratégies de portage en obligations senior industrielles et financières. Les titres à haut rendement ne peuvent excéder 35 % du portefeuille. Enfin, la souscription est ouverte jusqu’au 29 février 2012 (lire Newsmanagers du 14 novembre), la commercialisation étant assurée par Allfunds Bank et Banco Inversis.

Le conseil de surveillance de Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) a décidé vendredi la vente des activités civiles du chantier naval Blohm+Voss au capital-investisseur britannique Star Capital, selon les informations de la Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. La transaction porterait sur un montant à deux chiffres en millions d’euros.Les activités cédées, construction, réparation et mécanique, emploient 1.500 personnes et réalisent un chiffre d’affaires de 500 millions d’euros.

Géré par Thomas Gerhardt, le nouveau patron de l'équipe marchés émergents, et David Gaud, gérant actions asiatiques, le fonds Asia Leaders d’Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management (EDRAM) est désormais distribuable en Allemagne. Ce produit a été lancé le 26 octobre (lire Newsmanagers du 14 novembre).Au 31 octobre, EDRAM affichait un encours de 13,1 milliards d’euros contre 14 milliards fin 2010.

Global X Funds annonce le lancement d’un ETF sur la Grèce, selon lui le premier de ce genre. Coté sur le New York Stock Exchange, le Global X FTSE Greece 20 ETF permet de s’exposer à l’indice FTSE/ATHEX 20 Capped composé des 20 plus importantes valeurs de la Bourse d’Athènes. Après un pic à 220 milliards de dollars, la capitalisation totale du Athens Stock Exchange a plongé de près de 90 % à 28 milliards en novembre 2011.

It may become illegal for asset management firms owned by US banks to manage money for European or Asian investors, according to one interpretation of the Volcker rule, Financial Times Fund Management reports. According to the current version of the bill, US mutual funds regulated by the Investment Company Act of 1940 are exempt from the Volcker rule, which means that asset management firms owned by banks may continue to offer these services without restrictions. But there are no exemptions for European UCITS funds or Japanese trusts.

The Dutch pension fund ABP (EUR240bn in assets) has filed suit against the investment bank JP Morgan Chase over losses on MBS investments, IPE.com reports. According to a spokesman for the bank, the firm alleged to the fund that CDOs were less risky than they actually were.

Guy d’Albrand, formerly of Société Générale and Newedge, has been appointed as head of securities lending at RBC Dexia Investor Services, which has also unveiled its new global Market Products & Services (MPS) business model. D’Albrand will begin in his new role in London in 2012. He will report to Susan Pike, global head, MPS.Meanwhile, Morgan McDonnell, head of foreign exchange, will assume the newly-created position of head of global foreign exchange, cash & credit markets. He will be in charge of the new grouping resulting from the merger of the product management and development teams of the forex and cash & investment finance (IF) unit.Susan Coleman, who had been head, cash & IF product management, becomes head of cross-product initiatives, a position in which she will be in charge of cross-product and collateral management strategy for the MPS division.Fay Coroneos, who had been head of risk & investment analytics, becomes head of MPS service delivery, the team which handles all delivery functions.Blair McPherson, currently head of portfolio solutions, has been appointed as head of market product innovation.

Institutional investors, including pension funds, insurers and sovereign funds, are prepared to increase their exposure to real estate as an asset class, according to the findings of the Vision Focus study “Real Estate: New Opportunities for Institutional Investors,” published by State Street Corporation. But these investors, made awake to risks by the financial crisis, are demanding more control and flexibility for their exposure to this market. “Investors want closer relationships with fund managers, and are demanding more information, not only at the start, but also over the life cycle of the fund,” State Street says. Institutionals are also looking for more transparency in their underlying investments and management fees. Investors are becoming more prudent, and are taking their time to make a final decision, and paying much more attention to the due diligence process. Since 2007, the typical length of time between the start and the completion of an agreement has nearly doubled, State Street notes. These expectations taken together will lead to increased reporting requirements for asset management firms. According to State Street, major fund managers may respond to these requirements by strengthening their internal systems. Others, meanwhile, may decide to outsource their operations to service providers. Consolidating these functions with other fund managers may allow for economies of scale.

The supervisory board at Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) on Friday decided to sell the civil operations of the Blohm+Voss shipyards o the British private equity firm Star Capital, according to reports in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The sale is reported to have been for a double-digit amount in millions of euros.The activities sold include construction, repair and engineering, with 1,500 employees and a turrnover of EUR500m.

63 percent of pension executives now employ an LDI investment approach – more than triple that of 2007 (20 percent), according to a new survey by SEI*.In terms of asset allocation, long-duration bonds continue to be a popular strategy (74 percent in 2011), as bonds and liability values are similarly sensitive to interest rates. Short-duration cash management is also commonly used with 40 percent of respondents using it this year. Newer LDI products, such as emerging market debt (37 percent), continue to grow in popularity, but investments in interest-rate derivatives remained low again this year (26 percent).*The global poll was conducted by SEI’s Pension Management Research Panel and included 100 pension executives from the United States, Canada, Netherlands, and United Kingdom.

After insurers, pension funds are the largest investors in German institutional funds (Spezialfonds). Complementary retirement schemes, retirement funds and pension funds as of the end of October held nearly EUR138bn in assets of this type, the BVI association of asset management firms reports. Since 2004 (EUR49.4bn) these assets have nearly tripled.

The British asset management firm Aberdeen has confirmed to Newsmangers reports in Investment Week that the multi-management funds Aberdeen Multi-Manager Equity Managed Portfolio (GBP56m) and Aberdeen Multi-Manager Multi-Asset Distribution Fund (GBP16m) will be absorbing two and three other funds, respectively.The former fund will take over the assets of the Multi-Manager UK Growth fund (GBP17m), Multi-Manager International Growth (GBP25m), and the Multi-Manager Emerging Markets (GBP12m). The second fund will take over the assets of the Multi-Manager UK Income (GBP21m) and the Multi-Manager Sterling Bond (GBP14m).

Alain Wicker, one of the emblematic figures at the French asset management firm La Française AM, discusses developments in the sector. The firm, facing strong competition from multiple sides, has already entered a consolidation phase. But there is a lack of candidates in France, despite the good reputation that the French asset management firm enjoys.

La Tribune has procured a list of the companies which were invested in the Madoff feeder fund Luxalpha in December 2008 (on behalf of themselves, their clients, or as a settlement market maker). La Compagnie Financière Edmond de Rothschild the European urology association, the French Senate, Téthys (the holding company for Liliane Bettencourt), the International Olympic Committee, HSBC Private Banking Paris, and Aforge Capital Management: the list includes asset management firms, private banks, family holding companies, family offices, associations, and one French public institution, La Tribune notes.

Irving Picard, the court-appointed trustee for the business interests of Bernard Madoff, has filed suit in a New York court against Julius Bär and the Zurich-based private bank Falcon, the news agency Bloomberg reports. It is seeking USD37m from Julius Bär and USD39m from Falcon. Picard says these are the sums placed by various investors in the Bernard Madoff firm Fairfield Sentry, which were then placed in the two Swiss banks.

The Asia Leaders fund from Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management (EDRAM), managed by Thomas Gerhardt, the new head of the emerging markets team, and David Gaud, Asian equity manager, is now available for sale in Germany. The product was launched on 26 October (see Newsmanagers of 14 November).As of 31 October, EDRAM had assets of EUR13.1bn, compared with EUR14bn as of the end of 2010.

Global X Funds has announced the launch of an ETF based on Greece, which it says is the first of its kind. The Global X FTSE Greece 20 ETF fund, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, provides investors with exposure to the FTSE/ATHEX 20 Capped index, composed of the 20 largest caps on the Athens stock exchange. Total capitalisation of the Athens Stock Exchange has fallen off a peak of USD200bn by nearly 90%, to USD28bn as of November 2011.

In early December, at a time when the euro zone debt crisis continues to dominate headlines, investors have confirmed their preference for US funds, amidst timid but positive signs about the evolution of the macroeconomic environment in the United States. In the week to 7 December, funds dedicated to US equities posted their seventh week of net inflows in the past nine weeks, and US high yield bond funds posted net inflows of over USD2bn, according to statistics from EPFR Global. Overall, equity funds have seen net outflows of USD481m, while bond funds have posted net inflows of USD1.4bn. Money market funds have attracted USD36.4bn, for their fifth consecutive week of inflows. Some of these inflows are related to the liquidation of assets in European banks by some major US money market funds. EPFR Global finds that equity funds which emphasize dividends have posted net inflows of over USD35bn since the beginning of the year. Equity funds dedicated to emerging markets have seen net outflows since the beginning of the year of about USD36bn, while equity funds dedicated to developed countries have posted net inflows of USD79.9bn, compared with USD77.1bn in the corresponding period of 2010.

“Our forecasting model is currently as bearish as it was at the start of autumn 2008, in spite of the optimism that spread through markets in October,” says Hans-Olov Bornemann, head of the quantitative team at the Swedish bank SEB and manager of SEB Asset Selection, a managed futures fund. “The problem in Europe is that it has been borrowing money for 30 years, and hasn’t been using that money to invest, but to spend. This problem applies to governments as well as to individuals,” says Bornemann in an interview with Newsmanagers. There is no easy fix to combat the perverse effects of this “addiction to consumption,” and whatever the solution is, it will be painful. According to the head of quantitative management at SEB, the only way to get out of the cycle is to confront reality and to attack the debts. The second major problem to sort out is the lack of competitiveness of some countries, such as Italy and Spain. The solution will need to involve considerable budgetary cutbacks and a clearing-out of the balance sheets of financial institutions, which will have an impact on demand and corporate profits, and means that we can look forward to several difficult years. But for Bornemann and his SEB Asset Selection fund, it’s not that important whether the markets are rising or falling when there is a clear underlying trend. His fund seeks to earn returns both long and short, via derivative instruments based on four asset classes (equities, bonds, currencies and commodities). SEB Asset Selection continues to be positioned for a negative equity market development, a positive bond market development, an appreciation of safe haven currencies such as the USD & JPY and a declining commodity market. SEB Asset Selection, launched in October 2006 by the quantitative management team at the Swedish bank, now represents assets of about EUR1.5bn.

Agefi relays reports in the Journal du Dimanche that the Caisse des dépôts et placements du Québec (CDPQ) is said to be at an advanced stage in negotiations to acquire Axa Private Equity for EUR500m. Axa would retain a minority stake in the affiliate.

Agefi relays reports by the news agency Reuters that China is planning to create another investment vehicle, which will aim to provide it with higher returns than its traditional investments. The vehicle will be controlled by the central bank, and will manage two funds, one of which will invest in the United States, and the other in Europe, with combined total assets of USD300bn. The new Chinese sovereign fund will have to outperform the CIC. Since its inception four years ago, the CIC fund has earned average annual returns of 6.4%.

The French-registered fund EdR Millésima 2016, launched by Edmond de Rothschilid Investment Managers on 15 November 2011, was registered for sale in Spain by the CNMV on 25 November. The horizon fund (maturing on 31 October 2016) is based on carry trade strategies on senior industrial and financial sector bonds, with a maximum of 35% in high yield. Subscriptions are open until 29 February 2012. The fund will be available from Allfunds Bank and Banco Inversis.