p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }Skandia Investment Group (SIG) has added Danske Capital to its Skandia European Best Ideas Fund, a fund which incluces all the best ideas from 10 selected managers, after Argonaut Capital Partners and Gartmore Investment Limited lost their mandate. Danske Capital, a division of Danske Bank A/S, will take on a EUR38m mandate.Launched nearly three years ago, Skandia European Best Ideas Fund is managed overall by SIG fund manager Lee Freeman-Shor who allocates capital to the leading European equity managers; currently, Crispin Odey of Odey, James Inglis-Jones of Liontrust, Hugh Cuthbert of SVM, Raj Shant of BNY Mellon/Newton, Tobias Klein of First Private, James Buckley of Barings, Terence Burnham of Acadian, as well as Damien Lanternier of Financiere de l’echiquier. Those investment managers have now been joined by Henrik Husted-Knudsen of Danske Capital.

By the close of the third quarter of 2010, as many as 680 of the 9,175 hedge funds and funds of hedge funds were run from Dublin, according to data from Chicago-based Hedge Fund Research cited by the Financial Times Fund Management. Ireland is the domicile of choice for 63 per cent of all European-domiciled hedge funds, according to the Irish Funds Industry Association.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Coface, which for 2011 predicts a moderate downturn in the global economy, announced on 17 January at its 15th Country Risk conference that the time has come for convergence between risk levels in developed and emerging markets, which have seen improving ratings throughout the crisis. The big winners from the crisis are emerging countries, which in 2011 will continue their trajectory of solid growth, with a slight slowdown, to 6.2% from 6.7% in 2010. This is in distinction to the Euro zone, where the private debt bubble led to gorwth for government debt. Activities in emerging markets are not burdened with these private debts. However, emerging markets are not safe from an increase in debt in the private sector. How can the investment boom which will continue to be seen in 2011 be financed? Coface estimates that the answer will be to focus on two types of profile. On the one hand is the “Polish-Brazilian” model of tendency to borrow abroad, as local banks are too reticent, and domestic interest rates are prohibitive, as a result of which there is a risk of having increasingly many collaterals in these countries denominated in the local currency, and on the other hand, the “Chinese-Vietnamese” profile, in which companies borrow more commonly in local currency from domestic banks, which are often not equipped to correctly analyse the risks. These entities have high levels of debt, and sometimes lack transparency, and may find themselves in difficulty. The global panorama of country risk presented at the 2011 conference points to a pronounced division in risk between developed and emerging markets, related to the stability of the latter and the resistant payments observed by Coface from businesses in emerging economies during the crisis. Emerging markets showed high and stable rates of activity and high levels of financial solidity, although risks have degraded in developed markets. Among these, only 9 out of 28 have returned to their pre-crisis levels. Before the crisis, the lowest raring for developed markets was A2, while 9 emerging markets had ratings higher than or equal to A2. In 2010, the lowest rating for developed markets was A4, and 27 emerging markets, including China, Turkey, Brazil, India and Poland, had ratings higher than or equal to A4, and have a higher rating than Greece, Ireland and Portugal, which are subject to the bubble in public and private debt. Turkey is now only a cut below the United Kingdom, while Poland is better rated than Iceland.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Institutional investors not only plan to maintain, but even to increase their financial engagements to hedge funds. According to the fourth edition of the international survey undertaken in fourth quarter 2010 by SEI, in partnership with Greenwich Associates, more than 54% of institutionals surveyed are planning to increase their target allocations to hedge funds in the next 12 months, more than three and a half times the level observed in 2009. The portfolio allocation dedicated to hedge funds represents nearly 14% of total allocation, an increase of more than 10% since the onset of the financial crisis. Another illustration of the increase in popularity of hedge funds with insitutionals is that two years ago, 39% of investors had more than 10% of their portfolios invested in hedge funds. At the end of 2010, the percentage had increased to 59%. Allocations are much higher for charities, while businesses are at the lower end of the spectrum. In 2009, diversification and absolute returns were the top priorities for institutionals, at 31% and 30%, respectively. These objectives were, however, in second and third place, and the top priority for these investors last year was exposure to uncorrelated strategies, (at 30%, compared with 24% the previous year). There is also a much higher interest (18% compared with 8% previously) who are looking to lower volatility. This recovery of confidence on hedge funds comes with increased requirements, particularly in terms of transparency of information. This is the top concern for 70% of institutional investors, more than three quarters of whom would like more information about the level of sectoral positions, use of leverage, or risk analysis. Another subject of concern for 58% of respondents is over liquidity risks as the most significant. This risk was not even a factor in the selection of hedge funds in 2009. More generally, investors who are returning to hedge funds now, never had concerns about the sector in this way in the past. The number of investors who now say this is their largest concern has tripled compared with 2008. In other words, hedge fund managers more than ever need to clarify their investment process and set (more) realistic performance objectives.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Swedish asset management firm Catella Fondförvaltning, an affiliate of Catella AB, on 17 January announced the launch of four Luxembourg-registered, UCITS-compliant hedge funds, specialised in equities or bonds from Scandinavian countries. The products all have daily liquidity. The products include the Catella Nordic Long-Short Equity, the Catella Nordic Fixed Income Opportunity, the Catella Nordic Tiger (specialised in Scandinavian countries which are engaged in emerging markets), and the Catella Allocation Sweden (Swedish equities and bonds).

The alternativemanagement firm Algebris Investments has assigned one of itspartners, Alessandro Lasagna, to lead its European development effort fromLondon, beginning with Italy. The next steps in the expansion will beSpain and Switzerland.Algebris, founded byDavide Serra and Eric Halet, now manages USD1.4bn in assets. The firmmanages a long/short financial sector equities fund, Algebris GlobalFinancial Funds, and in early 2010 launched a financial sectorlong/short fund focused on emerging markets, the Algebris EmergingMarkets Funancial Fund. Algebris, based in London, also has officesin New York and Singapore, and has 17 employees.“We believe thatafter four years of strong growth and after achieving a high level ofassets under management, the time has come to look accross Europe ata wider spectrum of investors. In Italy, in particular, we hope tooffer availablility in the short term of access to our expertise inalternative investments via ad-hoc solutions,” says Serra, foundingpartner at Algebris.The person selected tolead the European development, Alessandro Lasagna, has been a memberof the management board for the Algebris Global Financials Fund since2006. He has also been a member of the board of directors at INAlternative SGR, where since 2006 he has been in charge of increasingassets for funds of hedge funds managed by the Italian firm.p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } JP Morgan on 14 January announced the introduction of currency activities in Saudi Arabia, trading on money markets and in Treasury bonds. With this in mind, the US bank has become a full-fledged bank in the Saudi kingdom, with counterparty functions on the local market.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The anointed markets for 2011 for the real estate division of Aberdeen (EUR26bn in assets) are clearly the “core” and “core+” categories, including Scandinavian countries, which have had fewer troubles than other markets, but which might pose problems of liquidity due to their smaller size, as well as France and the United Kingdom, Alessandro Bronda, head of global strategy, property, told Newsmanagers on 17 January. However, the British asset manager is underweight in eastern Europe, except for Poland, and in southern Europe. For France, Frédéric Lejeune, head of business development for France and Monaco at Aberdeen, says the year now beginning will be marked by a particular effort in real estate, which now represents EUR800m out of a total of EUR6bn, and which has 5 employees, out of a total of 25-strong staff. Very soon, the asset management firm will announce the recruitment of a sixth specialist. This effort will also result in the launch of an OPCI fund aimed at institutionals, since the release of a retail product is not on the agenda presently.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Les Echos reports that the most recent Coller Capital barometer finds that limiter partners (LP) in private equity funds will be making changes this year. A record number of them have turned down requests to reinvest from their management teams. The refusal rate has risen from 63% to 91% for European, and from 52% to 70% for Asian, investors. Investors are now looking to turn over their portfolios with allocation of capital to new teams. Investors are also planning to reduce their exposure to funds of funds in the next three years. Half of them cite high costs, and one third point to disappointing returns.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Agefi reports that AllianceBernstein, the US affiliate of Axa, last week reported assets under management totalling USD486bn as of 31 December, a decline of 2% over twelve months. Last year, equities assets fell 17%, to 45% of the total, while bond and “other” assets (index-based funds, many of them hedge funds) were up 6% and 65% (42% and 13% of assets in 2010). Total institutional assets lost 6%, to 58% of the total, while retail and private clients were up 5% and 4% to 26% and 16% of the total, the newspaper reports.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } According to Agefi, citing several sources familiar with the matter, Guido Mundt has been appointed as CEO of Oddo Asset Management (AM), a position which was previously held by Philippe Oddo himeself. The newspaper understands that the announcement of the appointment was made internally on Thursday, 13 January, by Philippe Oddo at a ceremony at the firm. Since late 2008, Mundt had been CEO of the Banque d’Orsay, an affiliate of WestLB whose acquisition by Oddo & Cie was finalised in November, the newspaper adds.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Information revealed by the website H24 Finance on Monday, 17 January that Roger Mainguy, director of networks and partnerships at Cardif would be leaving the BNP Paribas group on 1 February has been confirmed by Newsmanagers. According to the insurer, the departure of the executive will not be followed by a position-for-position replacement. However, Hervé Cazade, who was previously head of financial savings and protection for France at BNP Paribas Assurance, will become head of all distribution networks in France, including IFAs. H24 finance reports that it understands that Mainguy has joined the April group.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } David Córdoba, who until 2009 worked at LCF Rothschild, has joined Privat Bank Degroof, an affiliate of the Belgian bank Degroof, Expansión reports, relayed by Funds People. Córdoba will be in charge of institutional activities and asset management, a newly-created unit in Madrid, while the Privat Bank has its headquarters in Barcelona. The objective is to release the full range of Degroof funds in Spain, including through the Inversis and Allfunds platforms. Córdoba will be in charge of developing sales for Degroof’s Belgian hedge funds in Latin America, beginning with Chile. As of the end of 2010, assets at Privat Bank Degroof totalled EUR1.1bn, which represents a one-year increase of 6%.

Robeco plans launch a range of focused products in food and agricultural commodities, according to the Financial Times Fund Management.Roderick Munsters, chief executive, said the Dutch fund manager wants to work more closely with its parent Rabobank, a global specialist in the food and agriculture sector.

ING Real Estate Investment Management has confirmed it is in talks with «several parties» on a possible sale of parts of its business after media reports claimed CBRE was the front-runner in the bidding process, IPE.com wrote.ING REIM has added the discussions could potentially lead to «one or more transactions» relating to its business.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The management firm ERA Resources, founded in 2006, a specialist in commodities, has changed names, and has now become Stabilitas Fonds GmbH, to underscore the relationship between the business and the name of its funds, whose promoter is the Luxembourg firm IC Concept Fund Management, Martin Siegel, the new CEO of the firm, announced on 17 January. The change in name comes along with a change in manager on 1 January. Siegel took over a stake in the business, and its operational direction, from its founder James A. Ullmann. In this context, the headquarters of the firm have been moves from Augburg to Bad Salzuflen. The Stabilitas range includes the Stabilitas Gold + Resourcen as well as the institutional funds Stabilitas Silber + Weissmetale, Soft Commodities, Uran + Energie, Gold + Resourcen Special Situations, Growth-Small Cap Resourcen and Pacific Gold+Metals.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The BS index of the morale of 350 advisers at German commercial banks, savings banks and co-operative banks undertaken by Robeco Germany in fourth quarter 2010 rose to 100.7 from 99.8 in third quarter, and 87.7 in fourth quarter 2009. For sales of open-ended shares, 32% of respondents say they are satisfied with the situation in fourth quarter of last year, compared with 27% who were satisfied with July-October, but the percentage of optimists about sales in the next six months has fallen to 34% from 37%. 56% of specialists surveyed expect to see an increase in sales of shares in equities funds, compared with 45% in third quarter, and only 2% in January-March last year. However, outlooks are deteriorating for real estate funds, with 25% optimistic, compared with 38% in July-September, and for money market funds, down to 5% from 9%.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Jörg Laser, who since October has been head of private banking clients at Donner & Reuschel, has been appointed as a member of the board from 1 January. He joined Conrad Hinrich Donner Bank in October 2002. Before its merger with Reuschel & Co, he was head of the private bank and of the business bank.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } In 2010, the two open-ended real estate funds from RREEF Deutschland (Deutsche Bank group), grundbesitz europa and grundbesitz global, have invested EUR558m and EUR406m respectively, while the nine institutional funds of the range have acquired activities worth EUR823m. In total, the fund manager says, acquisitions included 34 properties in ten countries, 13 of which were in Germany.The biggest deal last year with the acquisition of a portfolio of office and commercial properties in New York by the RREEF fund Spezial Invest for EUR210m, while the largest investment in a single property was the acquisition of a commercial property in Osaka by the grundbesitz global for EUR170m.Net subscriptions totalled about EUR1.1bn for open-ended funds, and about EUR500m for institutional funds, says Georg Allendorf, CEO.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Effective from 1 January, Allianz SE (insurance), Allianz Global Investors (AGI, asset management) and Allianz Lebensversicherung (life insurance) have founded a joint venture in the name Allianz Corporate Pension Advisors (ACPA). The new structure will act as a single outlet for advising to the 200 largest business clients of the Allianz group for German corporate pensions. The objective is to provide custom solutions which make use of the range of asset management and life insurance tools.The two managing directors of ACPA are Jörg Braun (Allianz Lebensversicherung) and Michael Schütze (Allianz Global Investors). Braun was previously head of distribution via life and health insurance brokers, while Schütze was head of the pension investment advisory division of AGI.The two will report to an executive committee, composed of the heads of the three parent companies: Elizabteh Corley, CEO of Allianz Global Investors Europe Holding, James Dilworth, CEO of AGI Deutschland, Maximilian Zimmerer, chairman of the board at Allianz Lebensversicherung, Michael Hessling, board member at Allianz Lebensversicherung, and Oliver Wohlgemuth, COO Global Life at Allianz SE.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The South Korean management firm Mirae has appointed Woong Park as the CEO of Mirae Global Investments (Magi), the international unit of the group, replacing Peter Lee, who has been appointed as Managing Director of the research division of Magi, Asian Investor reports. Woong Part was previously chief marketing officer at Magi. Mirae has also launched the first ETF of the Hong Kong market’s Kospi index, the Kospi 200 ETF.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The new British code of conduct, the Stewardship Code, though it is still subject to considerable criticism, appears to be winning converts as well. As of 17 January, the number of management firms which had signed up to the code totalled 108, according to the website of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), compared with less than 50 when the FRC for the first time announced a number of signatories. Many big names of the financial sector are among the signatories, but foreign management firms such as the Dutch pension funds ABP and PGGM have not taken the step. And there are no sovereign funds on the list at all. Hedge funds have also not been quick into the breach to sign the Code. Responsible Investor reports that all the big names in the sector, MAN, Marshall Wace, King Street Capital and Eton Park International, consider the code not relevant to their activities.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Agefi Switzerland reports that a former banker from Julius Baer on 17 January handed over two CDs containing the names of clients of the wealth management firm to the founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange. The former employee says the clients are guilty of tax evasion. The former banker, who was head of the Cayman Islands affiliate of Julius Baer for eight years, explained to the press in London that he hoped to make the world aware of the money hidden in offshore accounts. The man did not wish to disclose the number of people on the lists, though press reports put it at about 2000. The former employee, aged 55, whose trial will open before the Zurich courts on 19 January, is accused of several attempts at coercion and threats against his former employer, as well as violation of banking confidentiality. The public minister has called for a sentence of at least eight months in prison and a fine of CHF2,000.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The agreement between the French insurer Axa and the Australian group AMP to share Axa Asia Pacific Holdings (Axa APH) is “fair and reasonable,” an independent expert found on 17 January, marking a new step towards the conclusion of the operation, slated for March. “The added value for minority shareholders in Axa APH from the offer is convincing,” and “in the absence of a higher offer, the offer is fair and reasonable and in the best interests of minority shareholders,” according to the conclusions of the respor, prepared by the independent expert Grant Samual, cited in a statement. Shareholders in Axa APH, including minority shareholders who have a sufficient minority to block motions, will meet on 2 March to vote on the bid.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } RWC Partners will launch an absolute return fund in early February, entitled the RWC Enhanced Absolute Rate & Currency (ARC) which will be managed by two former Threadneedle managers, Peter Allwright and Stuart Frost, who left their former firm in June in order to join RWC. The fund will aim for returns equivalent to the money markets plus 6%, and will participate in short-term movements on the bond markets within a UCITS III-compliant framework. The fund will not be offered on the market until the end of first quarter, but its launch has been moved forward due to strong demand on the part of clients. It will be available in pouds Sterling, euros and US do;llars. The minimal investment is set at GBP25,000 for retail investors.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The organs of the Swiss Confederation in charge of financial questions are seeking to improve their cooperation. The Federal finance department (DFF), the Financial markets surveillance authority (Finma) and the Swiss national bank (BNS) on 17 January announced that they have signed a three-way protocol agreement. The conclusion of such an agreement, which in no way modifies the responsibilities and competences in decision-making of the various authorities named in the law, was required last year by the Management commission of the federal chambers. The agreement sets up a collaboration between the three authorities, which will include exchange of information on questions of financial stability and regulation of financial markets as well as collaboration in cases of crisis which may threaten the stability of the financial system, with the creation of two committees. The exchanges of information will involve the macroeconomic environment as well as financial markets and the banking sector. They also include national initiatives in regulatory areas, as well as international standards, and challenges and risks for the Swiss financial market. These exchanges of information will take place at least twice per year.

La société de gestion sud-coréenne Mirae a nommé Woong Park en qualité de directeur général de Mirae Global Investments (Magi), le pôle international du groupe, en remplacement de Peter Lee, qui a été désigné managing director de la division recherche de Magi, rapporte Asian Investor.Woong Park était précédemment chief marketing officer de Magi. Mirae a par ailleurs lancé le premier ETF de la place de Hong Kong sur l’indice Kospi, le Tiger Kospi 200 ETF.

Jörg Laser, qui est depuis octobre responsable de la clientèle de banque privée chez Donner & Reuschel, a été nommé membre du directoire au 1er janvier. Il avait rejoint la Conrad Hinrich Donner Bank en octobre 2002. Avant la fusion avec Reuschel & Co, il était responsable de la banque privée et de la banque des entreprises.

Créée en 2006, la société de gestion ERA Resources, spécialiste des matières premières, a changé de nom et devient Stabilitas Fonds GmbH, afin de souligner la parenté entre l’entreprise et le nom de ses fonds dont le promoteur est le luxembourgeois IC Concept Fund Management, a annoncé le 17 janvier Martin Siegel, le nouveau directeur général. Ce changement de nom va de pair avec le changement de dirigeant : au 1er janvier, Martin Siegel a repris les parts de l’entreprise, et la direction opérationnelle, au fondateur Werne J. Ullmann. Dans ce contexte, le siège de la société est transféré d’Augbourg à Bad Salzuflen.La gamme Stabilitas comprend le Stabilitas Gold + Resourcen ainsi que les fonds institutionnels Sta&bilitas Silber + Weissmetalle, Soft Commodities, Uran + Energie, Gold + Resourcen Special Situations, Growth-Small Cap Resourcen ainsi que Pacific Gold + Metals.

Pour un montant non divulgué, un consortium composé de Hochtief Projektentwicklung, Norddeutsche Grundvermögen et Frank-Gruppe a vendu à Deka Immobilien le projet de construction d’un immeuble de bureaux et commerces, Metropolis Haus, situé dans le «business improvement district» de Hambourg.Cet actif de 17.000 mètres carrés est effecté au portefeuille du fonds immobilier offert au public Deka-ImmobilienEuropa. L’achèvement des travaux est prévu pour l’automne 2011.