Le conseil d’administration de Cometa, le fonds de pension pour la retraite complémentaire des travailleurs de l’industrie italienne de la métallurgie et de la mécanique, a élu Oreste Gallo comme président pour une durée de trois ans (2018-2020). Il succède à Maurizio Benetti, qui a occupé ce poste pendant trois ans. Oreste Gallo a une longue carrière dans le secteur de la gestion d’actifs. Il est managing director de Principal Global Investors où il s’occupe, depuis Londres, du développement de l’activité avec les banques centrales, les fonds souverains et les compagnies d’assurance en Europe et en Asie centrale. Depuis 2013, il fait aussi partie de l’Investment Advisory Board de Fondaco, SGR, une société de gestion italienne. Il a aussi été managing director de BlackRock, d’abord comme responsable de l’Europe du Sud pour les institutionnels, puis responsable commercial EMEA FIG. Avant cela, il a travaillé chez Morgan Stanley et Credit Suisse Financial Products. Roberto Toigo a parallèlement été nommé vice-président. Le conseil d’administration a par ailleurs ratifié les rendements annuels des portefeuilles d’investissement du fonds en 2017 : la poche rendement a gagné 2,45 %, la poche croissance, +4,84 %, le monétaire plus recule de 0,29 %, le sécurité 2015 gagne 1,40 % et le sécurité avance de 1,07 %.

p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; } The research provider Morningstar on 7 February announced that it is expanding its index marketplace in software products, with the integration of external index data, which will allow investors to directly compare benchmark indices depending on their specific needs, he says. As part of the new initiative, the data and index provider FTSE Russell will be the first strategic collaborator to offer Morningstar performance and data about the indices. This will involve 70 families of international equity indices, which will be in line with Morningstar methodologies in the area. Morningstar says it is planning to offer more index comparison options, and more transparency. Morningstar will work with FTSE Russell to map approximately 10,000 global equity indexes to Morningstar’s global Category framework. Additionally, Morningstar will assign a single FTSE Russell index to each category as the Category Benchmark replacement option, providing users the ability to compare all investment choices in the category to indexes supplied from a single index vendor.

The Nortia companies, specialised in life insurance and distribution to IFAs, Nortia Invest, a designer of securities account solutions and a banking platform, and the asset management firm Haas Gestion have now teamed up in a single group entitled DLPK. To support its growth ambitions, DLPK has chosen to bring the investment fund BlackFin Capital Partners on board as part of capital in the group, with 34%.BlackFin, a European leader in private equity specialised in the financial services sector, is aiming to assist DLPK in its organic growth (launch of new products and services, extension of distribution, etc.) and the identification and execution of external growth operations.Vincent Dubois, CEO of Nortia, and his partners will retain the majority of capital and the governance of the new group.“We have strong ambitions to grow and diversify in the coming years. The entry into our capital of an investor like BlackFin allows us to consolidate the various entities of the Group in a permanent way, to make operational synergies, and to seize opportunities for external growth,” says Vincent Dubois, now chairman of DLPK.The three entities of DLPK made total earnings of EUR650m in 2017, bringing assets to EUR4.5bn as of the end of December 2017.

p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; } Charles-Henri Nême, manager of Exane Ceres, and Eric Lauri, collective fund manager, have been appointed as co-directors of management at Exane Asset Management, the asset management firm has announced. “The objective with these appointments is both to organize permanent support and to continue to progress the asset management team, without throwing responsibility for each manager over their fund into question,” a statement says. Nême has been working at Exane AM since 2007, and Lauri since 2012. Exane had assets under management as of 29 December 2017 of EUR5bn (EUR6.9bn including funds of funds), with 48 employees.

p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; } Assets under management at Vega Investment Managers, a multi-management affiliate of Natixis Asset Management, last year rose by about EUR800m to a total of EUR6.7bn as of the end of 2017, according to Marc Riez, CEO of the asset management firm, at a presentation of its outlooks for 2018. Net inflows contributed about EUR300m to this evolution. Collective management represents about 53% of assets, while mandated management represents 47%. According to Riez, “with the correction of the past few days, the markets have integrated the inflationary elements ignored previously. But this correction is not the prelude to a great market fall,” the head adds, though he suggests that a second correction may come later in the year, which will put an end to the “myth of perennial growth.” However, the United States is now, like Europe, in a situation of needing to make up its accumulated lag behind the United States levels of 2008 before the crisis, by 10 GDP points, says Jean-Jacques Friedman, chief investment and mandated management officer at Vega IM. Spending on equipment at businesses can be expected to do most of the work for three reasons: high usage rates for industrial capacities; financial conditions that remain highly favourable in the euro zone, and an increase in demand which has been observed over several quarters, and which increased last year. In the turbulent environment of the past few days, Vega IM has announced that in December, for the first time in nine years, the firm decided to modify its allocation model, which is no longer overexposed to equities, but which has returned to neutrality. The objective is to increase manoeuvering room to take advantage of the opportunities generated at the start of the year with volatility peaks. As of 6 February 2018, the volatility peak observed in the correction on the US equity markets related to fears of rising long-term interest rates, “we have gone to 53%,” says Friedman. Meanwhile, in line with its active management style, Vega IM has adapted its stock-picking to the new, uncertain environment, and has adapted to a higher interest rate regime. The asset management firm has reduced its exposure to small and midcaps, which are the first to present liquidity problems in case of trouble. Vega IM is putting the finishing touches on industrial stocks which can retain the powerful competitive advantages of these, which may benefit from the rise in investment spending expected in Europe. Vega IM, pragmatic, is adding more value stocks to its portfolio, such as oil and mining industries in general (commodities, precious metals), and last but not least, financials.

BNP Paribas Securities Services, a leading global custodian with EUR 9.4 trillion in assets under custody, today announces it has agreed to acquire Banco BPM SpA’s (BPM) depositary banking business. BPM is Italy’s third largest bank.BNP Paribas Securities Services, a leading global custodian with EUR 9.4 trillion in assets under custody, today announces it has agreed to acquire Banco BPM SpA’s (BPM) depositary banking business. BPM is Italy’s third largest bankBPM’s depositary bank has around EUR 22 billion in assets under custody and provides custody, fund administration and depositary banking services to funds and institutional clients in Italy.This transaction strengthens the overall position of BNP Paribas Securities Services as the leading provider of post-trade services in Italy, where it safe keeps EUR 850 billion of client assets.A price of EUR 200 million has been agreed, associated to long-term agreements. The deal is set to close in June 2018 and is subject to customary conditions including regulatory approval.BNP Paribas Corporate and Institutional Banking and Mediobanca – Banca di Credito Finanziario S.p.A. acted as financial advisors to BNP Paribas Securities Services. Chiomenti acted as legal advisor.

ATP achieved an exceptionally solid return of DKK 29.7bn in the investment portfolio before expenses and tax for the full year 2017, corresponding to 29.5 per cent relative to the bonus potential. Overall, ATP achieved a profit for the year of DKK 24.7bn before life expectancy update and increase in pensions. DKK 1bn was transferred to guarantees as a consequence of increased life expectancy. To this should be added an increase in pensions of DKK 6.4bn, equivalent to a 1 per cent increase in bonus for all members. Profit for the year thus came to DKK 17.3bn.“We achieved an exceptionally solid return in 2017 and generated the best investment return in many years. The strong performance is due to positive contributions from virtually all asset classes, which has made it possible to increase pensions for all members, while also being able to build up our bonus potential by DKK 17.3bn. So it’s been an excellent year for our members,” says ATP CEO Christian Hyldahl.The results were driven mainly by strong returns on equities as a result of price increases in global equity markets and moderate interest rate increases in Europe. Thus, private equity alone generated a return of DKK 5.3bn, listed international equities contributed DKK 4.9bn, while listed Danish equities posted a return of DKK 4.2bn. However, the growth was achieved broadly across the portfolio: Inflation-related financial instruments, credit, bonds, real estate and infrastructure contributed to the extraordinary investment return.At year-end 2017, ATP’s bonus potential, which is managed in the investment portfolio, stood at DKK 117.7bn.ATP’s Supervisory Board has adjusted the long-term performance target from 7 per cent to 11 per cent to underpin the objective of preserving the real value of pensions. In 2018, the performance target is equivalent to DKK 12.9bn. This is an absolute objective which is to be achieved in the long term, but which is not necessarily achieved each year.

GCM Grosvenor has completed the final close of its Secondary Opportunities Fund II, L.P. with USD700 million in committed capital, the Chicago-based firm announced today. GSF II, which held its first close in May of 2017, reached the fund’s hard cap.Fund investors include public and Taft-Hartley pension plans, financial institutions, healthcare systems and endowments, in the U.S., Europe and Asia.GSF II will acquire interests in private funds through secondary market transactions, with a focus on transactions of less than USD50 million average deal size. GSF II will target funds oriented toward small and middle market buyout, special situation, growth equity, infrastructure and real estate investment strategies.GCM Grosvenor has been active in secondary transactions since 2003, with over USD2 billion committed to more than 100 investments. «We are grateful for the support we received from investors,» said Brian Sullivan, Managing Director and head of the firm’s secondaries business. «They, like us, view secondaries as a means to diversify their private equity portfolio with mature, high-quality assets, while seeking to mitigate the j-curve and reduce blind pool risk. We continue to see value in the secondary market, and are confident we will identify compelling opportunities on behalf of our investors."About GCM Grosvenor: GCM Grosvenor is a global alternative asset management firm with approximately USD50 billion of AUM in hedge fund strategies, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and multi-asset class solutions. It is one of the largest, most diversified independent alternative asset management firms worldwide.

p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; } Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (Edrip) on 7 February announced that it has completed fundraising for the 5th generation of its BioDiscovery fund, dedicated to biotechnologies and medical technologies, with EUR345m (USD420m). BioDiscovery 5 has exceeded its initial target of EUR250m, to become “the venture capital fund dedicated to the life sciences and medical technologies, at all stages of development, in Europe and the United States,” Edrip says. So far, the BioDiscovery 5 fund has already made three investments, in Erythec Pharma, Complexa Inc., and LogicBio Therapeutics. Since the launch of the BioDiscovery range 17 years ago, the management team has raised nearly EUR800m to invest in 57 companies in the life science sectors.

p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; } The Australian asset management firm First State Investments is adding to its distribution team for the German and Austrian markets, with the appointment of Robert Retz as vendor, the specialist website Das Investment reports. He will be based in Frankfurt, and will concentrate on distribution of the First State product range on the German market. Retz had previously worked at Aberdeen Asset Management, where he had been responsible for development. First State, which opened its Frankfurt office in 2012, would like to accelerate its development in the German-speaking markets, serving wholesale and institutional clients.

p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; }a:link { } Assets under management at ABN Amro Private Banking as of the end of 2017 totalled EUR200.6bn, compared with EUR197.1bn one quarter earlier, the Netherlands-based banking group announced on 7 February at a presentation of its results. The increase is related to a net inflow of EUR1.7bn, and a positive market effect of EUR1.8bn, a statement says. Assets were down, however, compared with their level one year previously (EUR204.9bn). Net profits for the Private Banking division in fourth quarter fell 38% to EUR30m, due to a goodwill depreciation. For the year overal, however, net profits are up 94% to EUR386m. The cost/income ratio has improved to 71.1% for the year as a whole, compared with 79.5% in 2016. Over the past year, the division has restructured its organisation, which has brought new savings due to digitalisation. Group-wide, ABN Amro has earned net profits of EUR2.8bn, including a capital gain on the sale of private banking activities in Asia.

Latin America’s investment bank BTG Pactual and Switzerland’s asset manager Capital Dynamics have announced an exclusive partnership to distribute funds to institutional investors across Latin America.This partnership will enable BTG Pactual’s Third Party Distribution division to promote Capital Dynamics’ private asset investment offerings to investors across the region.Capital Dynamics is known for its experience in private equity, private credit and clean energy infrastructure and currently oversee USD 15 billion in assets under management and advisement.

River and Mercantile announces that portfolio manager Philip Rodrigs has today left its subsidiary, River and Mercantile Asset Management LLP (RAMAM), following an investigation into a professional conduct issue. The conduct issue was unrelated to his portfolio manager responsibilities and has not impacted the pricing or NAV of any RAMAM fund and no client or investor has been negatively affected in connection with this matter, the company said. Philip Rodrigs left on Wednesday 7 February 2018. He was previously lead manager of the River and Mercantile (‘R&M’) UK Equity Smaller Companies Fund, the R&M UK Dynamic Equity Fund, and the R&M UK Micro Cap Investment Company Limited. In each case the principal portfolio management responsibility has passed to an alternate manager within RAMAM’s successful ‘PVT’ team in accordance with its well established succession plans.The R&M UK Equity Smaller Companies fund will now be managed by Dan Hanbury, who previously ran this fund prior to Philip Rodrigs’ appointment in September 2014; the multi-cap R&M UK Dynamic Equity Fund will be managed by William Lough, in addition to his continuing responsibilities as alternate to Hugh Sergeant on RAMAM’s High Alpha and Recovery strategies; and management of the R&M UK Micro Cap Investment Company Limited will pass to the alternate manager on this portfolio, George Ensor.

L’analyse de... Alain Tourdjman, directeur études, veille & prospectives de BPCE

Les projets abondent mais leur réalisation patine.

La parole à... Guntram Wolff, directeur du think tank Bruegel

Succès. Le montant de 10 milliards d’euros de collecte pour les plans d’épargne individuels italiens (PIR) lancés début 2017 aurait été dépassé avant la fin décembre, rapporte le site transalpin Bluerating, 7 à 8 fois plus que prévu par le ministère de l’Economie. Ce PEA à l’italienne offre des avantages fiscaux aux investisseurs, particuliers ou institutionnels, moyennant un investissement sur le long terme dans des petites et moyennes entreprises italiennes cotées. Selon les chiffres officiels de l’association des gestionnaires Assogestioni, les PIR avaient collecté 7,5 milliards d’euros sur les neuf premiers mois, mais la collecte se serait accélérée sur la fin de l’année, et pourrait encore s’élever à 10 milliards d’euros en 2018.

Les économistes envisagent des retouches mineures à la politique monétaire.

La parole à... Laetitia Baldeschi, coresponsable des études et de la stratégie de CPR AM

Les foncières cotées pourraient néanmoins prendre l’avantage sur les OPCI et SCPI.

Le gestionnaire Blackstone va réaliser son plus gros LBO depuis 2007 : il acquiert, pour environ 17 milliards de dollars, 55 % de la division financial & risk de Thomson Reuters. Cette activité propose des terminaux financiers et des services d’actualités financières, de données chiffrées ou d’analyses aux banques, traders et gérants de fonds d’investissement. Thomson Reuters gardera environ 45 % de cette branche ainsi que sa division d’information, Reuters News, et ses divisions legal and tax et accounting.

Collecte. Le projet de mise en Bourse de sa gestion d’actifs est une bouée pour Deutsche Bank. L’IPO de DWS reste promise dès que possible. La banque allemande a continué de lever le voile sur sa pépite en lui consacrant fin janvier une présentation de 130 pages. Côté gouvernance notamment : la structure de commandite (KGaA) sera dirigée par un conseil associant 4 représentants de DWS, 3 du groupe et 5 indépendants. Sera également institué un comité de 4 membres (2 DWS, 2 Deutsche Bank) décisionnaire en matière de fusions-acquisitions. Le groupe indique que ce mécanisme sera caduc s’il devait passer sous le cap des 40 % du capital (il devrait en céder 25 % à l’IPO). Déjà, DWS sera immédiatement libre de poursuivre ses propres objectifs commerciaux. Sur ce point, c’est l’embellie : en 2017, la collecte nette a atteint 15,8 milliards d’euros après des sorties de 39 milliards en 2016.

Ce n’est pas une surprise. La Suisse, première au classement du secret financier (Secret Financial Index) élaboré par Tax Justice Network. Les Etats-Unis, deuxième devant les îles Caïmans, non plus. Mais l’Allemagne en 7e position, devant de sérieux candidats comme Guernesey, le Liban, Panama ou les îles Vierges, est un sujet d’étonnement. La France se classe 25e sur 112, entre Chypre et l’Irlande. Dans ce type de classement, les mal-classés sont les bons élèves.

Solidaire. Financé par la Caisse des dépôts en partenariat avec 8 institutionnels, le fonds NovESS lancé en juin 2016, annonce un 4e investissement : 500.000 euros dans l’entreprise solidaire Etic Foncièrement Responsable. Cette participation a vocation à soutenir les projets d’investissement de la société dans 4 villes de France : Lyon (Les Halles de la Martinière), Grenoble (La COOP), Lille (La Loco) et Paris XXe quartier Saint-Blaise (Wikivillage). Etic crée, finance et gère des espaces de travail partagés, conçus dans des bâtiments à haute performance environnementale. Mandarine Gestion et le Comptoir de l’Innovation ont été retenus pour gérer NovESS investi pendant de 15 ans. Rendement annuel visé : 2 %.

… de dollars. Le montant de la dette fédérale américaine est plafonné depuis septembre 2017 (19.800 milliards). Autorisé début décembre à aller à 20.500 milliards en utilisant divers expédients, l’Etat américain est arrivé au bout de ses possibilités. Le secrétaire au Trésor, Steven Mnuchin, a enjoint au Congrès de relever le plafond de la dette une bonne fois pour toutes avant la fin février. Dans le cas contraire, le Trésor sera à court de liquidités mi-mars début avril.

Actif réel. L’immobilier d’entreprise se porte comme un charme en France. Les investissements ont totalisé 25,5 milliards d’euros en 2017, selon le Crédit Foncier (26,1 milliards, selon Cushman & Wakefield). Les flux devraient rester à ce niveau cette année, prévoit le Crédit Foncier, soit bien au-delà de la moyenne décennale de 18,5 milliards. Ce sont quelque 125 milliards d’euros d’investissement qui se sont placés au cours des cinq dernières années, dont 80 % dans Paris et sa région.

Le groupe français va assurer la gestion administrative et la supervision des fonds luxembourgeois de Goldman Sachs Fund Solutions.

Le courtier en assurance vie accueille le fonds de private equity à l'occasion du départ de son fondateur. Il est cité parmi les candidats au rachat de Sélection 1818.

La Française a enregistré une collecte nette d’environ 6 milliards d’euros en 2017, un niveau assez similaire à 2016, rapportait hier Newsmanagers (groupe L’Agefi). Les actifs sous gestion ont atteint un nouveau record à 66,2 milliards d’euros à fin décembre 2017, contre 59,9 milliards d’euros à fin décembre 2016. La gestion obligataire représente 24 milliards d’euros d’encours et l’immobilier totalise 16,1 milliards d’encours (contre 14,5 milliards un an plus tôt), tandis que les solutions d’investissement pèsent 10,9 milliards d’euros d’actifs sous gestion (contre 7,5 milliards d’euros à fin 2016).