P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Paamco, one of the largest fund of hedge fund groups, is now asking consultants to sign non-disclosure agreements to protect its intellectual property, Financial Times fund management reports. The initiative is a response to growing concerns that consultants may use manager selection ideas for their own multi-management products. International Asset Managemnet, a UK-based fund of hedge fund firm, has also stopped to share some information with the large consultants.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Recently, Pimco, Fidelity and Invesco have been facing the same problem: how to retain star managers. At a time when market conditions are improving, the subject is becoming critical, Financial Times fund management observed. Among the personalities whom investors are scrutinizing for any sign of departure are Hugh Young, head of Asian activities at Aberdeen AM, Edouard Carmignac, the founder of Carmignac Gestion, and Crispin Odey, the founder of Odey AM. Remuneration is the primary lever that asset management firms have to retain their star managers. But other non-cash benefits may also help. FTfm relates that one manager had a personal gym installed in the office to avoid sweating alongside colleagues, while another obtained permission to come to work with his dog.

Tundra Fonder, a Swedish fund manager specialising in frontier markets and emerging markets, is opening a research office in Pakistan. The office will initially have three employees and will offer close proximity to its key markets. The head of the Karachi office in Clifton Beach will be the analyst Shamoon Tariq, who was recently recruited from Pakistan to Tundra and who is fluent in Urdu, Punjabi and Pashto. An additional two analysts will be hired. “With a research office in Karachi we are taking another step to deepen our commitment in frontier markets. The choice of location is logical. Pakistan makes up approximately 45 percent of the MSCI Frontier Asia Index and is a natural base for the analysis of frontier markets,” says Mattias Martinsson, chief investment officer at Tundra Fonder.Tundra Fonder currently manages six funds with a focus on frontier markets and emerging markets. The asset manager has seven employees, five of whom are fund managers and analysts.

New York Life Investments announced yesterday that it has completed its acquisition of Dexia Asset Management, an asset manager, with management centers in Brussels, Paris, Luxembourg and its investment boutique, Ausbil, based in Sydney, for EUR 380 million.Dexia Asset Management joins New York Life Investments’ family of investment boutiques, complementing its current capabilities in fixed income, equities and alternative investments and adds USD100 billion in assets under management, bringing New York Life Investments’ total assets under management to USD511 billion.Naïm Abou-Jaoudé will continue in his role as chief executive officer and chairman of the executive committee of Dexia Asset Management and Paul Xiradis will remain chief executive officer of Ausbil. Yie-Hsin Hung, in addition to her current role as co-president of New York Life Investment Management and chairman of New York Life Investment Management International, becomes chairman of the board of directors of Dexia Asset Management. Naïm Abou-Jaoudé joins the executive committee of New York Life Investment Management International as vice chairman.“Expanding our asset management business in Europe and Australia represents a significant growth opportunity for New York Life to become a key player in the global asset management arena, adding important scale and geographical diversity to our business,” said John Kim, vice chairman, New York Life. “As with our other boutiques, Dexia Asset Management will preserve the integrity of its investment processes, portfolio management teams and distinct culture, while at the same time benefit from the strength, resources and capital of New York Life.”Naïm Abou-Jaoudé, chief executive officer and chairman of the executive committee, Dexia Asset Management, said: “We are pleased to confirm our commitment to maintaining our local presence, platforms, teams and investment processes.”

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The British firm Premier Asset Management (AM) has recruited Paul Pugh to the newly-created position of head of strategic partnerships on its sales team. He will be responsible for the development of distribution of funds from Premier AM, a service for the management of portfolios and investment outsourcing offers with key partners, including regional financial advisers and life insurance companies. Pugh, formerly of Cazeonve Capital, Sarasin & Partners and Zurich Intermediary Group, previously worked until January 2014 at Sarasin & Partners, where he was director of sales and investment.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Norwegian sovereign fund (USD810bn in assets) has prohibited investment in two Israeli companies, Africa Israel Investments and Danya Cebus, due to “serious violations” of human rights, Financial Times fund management reports. The Norwegian finance minister has placed the two businesses on a blacklist due to their suspected involvement in settlements in East Jerusalem, which are illegal under international law. The move comes in the context of a European boycott of Israeli busineses with activities in the Palestinian territories.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Standard Life Investments (SLI) is adding to its bond and credit teams. The asset management team has recruited manager Mark Munro, who left Scottish Life Investment Partnership (SWIP) on 8 November 2013, Investment Adviser (FT Adviser) reports. Munro will rejoin Daniel McKernan, head of investment grade and sterling credit at SLI, with whom he had previously worked at SWIP before McKernan left the firm in September 2013. At SLI, Munro has been appointed investment director on the credit team. He will be responsible for retail funds from the firm, including the Strategic Bond, Ethical Corporate Bond, and institutional funds.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The private bank Lombard Odier has appointed a new head of private banking in Zurich, in the person of Dominique Wohnlich, according to a statement released on 3 February. Wohnlich, who has been in office since 1 February as Local Managing Director, will continue the development of wealth management activities at the Zurich office, which has 100 employees. Wohnlich had been head of private equity investment at Credit Suisse for the private banking segment. Before joining Credit Suisse in 2007, he spent more than six years at UBS. He succeeds Richard Nahmani, who led the Zurich office from 1991 to 2013, and who become director of an affiliated company at Lombard Odier. The Lombard Odier group has also appointed Felix Xavier Oeschger as head of Swiss private clients in Zurich.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } BNP Paribas Securities Services on 3 February announced that it is developing its deposotiry banking activities on the Swiss market. The expansion permits its instituional clients and asset managers who manage funds domiciled in Switzerland to benefit from the pan-European experience of the bank in the area of depository services (custody and registry, management of financial flows and supervision), and the solidity of a major international banking group. The launch response to a growing desire on the part of clients of BNP Paribas Securities Services to consolidate its operational services in Switzerland, particularly depository banking and custody services. The bank has already won its first depository banking mandate in this market from one of the largest independent fund of funds management firms in Switzerland. With this major step, it affirms its engagement on the Swiss market.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } In a filmed interview with Bluerating, Alex Ricchebuono, head of La Française AM for Southeastern Europe, says that he is seeking new fund distribution agreements for the firm in Italy. In Italy, La Française AM has largely present in the institutional management sector. “Concerning retail, we are open to distribution networks: the large ones, but also and especially the small and medium ones,” says Ricchebuono.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Jupiter Asset Management is adding to its Swiss sales team with the recruitment of Daniel Frauenfelder to the position of sales manager for the German-speaking Swiss market. Frauenfelder has more than 15 years of experience in asset management at Sarasin, ING Investment Management and Allianz Global Investors, among others. He will report to Evelyn Lederle, director of sales and head of Jupiter Asset Management (Switzerland) AG, a company founded in November.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Baring Asset Management has announced the opening of a representative office in Switzerland. The office will be located in Geneva, and will be led by Véronique Fournier, who is appointed as head of Switzerland and global head of private banking in charge of the development of activities serving private banks. Fournier will report both to Angus Woodhouse, global head of distribution, and to Oliver Morath, head of EMEA sales. Fournier will be responsible for French-speaking Swiss clients. German-speaking Swiss clients will be handled by Thomas Justen from the Frankfurt office. The new director of the Swiss office of Baring AM previously worked at Schroder Investment Management, where she served as relationship director, global financial institutions group.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The UBS group on 4 February announced that it has earned net profits of GBP3.2bn, compared with a loss of GBP2.5bn in the previous year. The firm has also profited from a rebound in confidence on the part of its clients, with net inflows of CHF54bn to wealth management activities, a 14% increase compared with 2012, Assets invested by the Group totalled CHF2.39trn as of the end of fourth quarter, up by CHF51bn compared with the previous quarter. Assets invested in Wealth Management were up CHF15bn to CHF886bn as of 31 December 2013, due to the positive performance of the markets of CHF12bn and a net inflows of CHF6bn, partly offset by negative currency effects of CHF2bn. Assets invested with Wealth Management Americas were up by CHF34bn to CHF865bn as of 31 December 2013. In US dollars, assets invested were up by USD51bn to USD970bn, reflecting a positive evolution of the markets of USD46bn, and sustained inflows. Asstes invested in Global Asset Management were up by CHF3bn to CHF583bn as of 31 December 2013. The positive performance of the markets for CHF16bn was partly offset by a net outflow of CHF7bn and negative currency effects of CHF6bn.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The British bank Lloyds Banking Group (LBG), which was bailed out by the government in 2008, on 3 February announced nearly GBP2bn in new provisions, but promised a return to dividends in second half. In an unscheduled statement, released ahead of the release of annual results on 13 February, LBG has stated that it will be writing down a provision of GBP1.8bn in fourth quarter, related to litigation concerning PPI credit insurance, and another GBP130m related to abusive sales to SMEs of products to protect against interest rate variations. LBG has previously written down billions of pounds to cover compensation payments related to the PPI scandal. Despite that, the bank promises that it will earn a “small” pre-tax profit for 2013, and that it is planning to request permission to restart dividend payments in second half.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Alain Grisay, former CEO of F&C Asset Management, has died, Investment Week reports. Grisay, 59, left F&C, where he had been CEO since 2006, in 2012. He also worked at J.P. Morgan for 20 years.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Ben Lord, head of fixed interest, will now assume responsibility for the M&G UK Inflation Linked Corporate Bond fund, while Jim Leaviss becomes second manager, Money Marketing reports. Lord and Leaviass had previously been co-managers of the fund, whose assets under management total GBP837m. Leaviss will also work as second manager of the M&G Gilt and Fixed Interest Income fund (GBP773m), on which he had previously been principal manager. The fund is now managed by Mike Riddell. Leaviss will be principal manager of the M&G Inflation Linked Corporate Bond fund, while Lord becomes second manager. They had previously both been co-managers of the fund.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The CEO of the British bank Barclays, Antony Jenkins, on 3 February announced that he would be renouncing all bonuses for the year 2013. Jenkins stated that he has taken the decision due to the various fines and provisions written down by the group, and due to the effort required of shareholders as part of a capital increase of nearly GBP6bn last year. “I have concluded that it would not be fair, under the circumstances, for me to accept a bonus for 2013, and I have therefore respectively declined the one which was offered me by the board of directors,” Jenkins, who was appointed in summer 2012 to restore the reputation of the bank embroiled in the Libor scandal, says in a statement.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Due to its absolute return product, the Standard Life GARS Fund, Standard Life Investments has led fund inflows in the United Kingdom, with net subscriptions totalling GBP3.47bn, not far off double the inflows of its nearest rival, Old Mutual Global Investors, which total GBP1.81bn, according to the most recent edition of the Pridham Report, Investment Week reports. They are followed by BlackRock (GBP1.63bn), Artemis, (GBP1.49bn), BNY Mellon (GBP1.46bn), Cazenove (GBP1.16bn in first half alone, as the asset management firm was then acquired by Schroders), Henderson (GBP1.02bn), Schroders (GBP980m), and AXA IM (GBP878.3m).

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } On 30 January, Schroders increased its stake in the capital of Liontrust Asset Management from 19.6% to nearly 23%, according to a statement released to the London Stock Exchange by the British firm. The announcement comes a few days after the publication of interim results by Liontrust AM, marked by growth in its assets of GBP196m between 1 October and 31 December 2013, bringing its total asses under management to GBP3.6bn.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } After their launch in Spain (Newsmanagers of 31 January 2014), BNY Mellon is offering two Japanese equity funds on the European market, according to Citywire. The two funds, BNY Mellon Japan All Cap Equity and BNY Mellon Japan Small Cap Equity Focus, will be managed by an equity team at BNY Mellon, which will report to Miyuki Hashima. The two strategies, which will be domiclied in Dublin, will be launched with seed capital of an undisclosed amount.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The largest bank in Denmark, danske Bank, has blacklisted the Israeli Bank Hapoalim due to its involvement in financing the construction of settlements, Investment Europe reports. The bank has already withdrawn from Africa Israel Investments and Danya Cebus for the same reasons.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Danske Invest has appoined a replacement for equity manager John William Olsen, who has decided to leave the firm, Citywire reports. Max Jul Pedersen will succeed him on the six funds he had previously managed: Danske Invest Engros Aktier, Danske Invest Global Plus, Danske Invest Global Stockpicking, Danske Invest Global Stockpicking A, Danske Invest Global Stockpicking 2, Danske Invest Engros Global.

A l’occasion de la publication de ses résultats annuels, la banque espagnole Bankia a fait état, hier, d’une progression de 27,2 % des encours de ses fonds communs de placements en 2013, atteignant 8,21 milliards d’euros contre 6,46 milliards d’euros fin 2012. Sa part de marché en Espagne passe ainsi de 4,52 % fin 2012 à 4,82 % au 31 décembre 2013. Par ailleurs, selon le site d’informations Funds People, Bankia a indiqué à la CNMV, le régulateur local, qu’elle étudiait une éventuelle scission en deux de son fonds immobilier, dont elle détient 98,03 % des encours sur un total de 291 millions d’euros.En 2013, la quatrième banque espagnole, sauvée de la faillite grâce à une aide européenne de 18 milliards d’euros, a renoué avec les bénéfices. Son résultat net ressort en effet à 509 millions d’euros, après une perte historique de 19,19 milliards d’euros en 2012. Le groupe bancaire BFA-Bankia connaît le même redressement, affichant un bénéfice de 818 millions d’euros fin 2013, après 21,23 milliards d’euros de pertes en 2012.

Le groupe UBS a annoncé le 4 février avoir dégagé un bénéfice net de 3,2 milliards de francs suisses, contre une perte de 2,5 milliards de francs suisses l’année précédente. L'établissement a également profité d’un regain de confiance de sa clientèle, avec une collecte nette de 54 milliards de francs suisses dans les activités de gestion de fortune, une hausse de 14% par rapport à 2012. Les actifs investis du groupe se montaient à 2.390 milliards de francs suisses à la fin du quatrième trimestre, en hausse de 51 milliards par rapport au trimestre précédent. Les actifs investis au sein de Wealth Management ont enregistré une hausse de 15 milliards à 886 milliards de francs suisses au 31 décembre 2013, grâce à la performance positive des marchés de 12 milliards de francs suisses et à une collecte nette de 6 milliards de francs, en partie gommée par des effets de change négatifs de 2 milliards de francs. Les actifs investis auprès de Wealth Management Americas ont progressé de 34 milliards de francs à 865 milliards de francs au 31 décembre 2013. En dollars américains, les actifs investis ont augmenté de 51 milliards de dollars à 970 milliards de dollars, reflétant une évolution positive des marchés de 46 milliards de dollars et une collecte soutenue. Les actifs investis au sein de Global Asset Management ont enregistré une hausse de 3 milliards à 583 milliards de CHF au 31 décembre 2013. La performance positive des marchés de 16 milliards de francs suisses a été partiellement effacée par une décollecte nette de 7 milliards de francs suisses et des effets de change négatifs de 6 milliards de francs. Sur le seul quatrième trimestre, la banque a dégagé un bénéfice net de 917 millions de francs suisses, contre une perte de 1,9 milliard de francs suisses un an plus tôt, selon un communiqué. Ces résultats vont permettre à la banque de verser un dividende en hausse de 67% à 0,25 franc suisse par action au titre de l’exercice 2013.

Baring Asset Management a annoncé l’ouverture d’un bureau de représentation en Suisse. Situé à Genève, il sera dirigé par Véronique Fournier qui a été nommée head of Switzerland et global head of private banking en charge du développement des activités auprès des banques privées. L’intéressée rapportera conjointement à Angus Woolhouse, global head of distribution, et à Oliver Morath, head of EMEA sales. Véronique Fournier sera responsable de la clientèle suisse francophone. Les clients suisses germanophones seront pris en charge par Thomas Justen à partir du bureau de Francfort. La nouvelle directrice du bureau suisse de Barings AM travaillait auparavant chez Schroder Investment Management où elle occupait le poste de relationship director, global financial institutions group.

Jupiter Asset Management renforce son équipe commerciale suisse avec le recrutement de Daniel Frauenfelder au poste de sales manager pour le marché suisse germanophone. L’intéressé dispose de plus de 15 ans d’expérience à des postes dans l’asset management chez Sarasin, ING Investment Management et Allianz Global Investors notamment. Il travaillera sous la direction de Evelyn Lederle, directrice commerciale et responsable de Jupiter Asset Management (Switzerland) AG, entité créée en novembre.

La banque privée Lombard Odier a nommé un nouveau responsable du Private Banking à Zurich en la personne de Dominique Wohnlich, selon un communiqué publié le 3 février. En fonction dès le 1er février en tant que «Local Managing Director», il poursuivra le développement des activités de gestion de fortune du bureau de Zurich qui compte une centaine de collaborateurs.Dominique Wohnlich était responsable au sein de Credit Suisse des Private Equity Investment du segment banque privée. Avant de rejoindre en 2007 Credit Suisse, il a passé plus de six ans chez UBS. Il prendra la succession de Richard Nahmani, qui a dirigé le bureau de Zurich de 1991 à 2013 et qui a repris la direction d’une société affiliée de Lombard Odier.Le groupe Lombard Odier a également nommé Felix Xaver Oeschger au poste de responsable de la clientèle privée suisse à Zurich.

Danske Invest a nommé un remplaçant pour le gérant actions John William Olsen, ce dernier ayant décidé de quitter la société, rapporte Citywire. Max Jul Pedersen va lui succéder sur les six fonds qu’il gérait jusqu’ici : Danske Invest Engros Aktier, Danske Invest Global Plus, Danske Invest Global Stockpicking, Danske Invest Global Stockpicking A, Danske Invest Global Stockpicking 2, Danske Invest Engros Global.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The asset management firm Algebris Investments has signed a distribution agreement in Italy with FinecoBank, a company of the UniCredit group, Bluerating reports. The funds which will be available on the platform are: Algebris Financial Credit Fund and Algebris Financial Income Fund.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }The Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE) and FIX Trading Community have announced that the Market Model Typology (MMT) has become a FIX standard. As a result the standard is available for adoption by all market participants. This will allow them to enhance data standardisation and provide greater clarity on the types of activity conducted. This will all contribute to enhanced transparency for the benefit of investors, market participants and regulators. The MMT initiative was originally launched by FESE to support the implementation of the original 2010 CESR recommendations on post-trade reporting standards. MMT will make it easier to consolidate data from multiple venues to create a European consolidated post-trade tape.