BlackRock will on 16 December launch its first European ETF under a new structure which will potentially improve liquidity and reduce costs, Financial News reports. The guinea pig ETF which will test this new structure is the iShares Eurostoxx (Ex-Financials) UCITS ETF, according to sources familiar with the matter. The project at BlackRock is called “Project Fusion.”
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) is seeking a visionary in the legal profession for the role of general counsel to serve as a member of the organization’s executive team in support of CalPERS pension and health care programs, according to a statement.The general counsel advises the board of administration, chief executive officer and the organization on a broad array of matters, including fiduciary duty and responsibility, investment transactions, securities litigation, corporate governance, public pension law, health care law and government law. The general counsel reports directly to the CEO.“The incumbent in this position must be a critical thinker, possess intellectual curiosity and be politically astute in a complex and sophisticated environment,” said Anne Stausboll, CalPERS Chief Executive Officer.CalPERS retained the recruitment firm of Korn/Ferry International to conduct the global search.
With the H&A Asset Allocation Fonds, Frankfurt-based Hauck & Aufhäuser Privatbankiers (H&A) has since 2 December been offering an ETF of the iShares brand (BlackRock), which may be invested according to market conditions, up to 100% in bond funds, or 100% in equity funds. The Luxembourg-registered product will be available until February 2014, exclusively from DAB Bank, which will charge no front-end fee until April 2014.CharacteristicsName: H&A Asset Allocation FondsISIN codes:LU0969846426 (A, distribution share class)LU0969846699 (B, accumulation share class)Date of launch: 28 October 2013Front-end fee: maximum 3%Management commission: 1.30%Depository banking commission: maximum 0.05%
Proposals by the European Commission to reinforce regulation of money market funds domiciled and sold in Europe could improve risk management for most operators and investors in Europe, according to a study which has recently been published by the ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (“EC Regulation For Money Market Funds May Have Unintended Consequences.”) However, the agency continues, the overall size of the European money market fund sector may fall if regulations are adopted as they are. Some clauses in the regulations are positive for the sector as a whole, but some of them may complicate the management of money market risks, Standard & Poor’s estimates. Money market funds with a set net asset value, which account for more than 40% of European money market funds, may face considerable economic and operating costs, to be converted into variable funds or to retain their status at a cost in the vicinity of at least 3% of net asset value.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published a Report identifying a number of deficiencies in the processes for producing and issuing sovereign ratings at the three largest credit rating agencies (CRAs), Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s.The report follows concerns about potential conflicts of interests, the impact of sovereign ratings on other types of ratings, CRAs’ capacity to cope with the number of rating actions during a period of high volatility, the use of bulk rating actions, and issues around the confidentiality and timing of rating actions.ESMA identified deficiencies and issues for improvement in the following areas: independence and avoidance of conflicts of interests; confidentiality of sovereign rating information; timing of publication of rating actions; and resources allocated to sovereign ratings. «ESMA’s investigation revealed shortcomings in the sovereign ratings process which could pose risks to the quality, independence and integrity of the ratings and of the rating process. The focus on the sovereign rating process in this investigation stems from their increased volatility over the past few years, the importance of sovereign ratings from a credit market and financial stability perspective, and their impact on other rated entities and products,» said Steven Maijoor, ESMA chair.
For EUR39.85m, the Herald European Retail Property Fund, managed by Henderson, has sold a stake held by the firm since 2007 in the commercial campus Parisis Park (8,900 square metres), in Franconville, near Paris, to Cordea Savills, which will add the property to the portfolio of its European Commercial Fund.
The international division of the Chinese asset management firm Bosera Asset Managemnet will launch offshore ETFs denominated in RMB in Hong Kong and New York, Asian Investor reports. The asset management firm is also planning to double its personnel in Hong Kong to 40, with the recruitment of investment and sales specialists. Bosera AM is expected to launch the Bosera FTSE China A50 ETF in Hong Kong on 9 December, Asian Investor reports. The Chinese asset maangement firm has also signed a partnership with the US asset management firm KraneShares to launch the KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A-share ETF on the New York stock exchange in the near future. Bosera AM is also in talks with establishments in Europe and the United States to sign potential partnerships, which may include listing ETFs in Europe.
The CEO of Rathbones Brothers, Andy Pomfret, is expected to leave his position on 28 February 2014, Fundweb reports. Pomfret, who joined the firm in 1999, and who has served as CEO since 2004, will be replaced by CEO Philip Howell. Howell, who joins the board at Rathbones effective immediately, will begin in his position on 1 March 2014. Howell joined Rathbones on 4 March this year. He was previously chief executive at William De Broe.
Employees in asset management who make more than GBP1m at British banks have seen their total income double compared with 2011 levels, Financial Times fund management reports. Data collected by the European Banking Authority reveal that employees in the fund sector made average total pay of EUR2.1m in 2012, compared with EUR1.1m in 2011. That tops the EUR1.9m made by those working at banks.
Claudia Calich, who arrived at M&G Investments from Invesco (see Newsmanagers of 4 October), on 2 December, with immediate effect, took over responsibility for the principal management of the M&G Emerging Markets Bond Fund ( GB00B3NMPS60, A share class, EUR), which since 2010 had been managed by Mike Riddell. Russell remains the secondary manager of the fund. The appointment allows Riddell to concentrate on government bonds and currencies. He is also manager of the M&G International Sovereign Bond Fund and the M&G Index-Linked Bond Fund. He is also deputy manager of the M&G Global Macro Bond Fund and the M&G Gilt and Fixed Interest Fund.
Old Mutual Global Investors is seeking to recruit star managers specialised in emerging markets, after previously recruiting Richard Buxton from Schroders in March, Financial News reports.
Funds People reports that Santander AM UK has recruited David Scammel to manage the UK-registered fund Santander Sterling government Bond (EUR434m), succeeding Patrick Smith, who has retired.Scammel joins as senior government bond manager on the Europe bond team led by Adam Cordery.Scammel most recently managed the Schroder ISF Euro Liquidity and Schroder Gilt & Fixed Interest funds.
Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), the affiliate of the Norwegian central bank (Norges Bank), which manages the Government Pension Fund – Global (GPFG) under contract, on 2 December announced that the former Oil Fund now has over NOK5trn in assets, 17 years after starting up with NOK2bn. The current assets come to about USD818bn.NOK2trn was reached in October 2007, NOK3trn in October 2010 and NOK4trn in February this year, compared with NOK3.816trn at the end of 2012.NBIM adds that depreciation of the Norwegian Kroner has accelerated the increase in assets under management. Between May 1996 and the end of September 2013, net inflows totalled NOK3.239trn, and returns on these assets totalled NOK1.572trn, while variations in the exchange rate reduced assets by NOK74bn.As of the end of September, the GPFG was 63.6% invested in equities, 35.5% in bonds and 0.9% in real estate.
Muzinich has launched the Muzinich Italian Private Debt fund, which will aim to finance Italian mid-sized businsesses (total earnings between EUR50m and EUR500m), Bluerating reports. It is a Luxembourg-registered Sicav-SIF, which has obtained permission to be sold in Italy to professional investors. The fund will start with initial assets of EUR120m.
UBS Global Asset Management has listed four new UCITS-compliant ETFs on the Italian stock market, Investment Europe reports. The new products, which have been available since 2 December on the Italian stock market, will allow investors to neutralize the volatility of currencies on the US, Swiss and Australian bond markets. The new ETFs are the following: -UBS ETF MSCI USA 100% hedged to EUR UCITS ETF A Acc - TER 0.30% -UBS ETF MSCI Switzerland 20/35 100% hedged to EUR UCITS ETF A Acc - TER 0.30% -UBS ETF MSCI Australia 100% hedged to EUR UCITS ETF A Acc - TER 0.50% -UBS ETF MSCI Switzerland 20/35 UCITS ETF A Acc- TER 0.20%.
Assets in ETFs which replicate the evolution of the Milan stock exchange now total EUR2.7bn, deducting the assets in three ETFs which bet that the market will fall, Plus, the weekly supplement of Il Sole – 24 Ore, reports. A year ago, assets totalled EUR1.4bn. In 12 months, assets have thus doubled, and two ETFs (Lyxor and iShares) are now the top 2 Italian funds, with assets of nearly EUR1bn. Among institutional investors, foreign fund managers primarily select Italian equity ETFs.
ETPs worldwide have posted a net inflow of USD15.8bn in November, compared with USD32.9bn in October, and USD34.3bn in September, according to initial figures from the BlackRock Institute. Since the beginning of the year, net subscriptions represented USD209.9bn, compared with USD224bn in the corresponding period of last year.In Europe, ETPs, attracted USD3.7bn last month, and USD17.2bn since the beginning of the year. Assets in the 2,131 funds represent USD413.5bn, or an average of USD194.04bn, which corresponds to a market share of 17.5%.In the United States, ETPs attracted a net total of USD12.9bn in November, and USD169.3bn in the first 11 months of the year, for total assets of USD1.669trn as of 30 November. Distributed over the 1,531 ETPs monitored by the BlackRock Institute, that comes to an average of USD1.09014bn.The arithmetical average assets managed by US ETPs are thus 6.43 times those of European ETPs.
The Canadian asset management firm Dynamic Funds has launched two new global funds, Dynamic Global Balanced Fund and Dynamic Global Equity Fund. The two strategies will be managed by Dana Love. The first aims for long-term capital growth and returns through investment in equities and bonds from companies active outside Canada. The equity portion will be managed by Dana Love, also responsible for global allocation, while the bond portion will be sub-advised by Pimco Canada. The other strategy, which has the same objectives, will be invested mostly in equities in companies active outside Canada. From 1 January 2013, the Dynamic Strategic Global Bond Fund will also be renamed as the Dynamic Strategic Bond Fund, to take into account the flexible mandate awarded to the fund. The fund is co-managed by Michael McHigh and Bill Kim.
As of 31 October 2013, the overall net assets in specialised collective fund investment vehicles (OPC) totalled EUR2.590128trn, compard with EUR2.539200trn as of 30 September 2013, an increase of 2.01% month on month, according to statistics released by the financial sector surveillance commission (CSSF). Over the past 12 months, net asset volumes are up 11.18%. The Luxembourg OPC industry has thus posted a positive variation in October of EUR50.928bn. This increase represents the remainder of positive net issues, totalling EUR17.447bn (+0.69%), and a favourable evolution of financial markets totalling EUR33.841bn (+1.32%).
Investors in Luxalpha (from Access International Advisors), a feeder fund that supplied funds to Bernard Madoff, have filed suit against the Luxembourg financial sector surveillance commission (CSSF), accusing it of failing to take measures against UBS concerning its role in the management of the investment vehicle, Financial Times fund management reports. They are claiming that the Luxembourg regulator should have taken action against the Swiss bank for making contradictory statements concerning its involvement with the Luxalpha Sicav.
From 1 December, Silvia Wagner has joined the executive board at the Luxembourg-based Alceda Fund Management (60 people, EUR5.4bn), as head of structuring, portfolio management, finance, controlling and central administration.Wagner has 30 years of professional experience, of which 20 is at the Deutsche Bank group, where she was most recently head of DWS Distribution Services and a member of the general management at DWS Finanz-Service.Alceda states that the appointment will be final when the CSSF has granted its permission.
Avec le H&A Asset Allocation Fonds, le francfortois Hauck & Aufhäuser Privatbankiers (H&A) propose depuis le 2 décembre un fonds d’ETF de la marque iShares (BlackRock) qui peut être investi en fonction de la situation de marché jusqu'à 100% en fonds obligataires ou à 100 % en fonds d’actions. Ce produit de droit luxembourgeois sera accessible jusqu’en février 2014 exclusivement auprès de la DAB Bank qui ne facturera pas de droit d’entrée jusqu’en avril 2014.CaractéristiquesDénomination : H&A Asset Allocation FondsCodes Isin :LU0969846426 (parts A, distribution)LU0969846699 (parts B, capitalisation)Date de lancement : 28 octobre 2013Droit d’entrée : 3 % maximumCommission de gestion : 1,30 % maximumCommission de banque dépositaire :0,05 % maximum
Natixis Asset Management informe sur son site les détenteurs de parts du fonds Natixis Actions US Growth qu’elle a créé une part « R EUR » depuis le 2 décembre. Destinée à tous les souscripteurs et plus particulièrement aux particuliers, cette part revêt les caractéristiques suivantes :- Code ISIN : FR0011600410- Affectation des revenus : Capitalisation- Devise de libellé : Euros- Souscripteurs concernés : Tous souscripteurs, et plus particulièrement dédié aux particuliers- Minimum de souscription initiale : Néant- Souscription ultérieure minimale : Néant- Valeur d’origine : 10 000 euros- Frais de fonctionnement et de gestion de 1.80% maximum de l’actif net TTC- Commission de performance de 20% de la surperformance par rapport à l’indice de référence du fonds, le Standard & Poors 500 « Total Return »- Commission de souscription maximale : 3%- Pas de commission de rachat- Décimalisation en dix-millièmes de part La part « R » devient la part « R USD » en raison de la création de la part « R EUR ».
Cedrus vient de lancer le fonds d’actions Cedrus Sustainable Equities. Réservé à 20 porteurs au plus, ce produit FIA s’adresse aux investisseurs institutionnels professionnels souhaitant investir de manière durable sur les actions.Ce lancement a été accompagné par le Groupe de retraite et de prévoyance Apicil.Cedrus AM est spécialisé sur la gestion active de portefeuilles de fonds durables. Au total, plus de 350 millions d’euros d’actifs sont gérés et conseillés par les équipes de la société.
Vincent Taupin rejoint le groupe Edmond de Rothschild. L’intéressé a été nommé à la présidence du directoire de la banque française du groupe, poste qu’il occupera à partir du 6 janvier 2014. Dans ses nouvelles fonctions, il aura la responsabilité des activités de banque privée en France, qui compte 13 milliards d’euros d’encours sous gestion et à laquelle est rattaché le Corporate Finance sur le marché français. Vincent Taupin sera membre du comité exécutif groupe et travaillera sous la responsabilité de Christophe de Backer, CEO du groupe. Celui qui a occupé les postes de président de Boursorama, de directeur général du Crédit du Nord et dernièrement de président de la société Alma Consulting Group, remplace à son nouveau poste de responsable de la banque privée en France Patrice Dordet. Ce dernier cessera ses fonctions dans le courant de l’année 2014, après 12 années passées au sein de la banque privée. Il quitte la société. Par ailleurs, Marc Samuel, actuel président du directoire, est nommé conseiller du CEO du groupe Edmond de Rothschild, Christophe de Backer. Il participera, au sein du comité exécutif groupe à la mise en place du plan stratégique 2013-2016. Les activités de gestion d’actifs, et notamment Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management en France, demeurent sous la responsabilité du global CEO de l’Asset Management, Laurent Tignard.
State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) a annoncé le 2 décembre la nomination de trois nouveaux analystes de recherche au sein de son équipe de gestion fondamentale dans le cadre du développement de l’offre de gestion active de SSgA. Ils seront tous les trois placés sous la direction de Barry Glavin, directeur des investissements de l’équipe de gestion fondamentale.Avant de rejoindre SSgA comme analyste spécialisé dans les secteurs mondiaux de la technologie et des télécoms, Robert Allen était employé chez International Investment and Underwriting (IIU), une société de private equity. Auparavant, Robert Allen a travaillé pendant 11 ans chez Silicon and Software Systems Ltd, qui fait partie de S3 Group. Pour sa part, Eoin Ó hÓgáin sera chargé du secteur des ressources énergétiques mondiales. Avant de rejoindre SSgA, Eoin Ó hÓgáin a travaillé pour Centricaet a acquis plus de dix ans d’expérience dans le secteur de l’énergie. Auparavant, il a travaillé au sein de l’équipe de McKinsey & Company à New York, analysant les marchés mondiaux de l’énergie et des matériaux, ainsi que chez Morgan Stanley en tant qu’analyste principal au sein de l’équipe énergie et entreprises d’utilité publique.James Savage sera chargé des secteurs mondiaux de l’industrie et des services publics. Avant de rejoindre SSgA, il était directeur associé au sein du groupe infrastructure et financement d’actifs de Depfa Bank PLC. James Savage a également travaillé pour KBC Bank et Fortis International Finance à Dublin. L’équipe de gestion fondamentale de SSgA basée à Dublin cherche à investir dans des valeurs mobilières sous-évaluées, par une sélection des titres «bottom-up» axée sur la valeur, s’appuyant sur une analyse fondamentale et un horizon d’investissement à long terme.
Schroders, qui a internalisé son équipe de gestion d’obligations convertibles, vient de recruter Damien Vermonet en tant que gérant de portefeuille. L’intéressé viendra compléter le dispositif mis en place par Schroders pour cette classe d’actifs qui s’appuie sur une partie de l’équipe opérant jusqu’à présent au sein de Fisch AM.Damien Vermonet rejoint ainsi l’équipe formée par Peter Reinmuth gérant des fonds « phare » de la gamme, Schroder ISF Global Convertible Bond et Schroder ISF Asian Convertible Bond, Martin Kuehle, spécialiste produit, et Urs Reiter, négociateur expérimenté sur les obligations convertibles, indique un communiqué. Damien Vermonet gérait depuis 2008 au sein d’Acropole AM un portefeuille global de stratégies long only avec un prisme particulier sur les obligations convertibles américaines. Précédemment, il gérait des obligations convertibles européennes et globales pour Fortis Investments.
Valad Europe, gestionnaire d’investissement immobilier diversifié en Europe, vient de nommer Karl Delattre président de Valad France. Il aura pour mission d’attirer des investisseurs français et internationaux souhaitant se positionner sur le marché français, ainsi que les investisseurs français à la recherche d’opportunités sur le marché immobilier européen plus large, indique un communiqué. Il continuera également d’assurer des performances des fonds existants, tout en identifiant de nouvelles opportunités d’acquisition, en particulier dans les secteurs Core Plus et Value-add en bureau et en commerce parisiens. Précédemment, Karl Delattre a exercé les fonctions de président de BNP Paribas REIS et de Asset Partners, sociétés de gestion d’actifs représentant une valeur de 900 millions d’euros répartis sur quatre fonds non règlementés. Il a également été membre du comité de direction de la ligne de métier Investment Management de BNP Paribas RE.
Pour 39,85 millions d’euros, le fonds Herald European Retail Property Fund géré par Henderson a vendu les parts de la société détenant depuis 2007 le parc d’activité commerciale Parisis Park (8.900 mètres carrés) de Franconville près de Paris à Cordea Savills, qui affecte cet actif à son fonds European Commercial Fund.
Muzinich vient de lancer le fonds Muzinich Italian Private Debt, un fonds qui a pour objectif de financer les entreprises moyennes italiennes (chiffre d’affaires compris entre 50 et 500 millions d’euros), rapporte Bluerating. Il s’agit d’une Sicav-SIF de droit luxembourgeois qui a obtenu le feu vert pour être commercialisé en Italie auprès d’investisseurs professionnels. Le fonds part avec un encours initial de 120 millions d’euros.