P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Assets indermediated by Santander in external funds have reached EUR14bn, which represents an increase of 31% in the past twelve months, says José María Martínez-Sanjuán, director of analysis and fund selection at the bank, which currently has seven specialists.Funds People reports that Santander has made a “focus list” of 150 external funds (currently not including any ETFs), from 48 asset management firms, and this list is expected to grow to include 170-180 products, according to the needs of the group. In order to be included on the list, funds are required to have at least EUR100m in assets.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Colin Graham, co-head of global multi-asset class strategies at BlackRock, is leaving his job, Investment Week reports. The Balanced Growth and Active Managed funds which he had managed will now be entrusted to Philip Brides, who will co-manage them with Andy Warwick. Graham will remain at BlackRock, where he has worked for 16 years.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The head of strategy at Carnegie, Daniel Ljungström, has left the financial firm to join Swedbank, Realtid reports, noting that transfers between the two Swedish firms are increasing. Johan Mörner, who had worked at Carnegie, has also joined Swedbank as head of private banking. The new head of private banking at Carnegie, Karin Söderqvist Lindoff, had previously been a head at Swedbank.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Stéphane Wathier has been appointed as deputy director and director of sales at Société Générale Private Banking Belgium, from 2 April 2013, according to a statement released on 3 April by Société Générale Private Banking.Wathier will assist Jan De Coninck, director of private banking in Belgium, to manage and develop activities at the affiliate and its branches in the region. He will also be responsible for commercial strategy, direction of marketing actions and supervision of private banking teams.Société Générale Private Banking has 11 branches in Belgium, in Ghent, Brussels, Anvers, Alost, Bruges, Courtrai, Hasselt, Knokke-Heist, Louvain, Tournai and Campine. It has direct access to all international expertise of the private bank in consulting for wealth management and investment solutions for clients.Wathier in 2009 became director of portfolio management at Société Générale Private Banking in Paris, where he was responsible for coordinating and promoting the range of products and services to the international network of the private bank. In 2011, he extended his responsibilities to also supervise strategy teams at the private bank.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } UBS Asset Management is offering two new funds dedicated to emerging market equities, with the priority given to large businesses with activities in growing emerging markets, Citywire reports.The UBS Western Winners Equity fund, managed by Nick Irish, will invest in 40 publicly-traded funds listed in developed markets, but which earn at least 40% of their revenues in emerging markets.The other fund, UBS Solid Consumer Brands, managed by Alexander Galbiati, focuses primarily on companies with a strong market share and well-known brands.The two funds are domiciled in Luxembourg, and are currently registered for sale in Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Austria and Spain.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } In March, the average daily on-book trading volume for ETPs on the European markets of NYSE Euronext fell by 1.73% compared with February 2013, and 1.37% compared with March 2012, to EUR248m, while total volume, at EUR4.96bn, was down 1.73% compared with the previous month, and 10.34% compared with the corresponding period of last year.However, the block trade volume in March came to EUR1.16bn, 4.37% higher than in February.The median spread in the month under review has fallen to 23.5 basis points, from 24.4 in February, and 25.1 in January. This is one fifth lower than its level as of March 2012.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The UCITS Alternative index by the Swiss firm Alix Capital in March shows a gain of 0.41%, compared with 0.14% in February, and 1.03% in January, while UCITS-compliant hedge funds have posted returns for first quarter as a whole of 1.59%, compared with 1.75% for the corresponding period of 2012, while March brought a loss of 0.49%.Four strategies out of twelve show losses in March 2013: commodities (-0.75%), emerging markets (-0.17%), equity market neutral (-0.11%) and volatility (-0.4%). The strongest gains, however, was for CTA (+1.12%).Total assets in single UCITS-compliant hedge funds as of the end of March came to EUR147bn, compared with EUR143bn one month earlier, and EUR141bn as of the end of January.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }A:link { } In his blog, Daniel Godfrey, CEO of the Investment Management Association (IMA), on 3 April proposed a method to determine the actual costs of funds. The method would essentially divide the number of shares issued each day of the year under review, with their net asset value, by the charges (management commission, administrative fees, transaction fees, stamp duty, currency exchange commissions, etc.).Godfrey admits that the method may appear simplistic, but that anomalies could be resolved by consensus as they appear.The head of the IMA also concedes that the method does not include front-end and withdrawal fees, but these are already known precisely, and should not represent an obstacle.The method also does not take into account advice or platform costs. But when an adviser or platform is in the circuit, it may could be their responsibility to include the numbers and to add their own costs to the statement. «But again, these costs will be known and can easily be expressed and included», Godfrey says.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Assets under management in the United Kingdom for the first time have topped GBP700bn, at a total of GBP706bn as of the end of February, up 14% compared with February 2012, according to statistics from the British Investment Management Association (IMA). Net inflows totalled GBP1.3bn, their highest level since April 2012. Inflows to equity funds in February totalled GBP940m, their highest level since April 2011. Global equity funds posted inflows of nearly GBP300m, while European equity funds attracted GBP258m, and British equity funds attracted GBP190m. However, bond funds saw redemptions for the second consecutive month, totalling GBP163m in February, a level not seen since July 2008 (GBP190m). Diversified funds have posted a net inflow of GBP377m.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Global X Funds company, based in New York, which is well-known for its niche strategies, is offering two ETFs dedicated to frontier markets, which will provide investors with privileged access to Nigeria and to Mongolia and Central Asia. The Global X Nigeria Index ETF (NYSE Arca: NGE), with fees of 0.68% per year, is the first US ETF to focus exclusively on the most populous African country. The fund offers direct exposure to about 25 Nigerian companies, in a manner similar to funds such as the iShares MSCI Frontier 100 Index Fund, which is diluted by an allocation of 13.5% to Nigeria. The other fund, the Global X Central Asia & Mongolia Index ETF (NYSE Arca: AZIA), with fees of 0.69% per year, invests in about 25 companies of Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Florida-based asset management firm Intech Investment Management on 3 April announced that it is launching a new range of strategies dedicated to emerging markets, including Emerging Markets Managed Volatility, Emerging Markets Low Volatility and Emerging Markets Core, in order to respond to rising demand from institutional investors for products of this type. The products, all of which are based on the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, are diversification vehicles aimed at institutionals. Assets under management at Intech, an affiliate of the US firm Janus Capital Group, as of the end of December 2012 totalled USD40.2bn.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } On the same day, 3 April, Axa Investment Managers and Credit Suisse announced that they have received licenses to release the Equity Volatility sub-fund of the Luxembourg Sicav Axa WF (see Newsmanagers of 5 March), and the Liquid Alternative Beta Fund, a sub-fund of the Luxembourg-based Credit Suisse One Sicav (see Newsmanagers of 19 March), in Germany.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Frankfurt-based asset management firm Source for Alpha (S4A) has retained KAS Investment Servicing GmbH to manage the German-registered quantitative fund S4A Pure Equity, launched on 2 April, which uses an exclusive quantitative model to invest in equities of all cap sizes denominated in euros. The product is similar to the US equity fund S4A US Long UI.The portfolio includes about 150 equally weighted euro zone equities. The model takes into account valuation, the profit situation and risk of bankruptcy, acquisitions and capital increases. Computerised selection and analysis is subject on an ongoing basis to critical examination for plausibility by portfolio managers, who select equities that have the best chances of gains.CharacteristicsName: S4A EU Pure Equity (R)ISIN code: DE000A1JUW44Front-end fee: 5%Management commission: 1.10%Performance commission: 205 of performance exceeding the Euro Stoxx EUR Net Return; maximum 5% of assets in the fund.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Russell Investments is launching a defensive equity fund in Italy, the Russell Global Defensive Equity, Bluerating reports. The product is a mandate fund.
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Under the terms of a presidential decree, employees of the Russian government have three months to close their accounts abroad and repatriate any capital held there. Those who fail to comply with this ukase will be fired. However, finews notes, relaying reports in the Financial Times, the bill has loopholes, particularly concerning assets held by companies that are controlled by a member of the family, which are not affected by the rule. However, foreign banks with many Russian clients are under pressure, such as the Swiss bank Julius Bär, which has recently recruited two ultra-high net worth specialists from Sberbank, Rufat Askerov and Alexei Dolgikh.
La chambre de compensation LCH.Clearnet a annoncé qu’elle allait réduire le coût de l’utilisation des obligations d’Etat françaises et espagnoles comme collatéral pour lever des fonds. Pour la dette française, cette décision concerne les titres dont la maturité s'échelonne de neuf mois à 15 ans, a précisé LCH.Clearnet. Pour les titres espagnols, elle porte sur les titres de zéro à 1,25 an et de 4,75 à 15 ans.
En pleine tourmente politique liée à l’affaire Cahuzac, l’exécutif peut au moins trouver un motif de consolation: jamais la France ne s’est financée si peu cher. L’Agence France Trésor a adjugé jeudi matin 2 milliards d’euros d’OAT à 10 ans à un taux moyen de 1,94%, empruntant ainsi pour la première fois sous les 2% sur cette maturité. L’AFT a aussi adjugé des OAT 2020 et 2021 à des rendements respectifs de 1,26% et 1,54%. Au total, la France a emprunté 6,97 milliards d’euros.
Le Trésor espagnol a adjugé jeudi pour 4,31 milliards d’emprunts à des échéances allant de trois à huit ans avec un rendement en hausse pour la maturité la plus courte. Le montant émis est supérieur à la fourchette prévue, qui allait de trois à quatre milliards. La demande pour une nouvelle ligne à trois ans a été 1,9 fois supérieure à l’offre, contre 2 fois lors d’une opération comparable en janvier.
La Banque d’Angleterre (BoE) a annoncé le maintien de son taux directeur à 0,5%, son plus bas niveau historique, et décidé de ne pas relancer ses injections de liquidité sur les marchés. Pas de surprise non-plus pour la Banque Centrale Européenne qui n’a pas modifié ses taux directeurs jeudi, les marchés ébranlés par la crise chypriote attendent surtout de la part du président Mario Draghi des déclarations propres à les rassurer quelque peu. Le taux de refinancement reste donc à 0,75%, tandis que le taux de la facilité de dépôt est nul et que le taux de prêt marginal demeure à 1,5% Ces taux ont été modifiés pour la dernière fois le 5 juillet 2012.
La Banque du Japon (BoJ) a surpris les marchés jeudi en annonçant une refonte de sa politique monétaire, dont l’objectif prioritaire sera désormais l’augmentation de la masse monétaire et plus le taux d’intérêt au jour le jour, ce qui la conduira entre autres à acheter massivement des emprunts d’Etat.
Lors de la première réunion très attendue de son comité de politique monétaire sous la présidence d’Haruhiko Kuroda, la Banque du Japon (BoJ) a annoncé ce matin une accélération et une amplification de son programme de rachats d’actifs destiné à atteindre l’objectif d’un retour de l’inflation à un niveau de 2% dans les deux prochaines années, souhaité par le gouvernement de Shinzo Abe.
Les courtiers de la place de Hong Kong réunis hier auraient manifesté leur perplexité face aux modalités de collecte de la taxe sur les transactions financières de 0,22% imposée par le gouvernement italien et qui s’applique à Prada coté à Hong Kong, selon le South China Morning Post. Les régulateurs de Hong Kong ont demandé au gouvernement de réclamer des clarifications au gouvernement italien.
«La Commission européenne a allumé une mèche reliée à une bombe et personne ne semble prêt à l'éteindre. La France se tire une balle dans le pied». Telle est l’alerte lancée dans le journal par Paul-Henri de La Porte du Theil, président de l’AFG. Ce dernier estime que le coût de l’instauration de la taxe sur les transactions financières serait de 6 milliards d’euros environ pour les gestions, dont les deux tiers pour les fonds monétaires, du fait de la double imposition (à l’intérieur du fonds et lors de sa revente). Dans un entretien au quotidien, Gérard Rameix, le président de l’AMF, estime qu’avant de prendre une décision, la France doit «bien en mesurer les conséquences».
Au premier trimestre, les volumes d'émission d’obligations convertibles en actions ont bondi de 77% au niveau mondial, selon les données publiées par Thomson Reuters. La recherche de rendement de la part des investisseurs favorise la classe d’actifs dans un environnement de taux bas.
La monnaie unique a maintenu sa part dans les réserves mondiales de changes au quatrième trimestre grâce à une appréciation face au dollar, selon le FMI