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19/02/2013

Edmond de Rothschild to found a private bank in London

merc Edmond de Rotschild will create a private merchant bank in London, which will open in spring, according to reports in the Financial Times. The project is being led by Richard Briance, UK head of Rothschild. He will advise business owners, family offices and high net worth private clients on deals, strategies and investment opportunities. The bank will be named Edmond de Rothschild Private Merchant Banking, and received a license from the Financial Services Authority last month.
19/02/2013

New head of distribution appointed at Barings

Baring Asset Management on February 18th announced the appointment of Angus Woolhouse as global head of distribution, based in London and effective immediately. He is replacing George Harvey, who will be retiring from the City at the end of April after over 14 years at the firm. He reports to David Brennan, Barings’ chairman and chief executive.Angus Woolhouse has over 20 years’ international experience in the asset management industry and has held a number of senior leadership roles within the sector, at firms including Gartmore, Invesco and HSBC Asset Management. Most recently he has been a strategic adviser to several international asset management firms.He is responsible for global sales, client relationship and business development across all channels.
19/02/2013

Barclays wealth management overhauls its product range

The wealth management unit at Barclays has called off plans to introduce an administration commission for companies that offer funds when their products are recommended for the portfolios of private clients, Investment Week reports. Wealth management at the British group has also cut back the number of funds available on its shopping list for discretionary portfolio management. Barclays has reduced the perimeter for its selection to a list of 100 funds from 50 providers, compared with 400 funds previously.
19/02/2013

WH Ireland acquires Seymour Pierce wealth management

The Irish group WH Ireland on 18 February announced the acquisition of the wealth management activities of Seymour Pierce, which have been under legal administration since last month. The transaction price is GBP25,000, a statement says. Assets under management for wealth management clients at Seymour Pierce total about GBP270m. The acquisition will allow WH Ireland to increase its assets under management by about 15%.
19/02/2013

Natixis sells off its CCIs for over EUR12bn

Natixis on 17 February announced at a publication of its annual results that it is selling off cooperative investment certificates (CCI) to the co-Within the savings unit 9asset management, insurance and private banking) at Natixis, growth remains dynamic in asset management, particularly in the United States, and the context in 2012 is expected to have been difficult overall for life insurance activities. Gross net proceeds from asset management are up 17% compared with fourth quarter 2011, at EUR437m (+13% at constant rates). The acquisition of McDonnell in the United States is being finalised, and will develop the group’s expertise in fixed income and municipal bond products (EUR10bn in assets under maoperative banks and savings banks, for a total of EUR12.1bn. At the conclusion of the operation, Natixis would pay a one-time distribution of EUR2bn, or EUR0.65 per share. Good results for asset management Assets under management totalled EUR591bn as of 31 December 2012, compared with a level of EUR570bn as of 30 September 2012, due to net outflows of -EUR2.2bn, currency effects of -EUR6bn, perimeter effect of +EUR15.5bn (primarily the acquisition of McDonnell) and market effects of +EUR13.6bn. Net inflows were positive to the tune of EUR4.5bn in the United States in 2012.
19/02/2013

Profits down and assets up for UFF in 2012

In 2012, Union Financière de France (UFF) has reported a contraction of 40% in its net profits to EUR15.2m, which is mainly due to a decline in revenues from commissions (-11% to EUR142.2m). However, assets managed as of the end of December totalled EUR7.2bn, up 9% over the level twelve months previously, as net inflows contributed EUR49bn to an EUR613m increase in AUM.At the beginning of 2013, UFF is launching “products aimed at investors seeking performance with controlled risk-taking.” In addition, 2013 will be marked by the operational start in second quarter of activities at the affiliate CGP Entrepreneurs, founded in June 2012, dedicated to the IFA market.
19/02/2013

Bonuses down sharply on Wall Street

2012 bonuses paid to finance professionals on Wall Street are disappearing like snow in the sun. According to a recent survey by eFinancialCareers, the average bonuses paid for last year were 36% down compared with the previous year. Front office is the hardest hit by the decline, down 38% in one year, compared with -15% for middle office and -2% for back office employees. efinancialCareers also reports that Wall Street is increasingly subjecting bonuses to performance conditions. 13% of respondents say that at least part of their bonus depends on performance, compared with only 7% in 2011. “Whether or not the performance of the business is the reason for bonuses to fall, many finance professionals estimate that the performance of the company is not enough to guarantee a good bonus: now, measurable personal performance is the important thing,” the study says. As a result, eFinancialCareers predicts that heads of human resources will have more trouble recruiting due to a lack of assurances about bonus levels. A decline of bonuses may also result in an increase in the set portion of salaries.
19/02/2013

French SRI management clarifies its transparency code

The Transparency Code for open-ended SRI (socially responsible investment) funds has been updated by the French financial management association (AFG) for the second time, in collaboration with the Responsible Investment Forum (FIR) and the European Sustainable Investment Forum (Eurosif), by a working group led by Paul de Marcellus, a member of the SRI Commission at AFG, and Vice President of FIR. The new version of the Code has been approved by the boards of directors at the AFG and FIR, and approved throughout Europe by the Board of Eurosif.The objectives of the Code remained unchanged. They are largely to improve the legibility and transparency of the process for SRI funds for investors/savers and strengthen self-regulation through the establishment of a common code of best practices and transparency.The modifications to the Code aim to simplify it to increase legibility, with a reduction in the number of questions, the merger of the Code with its use manual, and the standardisation of the format for responses through a recommendation to asset management firms to create a 10 to 30-page document.
19/02/2013

Syz & Co adds Japanese equities to product range

Syz Asset Management is now offering management of Japanese equities as part of its range of institutional strategies. To implement this strategy, the institutional asset management arm of the Swiss banking Group Syz & CO has recruited Joël Le Saux, a Japanese market specialist. Offered to institutional investors in the form of segregated mandates, this expertise will also be accessible to a broader public via the Oyster Japan Opportunities fund, which will thus be managed by Syz Asset Management. This new asset class strengthens the Syz & CO Group’s expertise in international equities and is an addition to the 17 strategies already available.In addition to management of segregated accounts, Joël Le Saux will be taking over management of the Oyster Japan Opportunities fund, which until now was entrusted to the asset management company Morant Wright of London. Unlike the orientation towards mainly domestic small- and medium-sized companies that had prevailed until now, Joël Le Saux’s management will be more agnostic in terms of style, sectors and market capitalization. His “bottom-up” approach focuses on undervalued companies, while taking into account the Japanese and global economic environment. The portfolio will be more balanced between domestic-oriented stocks and international exporting companies.Joël Le Saux joins Syz Asset Management with 17 years’ experience of the Japanese market. He joined UBP in Geneva in 2011, where he was a “product specialist” and analyst for funds investing in Japan.
19/02/2013

Orix acquires Robeco

Japan’s Orix is acquiring approximately 90.01% of the equity in Robeco from Rabobank, for EUR 1,935 million, according to a statement published on Tuesday morning. Closing of the transaction is subject to legal and regulatory approvals, which are expected to be completed within six months. The amount is approximately 1,1 % of Robeco’s AUM of EUR189bn.Part of the agreement is a strategic alliance between Rabobank and Orix. This includes Rabobank retaining a 9.99% share in Robeco, and continuing to cooperate in maintaining and expanding the asset manager’s business platform. The Japanese group will allocate treasury stock to Rabobank as part of the acquisition price, and as a result Rabobank becomes a shareholder of Orix. Also, Orix and Rabobank have agreed that Robeco’s banking activities, which are only based in the Netherlands, will be transferred to Rabobank with Robeco retaining its client service relations. «The financial market has drastically changed since the financial crisis and Orix believes that it is necessary to pursue a new business model by combining finance with related services in a strategy called «Finance + Services.» As one of the measures to drive this strategy, Orix has been seeking to build its presence in the global asset management industry in recent years, as evidenced by the 2010 purchase of Mariner Investment Group in the U.S.», according to a press release.
19/02/2013

Reuss Private licensed as securities broker

The wealth management firm Reuss Private has received permission from the Swiss federal financial regulator, Finma, to launch securities brokerage activitis, Agefi Switzerland reports. Reuss has more direct access to financial markets, which will allow it to extend its range of services. “The status of securities broker will help us to continue our growth,” says Adriano Lucatelli, director and partner at Reuss Private, which presents itself as an “independent wealth management firm for discerning clients.”
19/02/2013

Fidelity extends UK allocation fund range

In the United Kingdom, Fidelity is now offering the profiled allocation funds Fidelity Multi Asset Open Defensive, Fidelity Multi Asset Open Adventurous and Fidelity Multi Asset Open World, which bring the Fidelity Multi Asset Open multi-asset class product range, including the Strategic and Open Growth funds, to five.The funds are managed by the multi manager team, including James Bateman (head of Multi Manager & Multi Asset Portfolio Management) as well as the portfolio managers Ayesha Akbar and Eugene Philalithis. Recently, the asset manager has decided to rename the Fidelity MultiManager Growth Fund, managed by Akbar, in the Fidelity Multi Asset Open Growth and Fidelity MultiManager Balanced Fund, managed by Philalithis, in the Fidelity Multi Asset Open Strategic fund.The new Defensive fund will be 50% invested in bonds, 25% in cash, 15% in equities, 5% in commodities and 5% in REITs, while the Adventurous fund will be 75% invested in equities, 15% in commodities, and 10% in REITs. Lastly, the Open World fund may hold up to 100% equities.
19/02/2013

RLAM launches two global high yield funds

Royal London Asset Management on 18 February announced two new funds which aim to meet the growing demand of investors for strategies that generate revenues in the speculative grade category. The two new vehicles, in UCITS IV format, will be domiciled in Dublin, and will be available in the United Kingdom from 27 February. The Royal London Global High Yield fund aims for annual returns 1% higher than its benchmark, the BoAML BB-B Global Non-Financial High Yield Constrained Index. The Royal London Short Duration Global High Yield Fund, for its part, aims for annual returns 2% higher than those of its benchmark index, the Libor 3-month index, while maintaining a duration of near two months.
19/02/2013

FSA checks up on first concrete results of RDR

Money Marketing reports that the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has sent a letter to 50 asset management firms to ask them how they have applied RDR regulations to advice fees. The questionnaire was sent to a sample of small, mid-sized and large firms, including independent, captive, and hybrid companies.20 of the companies will be examined in more detail, with visits from FSA inspectors and analysis of client files.After six months, the FSA will publish examples of good and poor practices.
19/02/2013

Strong institutional inflows to Invesco Germany

In 2012, Invesco Asset Management Deutschland posted net inflows of EUR1.5bn from institutional investors. Demand was primarily for real estate products and guaranteed diversified vehicles, the Börsen-Zeitung reports.
19/02/2013
Fonds

Forte hausse des titres émis par les OPCVM non monétaires au quatrième trimestre

L’encours de titres émis par les OPCVM non monétaires de la zone euro s’inscrivait fin décembre à 6.558 millliards d’euros, contre 6.349 milliards d’euros en septembre 2012, selon les statistiques communiquées par la Banque centrale européenne (BCE). Une évolution qui s’explique à la fois par une augmentation de la valeur des parts et par les émissions nettes.Les souscriptions nettes de titres d’OPCVM non monétaires de la zone euro se sont inscrites à 123 milliards d’euros au quatrième trimestre 2012, précise la BCE. Sur la même période, l’encours des titres émis par les OPCVM monétaires de la zone euro a diminué, revenant à 911 milliards d’euros, après 942 milliards. Les rachats nets detitres d’OPCVM monétaires sont ressortis à 22 milliards d’euros.En ce qui concerne la ventilation par stratégies de placement, le rythme de progression annuel des titres émis par les fonds «obligations» est ressorti à 12,0% en décembre2012 et les souscriptions nettes se sont élevées à 74 milliards d’euros au quatrième trimestre 2012. Dans le cas des fonds «actions», ce taux s’est inscrit à 0,7% et les souscriptions nettes à 18 milliards d’euros sur la même période. Pour les fonds «mixtes», le taux de croissance s’est établi à 3,8% et les souscriptions nettes à 22 milliards d’euros.
Fonds
19/02/2013

Le japonais Orix rachète le néerlandais Robeco

Le groupe japonais de services financiers Orix va racheter le gestionnaire d’actifs néerlandais Robeco auprès de Rabobank pour 1,935 milliard d’euros dans le cadre d’une opération en numéraire et en actions. Il s’agit de la plus grosse acquisition de l’histoire d’Orix, société à la fois présente dans la location, l’assurance-vie, l’immobilier, le crédit aux entreprises et dans le sport via la propriété d’une équipe de baseball professionnelle. Orix va payer Rabobank sans avoir recours à une augmentation de capital. A l’issue de la transaction, Rabobank détiendra 2% de la société japonaise. Rabobank, première banque de détail des Pays-Bas, conservera une participation de 9,99% dans Robeco. La banque coopérative, qui se recentre sur son activité de financement des agriculteurs néerlandais, avait annoncé en avril qu’elle étudiait différentes options pour Robeco après la perte de son triple A de la part de Standard & Poor’s en novembre 2011.
Photo : PhB
19/02/2013

Tokyo reporte le choix du gouverneur de la BoJ

Le gouvernement japonais a repoussé d’une semaine la nomination du gouverneur de la Banque du Japon (BoJ), une décision qui alimente les rumeurs de frictions entre le Premier ministre et le ministre des Finances sur le choix de l’homme qui sera chargé d’adopter une politique aggressive de soutien à la croissance. Le Premier ministre Shinzo Abe exige une politique monétaire ultra-accommodante du nouveau gouverneur qui doit être nommé d’ici fin mars, afin de sortir enfin le Japon de la déflation.
19/02/2013

L'Espagne emprunte quatre milliards d'euros à court terme

Le Trésor espagnol a placé mardi pour quatre milliards d’euros de bons à trois et à neuf mois, un montant qui correspond au haut de sa fourchette de prévisions, et l’opération à trois mois a été marquée par une légère baisse du rendement. Pour le papier à trois mois, Madrid a émis 0,89 milliard d’euros, le ratio de couverture ressortant à 5,8 contre 4,2 lors d’une précédente adjudication et le rendement revenant de 0,441% à 0,421%. Le Trésor espagnol a également émis pour 3,12 milliards d’euros de bons à neuf mois, une maturité inédite, avec un ratio de couverture de 2,3 et un rendement de 1,144%.
19/02/2013

Madrid va lever cette semaine entre 6 et 8 milliards d’euros

Le Trésor espagnol compte émettre entre 6 et 8 milliards d’euros de titres de dette à l’occasion de ses adjudications de cette semaine. L'émission demain de bons à trois et neuf mois devrait porter sur un montant compris entre 3 et 4 milliards d’euros. Jeudi, le Trésor entend lever entre 3 et 4 milliards à l’occasion de l’adjudication d’emprunts à échéance du 31 mars 2015, du 31 octobre 2019 et du 31 janvier 2023.
19/02/2013

Les prix de l’électricité devraient bondir de 30% d’ici à 2017

La facture moyenne d'électricité des ménages français devrait bondir de 30% d’ici à 2017, selon des projections de la Commission de régulation de l'énergie (CRE). Le régulateur précise dans un rapport que cette hausse sera due pour plus du tiers à l’augmentation de la contribution au service public de l'électricité (CSPE), laquelle s’explique notamment par le développement des énergies renouvelables.
19/02/2013

Les «supercrédits» allemands violeraient les objectifs de CO2

L’usage illimité de «supercrédits», défendu par l’Allemagne afin de soutenir la production d’automobiles haut de gamme, remettrait en cause les objectifs de l’UE en matière de réduction des émissions de CO2, estime la Commission européenne. Ils permettent aux constructeurs de produire des véhicules dont les émissions dépassent les quotas européens, à condition d’assembler des véhicules hybrides ou électriques.
19/02/2013

L'Egypte revoit à la baisse ses prévisions de croissance

La croissance égyptienne sera de 3% à l’issue de l’année fiscale s’achevant fin juin, a déclaré Achraf Al Arabi, ministre du Plan et de la Coopération internationale, revoyant à la baisse une précédente prévision fixée à 4%. Il a également annoncé que la croissance annuelle avait atteint 2,5% au cours du dernier trimestre 2012.
19/02/2013

Quinze jours de répit avant le cadrage budgétaire

Une source gouvernementale citée par Reuters a indiqué que les lettres de cadrage budgétaire 2014 seront envoyées d’ici 15 jours, démentant des informations faisant état d’une accélération de la procédure pour faire face à la dégradation des comptes publics. Jean-Marc Ayrault aura l’occasion d'évoquer le sujet lors d’un déjeuner de ministres mercredi à Matignon et jeudi matin lors d’une réunion interministérielle à l’Elysée.
19/02/2013

Man Group fusionne deux filiales de gestion alternative

Le plus important gestionnaire alternatif coté au monde a décidé de rapprocher deux filiales, AHL et Man Systematic Strategies. Il a nommé par ailleurs Luke Ellis à sa présidence. Soumise à une forte pression, la société a remanié sa direction. Emmanuel Roman doit remplacer Peter Clarke au poste de directeur général à compter du 28 février.
19/02/2013

David Cameron s’impatiente dans le dossier RBS

Le Premier ministre britannique a exprimé hier son impatience à voir la banque revenir à une situation bénéficiaire afin que l’Etat puisse progressivement sortir de son capital. «Nous souhaitons, quand c’est possible, une accélération des ajustements réalisés afin d’en faire un établissement puissant» a ainsi indiqué David Cameron lors de son déplacement en Inde. Et d’ajouter à l’intention du directeur général de RBS, Stephen Hester, que «la première tache est de retrouver la performance de RBS et de renforcer son bilan, renforcer ses activités». David Cameron précise d’ailleurs qu’«il est néanmoins de mon devoir d’examiner toutes les possibilités réalisables pour rendre RBS au secteur privé». L’Etat britannique a investi 45 milliards dans le sauvetage de RBS en rachetant des actions entre 410 et 500 pence selon les méthodes de calcul, contre un cours de clôture de l’action 339,3 pence hier.
19/02/2013

Le nouveau gouverneur de la BoJ bientôt désigné

Le ministre des Finances japonais Akira Amari a indiqué ce matin que le gouvernement désignera le nouveau gouverneur de la Banque du Japon qui succédera à Masaaki Shirakawa ainsi que ses adjoints après le retour du Premier ministre de son voyage aux Etats-Unis prévu du 21 au 24 février.
19/02/2013

Accord sur une ligne à grande vitesse entre Kuala Lumpur et Singapour

La Malaisie et Singapour ont signé hier un accord en vue de la construction d’une liaison ferroviaire à grande vitesse entre les villes de Kuala Lumpur et Singapour, distantes d’environ 350 km. L’objectif était d’achever les travaux en 2020. «Elle inaugurera une nouvelle ère de croissance forte, de prospérité et de perspectives pour nos deux pays», notent les deux gouvernements dans un communiqué.

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