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30/11/2012

CIS Asset Management replaces director

Following the resignation of Tapio Bartsch, Michael Stark-Urzendnik and Christoph Püntmann have been appointed as CEOs of CIS Asset Management (Deutschland), a specialist in active management of illiquid credit products and selection of absolute return strategies.Stark-Urzendnik becomes spokesman and chairman of the managing board, and will be responsible for distribution, compliance, reporting and risk management. He had previously been CEO of VersAM Versicherungs0Assetmanagement (EUR40bn in assets).Püntmann, for his part, is responsible for private banking, portfolio management and research activities. He had previously worked for various US investment banks in New York, London and Dubai.
30/11/2012

SAC gives its version of events

Steve Cohen, founder of SAC Capital, has announced that his hedge fund has sold the USD700m in equities at the centre of an insider trading enquiry because one of his managers was no longer comfortable with the position, according to testimony made before investigators by inside sources, the Financial Times reports. This is the first explanation of trades of shares in Elan and Wyeth made by the hedge fund a few days before the announcement by the firms of negative clinical trials.
30/11/2012

ProShares plans to launch a high yield bond ETF

The Bethesda, Maryland-based ProShares (USD22bn in assets) has shelved a filing for a third high yield ETF, the ProShares High Yield-Interest Rate Hedged ETF.The fund will focus on speculative grade corporate debt, and will cover its risks with short positions on US Treasury bonds, Index Universe reports.
30/11/2012

Kimco launches an ETF of Chinese equities in Korea

Korea Investment Management (Kimco) has announced the launch of an ETF which replicates Chinese A class equities, Asian Investor reports. In July this year, Kimco received a qualified foreign institutional investor (QFII) quota for USD100m from the Chinese authorities intended specifically for this product.
30/11/2012

Schwab to launch an ETF money market fund

Charles Schwab has filed to launch a actively-managed short-term bond ETF, the Financial Times reports, claiming that this is a sign that US asset management firms view ETFs as the heirs to money market funds. The Active Short Duration Income ETF, which invests in short-term investment grade bonds, has the same objectives as a money market fund.
30/11/2012

Erste AM changes prefix for its SRI funds

Sustainable development funds from Erste Asset Management, which are managed by Erste Sparinvest, will be changing names on 30 November. Instead of the prefix Espa Vinis, they will share the prefix Erste Responsible, which will allow the products to be recognized both as products of Erste Bank (the central institution of the Austrian savings banks) and as SRI funds.The changes apply to the Espa Vinis Bonds, Bond Euro-Corporate, Cash, Microfinance, Stock Austria, Stock Europe, Stock Europe-Emerging, Stock Global, Stock Climate Change and WWF Stock-Umwelt funds.
30/11/2012

Clearstream opens a centre dedicated to hedge funds in Dublin

The post-market specialist Clearstream (Deutsche Bank group) on 29 November announced that it is launching an investment fund services activity in Dublin. The Dublin office, which may create as many as 100 jobs, will concentrate on services to hedge funds.
30/11/2012

1875 Finance recruits a former Mirabaud strategist

Edouard Crestin-Billet, who for twelve years had been chief strategist, in charge of financial analysis and institutional management in Switzerland at Mirabaud Cie, where he was replaced by Pierre Pinel (formerly of Paribas AM), will in early 2013 be joining the asset management firm 1875 Finance, finews.ch reports. Crestin-Billet will be responsible for institutional management, and particularly pension funds.1875 Finance was founded in 2996 by former heads of Ferrier Lullin (UBS group) and has assets of CHF5bn, of which CHF3bn are from three families. In the next three to five years, Crestin-Billet aims to bring external assets up to CHF3-5bn. Institutional management would then become the third-largest unit at 1875 Finance, which currently is active in private banking and family office.
30/11/2012

Appointment at 1875 Finance

The institutional asset management firm 1875 Finance, a specialist in wealth management and multi-family office, on 29 November announced the appointment of Edouard Crestin-Billet as head of its new institutional management activities (Newsmangers of 7 September 2012). Crestin-Billet, 53, spent twelve years as the chief strategist and head of the financial analysis and institutional management unit at the Mirabaud & Cie group. At that business, he developed institutional activities in Switzerland. Previous to that, he was chief investment officer (CIO) and a member of the executive board at the Banque Edouard Constant. Crestin-Billet began his career at UBS (formerly SBS), where he set up the Investment Advisory activity. 1875 Finance in a statement announces the creation of the new institutional activity, and says that the appointment responds to demand on the part of clients, including pension funds, which are seeking independent structures without conflicts of interest. With no house products on sale, 1875 Finance provides a unique and diversified product range whose objective is the efficiency of the portfolios of its private, and now institutional, clients.
30/11/2012

Credit Suisse sells a real estate complex to NGIM

Credit Suisse, which this summer was required by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to increase its owners’ equity ratio, is continuing to sell properties. The banking group has sold its offices in Uetlihof in Zurich to the pension fund for Norwegian civil servants for CHF1bn, according to a statement released on 29 November.The transaction will result in a pre-tax gain of CHF87m for the entire duration of the rental of the complex, the group’s largest, Credit Suisse says in a statement. The firm has signed a 25-year lease with the buyer, Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), responsible for managing the pension fund.The contract carries an option to extend the lease for a further 15 years. Credit Suisse will retain responsibility for operating the property, which contains the offices of 6,000 employees.
30/11/2012

Founders of SIA Funds part ways

Funds People reports that José Carlos Jarillo has bought up the shares of his partner Walter Scherk in the Swiss asset management firm they founded together, SIA Strategic Investment Advisors Funds (EUR350m).
30/11/2012

Allianz GI adds Allianz German Equity to its range of equity funds

AllianzGI has announced that it is extending its equity product range with the European launch of the Allianz German Equity fund, which invests in German equities. The sub-fund of the Luxembourg Sicav from the asset management firm is managed by Matthias Born, and replicates the German-registered Concentra fund (EUR2bn in assets), which the manager has been responsible for since 2007.Conviction-based management used for the Allianz German Equity fund is based both on bottom-up analysis of businesses and on stock-picking. The fund has a slight bias in favour of growth shares, and prefers large caps, while benefiting from opportunities identified in the small and midcaps segment, a statement says. ISIN code (AT shares): LU0840617350
30/11/2012

S&P confirms ratings for 14 Swiss banks

The financial ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) is maintaining its credit ratings for 14 Swiss banks, including the largest two of them, UBS (A, with stable outlook) and Credit Suisse (A+, with negative outlook). In a survey published on 29 November, S&P analysts estimate that the Swiss government will continue to support banks in the country, despite tougher regulations. As to other institutions, the cantonal banks of Argovia, Basel-Landschaft, Schwytz and Zurich remain rated AAA with negative outlooks. The cantonal banks of Basel, Graubünden and Lucerne remain AA+ with negative outlook. Vontobel and Banque Migros are rated A with negative outlooks. The Cantonal Bank of Geneva remains A+ with stable outlooks, and Safra is BBB+ with positive outlook.
30/11/2012

FactorShares launches three mining ETFs

The US provider FactorShares, which has recently been acquired by GenCap Ventures, on 29 November launched three ETFs on NYSE Arca focused on mining stocks, replicating ISE indices and charging 0.69%, Index Universe reports.The PureFunds ISE Diamond/Gemstone ETF (acronym GEMS) will invest in shares in 26 large firms with liquid shares which are active in the production, prospecting and sales of precious stones. Most of these businesses are not US-based.The PureFunds ISE Mining Service ETF (MSXX) will invest in companies which produce, charter or sell equipment to firms which provide advising and other serices to the mining sector, as well as to firms which are directly involved in prospecting and extraction. The index includes 31 companies.Lastly, the PureFunds ISE Junior Silver ETF (SILJ) will invest in small caps involved in production and prospecting in the silver sector. The index includes 28 firms.
30/11/2012

Appointment at Goldman Sachs AM

Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) has appointed Sheila Patel as head of international equities, Asian Investor reports. Patel, who will take over the responsibilities of Oliver Bolitho, responsible for the Asia-Pacific ex Japan region, will be based in Singapore.She had previously been co-head of GSAM for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) alongside Andrew Wilson. She now covers all activities of Goldman Sachs AM outside the United States, while Wilson takes sole responsibility for EMEA.
30/11/2012

Gramercy Advisors launches an emerging market credit fund

The alternative asset management firm Gramercy Advisors, a specialist in emerging markets, has launched a distressed credit fund, which already has USD200m in assets, according to a letter to investors obtained by Bloomberg.The Gramercy Distressed Opportunity Fund II invests in sovereign or corporate debt which is distressed or in default. Gramercy Advisors estimates that there are opportunities on the lending market and emerging market bonds maturing in 2016, of which one quarter are rated as speculative debt.
30/11/2012

Barings helped by market appreciation in France

Currently, assets at Barings in France total EUR850m, compared with EUR800m at the start of this year. Inflows are somewhat flat, and increases in AUM are attributable to market effects, while 95% of assets under management are in equity products, Benoît du Mesnil du Buisson, chairman of Baring Asset Management France, tells Newsmanagers.The firm has seen good inflows in France for Asian and high yield products, but “equity assets need to be defended against investor mistrust.”The manager says that Barings France is planning to release a European variant of the Irish-registered Dynamic Asset Allocation fund, which already has EUR7bn, soon. It will be a matter of making products not only better known by institutionals, but also by private banks and platforms, in order to reach IFAs.
30/11/2012

Asset servicing: Caceis retained by Russell Investments France

Caceis, a specialist in financial services to institutional investors, asset management firms and large businesses, yesterday announced that it has been selected by Russell Investments France, following a request for proposals to provide depository-custody and valuation services to the bank. Caceis will assist the asset management firm with depository functions and valuations of the first of its French-registered mutual funds. It will support its development in the creation of other products, and will provide additional financial and regulatory reporting services, a statement says.
30/11/2012

Invesco dominates Italian inflows in October

Invesco has posted net inflows in Italy in October of EUR387m, putting it at the top of the list of asset management firms for inflows in the country, according to the Italian asset management association Assogestioni. The news comes at a time when the Italian asset management sector overall has seen outflows of EUR1.9bn for the month.In September, Invesco had already stood out with net inflows of EUR301m.The other top two in terms of subscriptions are Italian firms: Mediolanum (EUR293m) and AM Holding (EUR256m).For outflows, Generali stands out with redemptions of EUR1.7bn. Assogestioni notes that the asset management firm reorganized in October, and that its assets have consequently increased by EUR186m. It is followed by Pioneer, with -EUR643m, and Gruppo Banco Popolare (-EUR286m).
30/11/2012

Another hedge fund casualty

Julian Barnett, former star manager at Polar Capital, is closing his hedge fund management firm, Ridley Park, only two years after founding it, Financial News reports. He becomes the most recent casualty of difficult market conditions, the newspaper remarks.
30/11/2012

Black year for quant hedge funds

Managers of quantitative hedge funds are putting down one of their worst years ever on the books the Financial Times reports. Winton Capital, the largest quant hedge fund in the world, with USD26bn in assets under management, has seen its futures fund lose 5.65% since the beginning of the year as of 27 November. Aspect Capital and AHL have also suffered.
30/11/2012

UCITS hedge fund index up 0.23% in November

The Ucits Alternative Index Blue Chip has finished the month of November up 0.23%. Since the beginning of the year, the index is up by 4.25%.Emerging market funds, which earned gains of 1.19% in the month under review, were the primary contributor to the performance of the index. Long/short equity (+0.45%) and macro (0.39%) strategies also posted significant gains.
30/11/2012

UCITS hedge fund segment continues to grow

The number of hedge funds listed in the database Absolute Hedge has increased to 299 in third quarter, from 292 in second quarter, while assets under management by these funds totalled EUR84.7bn as of the end of September, compared with EUR82.5bn three months previously, according to the most recent edition of the Alceda Quarterly UCITS Review.Despite an increase in the number of hedge strategies, long/short equity remains the segment with the most products, with 113 funds and assets of EUR11.1bn. However, the 53 global macro funds have EUR32.2bn, and the 28 credit funds have EUR21.5bn.The AH UCITS index gained 1.81% in third quarter, and its performance since the beginning of the year totals 2.21%. Aside from managed futures, which have seen an average loss of 0.81%, all alternative strategies showed gains in July-September. Long/short equity, which lost 2.77% in April-June, had the strongest gains in third quarter, with 2.88%.
30/11/2012

LGIM preparing an emerging market sovereign debt fund

On 11 December, Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) is planning to launch a tracker fund of government bonds from emerging markets, managed by Lee Collins, Fundweb reports. The product will replicate the JPMorgan Emerging Markets Bond Index Plus.The currency of reference for the fund is the US dollar, and management commission will be 0.3%.
30/11/2012

L'AFT adjugera de 5,6 à 6,8 milliards de BTF lundi

L’Agence France Trésor annonce l’adjudication, le lundi 3 décembre, d’un montant global compris entre 5,6 et 6,8 milliards d’euros de bons du Trésor (BTF). Cette opération portera sur des montants compris entre 3,4 et 3,8 milliards d’euros de bons à 12 semaines qui arriveront à échéance le 28 février 2013, entre 1,2 et 1,6 milliard d’euros de bons à 23 semaines à échéance du 16 mai 2013, et entre 1 et 1,4 milliard d’euros de bons à 49 semaines à échéance du 14 novembre. L’AFT émettra jeudi un montant compris entre 3,0 et 4,0 milliards d’euros d’obligations assimilables du Trésor (OAT).
30/11/2012

Benoît de Juvigny est nommé secrétaire général de l’AMF

Benoît de Juvigny a été nommé secrétaire général de l’AMF à partir du 1er décembre 2012. Il remplacera Thierry Francq qui exerçait ces fonctions depuis le 1er mars 2009. Benoît de Juvigny a intégré l’AMF en octobre 2004, au poste de chef du service des prestataires et des produits d'épargne. Il est nommé secrétaire général adjoint en 2006 en charge de la direction des émetteurs et, depuis 2011, en charge des directions des émetteurs et des affaires comptables
30/11/2012

La justice européenne préserve les secrets de la BCE

Le Tribunal de l’Union européenne a jugé que la BCE avait valablement refusé en 2010 à une journaliste de Bloomberg l’accès à deux documents liés à la situation économique grecque. «Leur divulgation aurait porté atteinte à la protection de l’intérêt public de la politique économique de l’Union et de la Grèce», ont estimé les juges dans cet arrêt publié le 29 novembre. Les deux documents recherchés détaillaient l’impact des transactions de swaps signées par Athènes pour minorer sa dette.
30/11/2012

La Grèce rachètera ses obligations à des prix différents

La Grèce n’a pas encore décidé à quel prix elle proposera de racheter ses obligations détenues par des investisseurs privés dans le cadre de l’accord conclu mardi avec ses créanciers, mais ce prix est susceptible de varier selon le type d’obligation, selon Reuters. Les prix des obligations grecques potentiellement concernées par un rachat allaient de 25,15 à 34,41 centimes d’euros lors de la clôture du 23 novembre. Elles ne pourront pas être vendues à un prix supérieur.
30/11/2012

La création de la BPI approuvée par l'Assemblée

Les députés français ont adoptéhier le projet de loi qui prévoit la création de la Banque publique d’investissement qui disposera d’environ 40 milliards d’euros destinés aux PME. «Ce texte est l’un des éléments majeurs de notre dispositif de reconquête de la compétitivité française : la BPI est le porte-avion du pacte de compétitivité», a dit Pierre Moscovici, le ministre de l’Economie et des Finances. Le texte «donnera vie à un outil de croissance offensif au service de l'économie réelle, des TPE, des PME, des PME industrielles et des établissements de taille intermédiaire (ETI) qui veulent se développer», a-t-il poursuivi. Le Sénat l’examinera à son tour le 18 décembre. Une commission mixte paritaire (CMP) Assemblée-Sénat sera convoquée dans la foulée afin de mettre au point un texte commun qui sera soumis le 20 décembre aux députés et sénateurs pour son adoption définitive. Pierre Moscovici a souhaité que le premier conseil d’administration se réunisse en janvier de façon à ce que la banque soit opérationnelle «le plus rapidement possible».
30/11/2012

Repli des résultats de Paris-Orléans

La société de tête du groupe Rothschild a publié des résultats semestriels affaiblis par l’environnement économique, un nombre plus faible de fusions-acquisitions et un ralentissement des cessions de participations. Le bénéfice net au 30 septembre a baissé à 35,5 millions d’euros contre 42,4 millions. Les directeurs généraux Nigel Higgins et Olivier Pécoux soulignent tout de même que Paris-Orléans a renforcé ses parts de marché sur la période.

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