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03/09/2012

Vontobel ouvre sa plate-forme Veritrade à de nouveaux émetteurs

Le groupe suisse Vontobel a confirmé des informations de l’agence finews selon lesquelles la plate-forme dédiée aux produits structurés Veritrade pourrait être ouverte à des nouveaux émetteurs.Société Générale et Morgan Stanley figurent parmi les premiers participants potentiels de cette plate-forme désormais multi-émetteurs. Avec cette nouvelle initiative, Vontobel espère consolider sa position d’acteur de tout premier plan dans le domaine de la distribution de produits structurés.
03/09/2012

Swisscanto renforce son équipe haut rendement

Analyste financière chez Lombard Odier, Ju Lee rejoint l'équipe haut rendement d’Omar Saeed et Roland Hausheer chez Swisscanto, rapporte Das Investment. Elle sera responsable des fonds Swisscanto Institutional Bond Fund Global High Yield et Swisscanto Bond Invest Global High Yield.
03/09/2012

Caceis choisi par une société de gestion allemande spécialisée dans l'immobilier

Caceis est devenu cet été la banque dépositaire de la société de gestion de Patrizia GewerbeInvest KAG pour ses portefeuilles immobiliers. Le mandat concerne le segment des fonds immobiliers dédiés aux investisseurs institutionnels selon la loi d’investissement allemande et représente plus de 1,3 milliard d’euros d’actifs, transférés en juillet 2012.L’encours en conservation de sociétés de gestion allemandes spécialisées dans l’immobilier chez Caceis s'élève désormais à plus de 19 milliards d’euros.
03/09/2012

KanAm fait preuve de rapacité

Le Handelsblatt juge très maladroit que le gestionnaire munichois ait eu l’idée de majorer à 1,20 % contre 0,825 % le taux de la commission sur un de ses fonds immobiliers offerts au public qui se trouve en liquidation. C’est un signe de rapacité extrême, puisque les investisseurs ne peuvent même pas vendre leurs parts pour se soustraire à cette arnaque.
03/09/2012

Kai Sotorp returns to UBS GAM

The CEO of UBS Global Asset Management, John Fraser, has convinced Kai Sotorp, former head for Asia-Pacific, to return to work for the firm, and to return to his former position, Financial News reports. Sotorp had been head for Asia-Pacific at UBS GAM Between 2002 and 2004 He left the group in 2010.
03/09/2012

Two Singapore funds eye Swiss private banking activities of Generali

BSI, the Swiss private bank belonging to the Generali group, is reported to have received expressions of interest from two Singapore sovereign funds, Temasek and Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), Agefi reports, citing the Italian press.The Italian insurer had been hoping to make about USD2bn for BSI, which was considered optimistic in the banking world. According to several analysts, the Italian insurer needs about EUR5.5bn to comply with Solvency 2 regulations.
03/09/2012

Guy Monson withdraws from management of two funds from Sarasin

Guy Monson, managing partner and CIO of Sarasin, has withdrawn from the management of the Global Equity Income and International Equity Income funds, Investment Week reveals. The funds will now be managed by Mark Whitehead, who was already their co-manager, with Darryl Lucas.
03/09/2012

FSA oversees implementation of RDR

The British Financial Services Authority (FSA) in the seventh issue of its newsletter on RDR regulations draws the attention of the finance community to the distinction between product cost and the cost of advising.RDR regulations require the largest firms, such offer both advising on products and products, to introduce “reasonably representative” advising fees for services offered. This, the FSA says, forbids these firms from hiding these advising costs with profits from other areas of their activities.The FSA is concerned that firms will apply too restrictive a vision of what should be included in the cost of advising, excluding, for example, IT costs, marketing budgets or costs related to the development of the activity.The case will remain at the centre of the FSA’s concerns until the end of the year, the FSA adds, adding that firms need to test their new pricing models.
03/09/2012

FATCA: Ernst & Young warns platforms

The auditing and consulting firm Ernst & Young has issued a warning to platforms that are planning to cease to accept operations from US taxpayers based in the United Kingdom on the pretext that the reporting required by the FATCA law is too costly, Money Marketing reports. According to Ernst & Young, the FATCA legislation will require platforms to set up new procedures for opening accounts, in order to more easily serve potential US taxpayer customers. In other words, it will be difficult for platforms to restrict itself to complying only with the requirements of this many-tentacled regulation. Dan Hall, a partner at Ernst & Young specialised in advising on financial services, says “platforms have manifestly been under multiple pressures recently, largely due to changes related to RDR regulations,” which come into effect on 1 January 2013. But there is still time to comply with requirements related to to the FATCA law, which also comes into effect in 2013.
03/09/2012

Asset management firm closes its UCITS funds

Matrix Group, an asset management firm based in London, will be shutting down its range of UCITS funds, launched in Dublin in May 2010, following a strategic review of its activities, Citywire reports. The decision is related to the fact that the firm is not able to realise the necessary economies of scale compared with its rivals. The funds will be closed on 7 September.
03/09/2012

Charles Firmin-Didot leaves Axa IM

Charles Firmin-Didot, founder and manager of the Talents range of funds, is leaving Axa Investment Managers to “pursue other opportunities,” a spokesperson for the French asset management firm has confirmed to Newsmanagers, following reports in the British press. Firmin-Didot developed the Talents strategy, focused on entrepreneurs who hold a stake in their own firms. This strategy is now managed by Mark Beveridge, who has been supervising Firmin Didot over the past three years. He will rely on two analysts, one portfolio engineer, and the resources of Axa Framlington, a statement from the firm says. The departure of Firmin-Didot was revealed as it was announced that the UK domiciled OEIC Axa Framlington Talents Fund will be closed. But Axa IM states that the two events are unrelated. The fund is being closed due to its limited size GBP5.5m as of 24 August 20120, the asset management firm explains. Its liquidation will be effective from 29 October. AXA IM’s two other funds in the Talents strategy, the Luxembourg domiciled AXA WF Framlington Talents Global and AXA WF Framlington Emerging Markets Talents funds, will remain open.
03/09/2012

CalSTRS increases exposure to real estate

The pension fund for Californian teachers CalSTRS invested USD1.2bn in real estate in second quarter, with 78.5% of its engagements invested in core strategies, CalSTRS announced in its quarterly activity report.
03/09/2012

Some hedge funds rank France as a peripheral European country

Investors have this year generally given the benefit of the doubt to France, treating it as a “core” country of the euro zone economy, despite its high levels of debt. However, some hedge funds are questioning this way of seeing things, and are incstead tending to rank France as a peripheral European country, the news agency Reuters reports. Many macro hedge funds are now claiming that very low returns on French government bonds are not sustainable for a country on the verge of recession. Hedge funds are also sceptical of the fiscal policy of France’s new president Hollande. “The market appears to consider France a safe place, but we estimate that in reality, French returns should converge more towards Italian and Spanish returns and not towards German returns,” says Pedro de Noronha, managing partner at Noster Capital.
03/09/2012

Steep fall in profits at US Global Investors

In the fiscal year ending on 30 June 2012, the Texas-based asset management firm US Global Investors, a specialist in commodities and emerging markets, posted net profits of USD1.53m, compared with USD7.83m in 2010-2011, with a loss of USD0.11m in April-June, compared with a net profit of USD0.49m the previous quarter, and USD1.54m in April-June 2011.Revenue for 2011-2012 fell to USD23.85m, compared with USD41.93m.Assets at the end of the fiscal year totalled USD1.62bn, compared with USD2.60bn one year previously. Average AUM over the past fiscal year totalled USD2.06bn, compared with USD2.82bn in 2010-2011.Frank Holmes, CEO, says that US Global Investors was not the only asset management firm to suffer from outflows from its money market and equity funds, as statistics from the Investment Company Institute (ICI) show that equity funds underwent net redemptions of USD171bn in the twelve months to the end of June. However, despite the scale of the redemptions, US Global Investors has strengthened its sales and marketing strategy, added to its institutional sales team, and beefed up its IT systems. “At the same time, the firm has lowered its overhead,” the manager says.
03/09/2012

Lyxor appoints a head of development for United States

Lyxor Asset Management has announced the appointment of Michael Bernstein to the position of head of development for North America. His primary responsibility will be to strengthen and develop relationships with institutional investors, consultants, distribution partners and other asset managers.Bernstein joined Lyxor in 2009 as head of Pension Fund and US Consultant clients.His appointment comes as part of an expansion of the firm on the North American market, “a key area of development for Lyxor,” a statement says. The “Business Development” team working under Bernstein will also be enlarged in due course.
03/09/2012

Chinese sovereign fund sells nearly all of its stake in BlackRock

China Investment Corp has sold most of its stake in BlackRock, as part of a strategy to reduce its exposure to financial institutions, the Financial Times reports. The Chinese sovereign fund bought the stake of nearly 3% of BlackRock, representing about USD1bn, when the firm acquired Barclays Global Investors in 2009. In the past few months, it has been gradually selling off these shares, for a profit, sources familiar with the matter say.
03/09/2012

Ignis introduces a second hedge fund in Spain

The British asset management firm Ignis Asset Management has registered the Ignis Absolute Return Credit fund, managed by Chris Bowie, with the CNMV, Funds People reports. It is the second hedge fund launched in Spain by Ignis (following the Absolute Return Government Bond Fund). It is a corporate bond and absolute return fund which aims to be market neutral with low volatility, totalling between 2% and 6%. The portfolio is composed of 10 to 30 pair trades via highly liquid CDS.
03/09/2012

Natixis registers Souverains Euro R fund in Spain

The Natixis Souverains Euro R fund (EUR813m) from Natixis Global Asset Management has been reigistered by the CNMV and will now be made available for sale in Spain, Funds People reports.The product with 51 holdings, managed by Olivier de Larouzière, invests in public debt from euro zone countries. It aims to outperform the JPMorgan EMU Global index over a three-year period, through active management of duration, dynamic allocation to assets over the rate curve, and a balance between different countries in the euro zone.
03/09/2012

KanAm shows rapacity

Handelsblatt considers it inappropriate that the Munich-based asset management firm KanAm has decided to increase its commission on one of its open-ended real estate funds currently in liquidation from 0.825% to 1.20%. It is a sign of extreme rapacity, as investors cannot sell their shares to escape the rip-off, the newspaper claims.
03/09/2012

Syz Bank rating under negative watch by Moody's

The financial ratings agency Moody’s on 31 August announced that it has placed its long-term rating for Banque Syz (A3) on a watch with negative implications. The agency explains in a statement that the decision is related to a gradual erosion of assets under management at the firm since 2010, and mediocre results for first half 2012.
03/09/2012

BNY Mellon suggests that sovereign funds adapt their strategy

At a round table discussion organised by the sovereign institutions group at BNY Mellon, Rumi Masih, senior investment strategist in te investment strategy & solutions group (ISSG) reported that participants agree on the fact that sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) have much to gain from heeding warning signs such as rising commodity prices to reduce the risk in their portfolios, before market shocks occur.That may appear counter-intuitive, but a sovereign fund with sensitivity to fluctuations in commodity prices should start with positions on more liquid assets at a time when these prices are peaking, rather than waiting for them to start to fall. Of course, these warning signs should be adapted to the driving factors for the economy of each SWF’s country.
03/09/2012

Strong demand for platinum ETFs

The Marikana platinum mine (Lonmin group) remains closed two weeks after tragic events caused 44 deaths, 34 of them strikers. Investors are predicting a shortage. The price of the metal has already increased 13%, and ETF providers are predicting that the trend will continue, Handelsblatt reports. The four groups which offer ETFs monitored by Reuters in August posted net inflows of 88,821 ounces, which represents USD133.2m, with the largest subscriptions going to ETF Securities.
03/09/2012

Caceis selected by a German asset management firm specialised in real estate

Caceis this summer became the depository bank for the asset management firm Patrizia GewerbeInvest KAG, for its real estate poortfolios. The mandate concerns the real estate fund sector dedicated to institutional investors under the German investment law, and represents over EUR1.3bn in assets, which were transferred in July 2012. Assets under custody for German asset management firms specialised in real estate at Caceis now total over EUR19bn.
03/09/2012

Vontobel opens its Veritrade platform to new issuers

The Swiss Vontobel group has confirmed reports by the agency finews that the platform dedicated to structured products Veritrade may be opened to new issuers. Société Générale and Morgan Stanley are on the list of the first potential new participants in the platform soon to become multi-issuer. With this new initiative, Vontobel hopes to consolidate its position as a leading actor in the area of distribution of structured products.
03/09/2012

Swisscanto recruits for high yield team

Ju Lee, a financial analyst from Lombard Odier, is joining the high yield team led by Omar Saeed and Roland Hausheer at Swisscanto, Das Investment reports. She will be responsible for the Swisscanto Institutional Bond Fund Global High Yield and the Swisscanto Bond Invest Global High Yield funds.
03/09/2012

Assets under management up at Cantonal Bank of Zurich in first half

Assets under management at the Cantonal Bank of Zurich increased in first half by CHF3.2bn, to a total of CHF180bn, according to a statement published on 31 August. The development is related to a net inflow of CHF0.7bn, and a positive market effect of CHF2.5bn. The operating ratio improved to 63.65% from 64.6% in first half 2011.
03/09/2012

Pictet appoints head of Basel branch

The Pictet group on 31 August announced the appointment of Michael Bächle has head of the Pictet branch in Basel, from 1 September 2012. Bächle, who had previously been head of the Clariden Leu office in Basel, succeeds thomas Vonaesch, who had developed the activities of the private bank in Basel since 2008, and who will remain at Pictet until his retirement.
03/09/2012

Estate of Peregrine head will be sold off at auction

Michael Eidelman, court-appointed trustee for the Peregrine Financial Group, is planning to auction off the estate of Russell Wasendorf Senior, CEO of the firm, at auction, the Wall Street Journal reports.Peregrine, which entered bankruptcy protection on 10 July, left a hole in its finances estimated at USD215mThe trustee has already recuperated USD1m from a life insurance policy. He will now be selling off Wasendorf’s property at internet auction, including a wine cellar containing thousands of bottles at Opus One, an Italian restaurant in Cedar Falls, a Patek Philippe watch, jewelry, and several SUVs.It now remains to be determined whether the Peregrine CEO also had accounts abroad, in addition to his stake in a Romanian business.
03/09/2012

Laffitte CM releases a third arbitrage fund

Laffitte Capital Management is planning to launch an arbitrage fund based on indices. The fund, entitled Laffitte Index Arbitrage, will be a UCITS-compliant European product, and will aim to detect arbitrage opportunities on the global stock markets on the basis of indices. It will have complementary drivers of performance: arbitrage of index re-balancing, arbitrage on dividends, and also securities trading arbitrage.“With this fund, we return to one of our first loves. From 1990 to 2006, we used index-based arbitrage for proprietary trading at Crédit Mutuel-CIC,” explains Eric Robbe, co-founder and chairman of Laffittee CM. “But it had previously been difficult to realise this activity within a regulated and liquid fund, since many products were traded over the counter. In addition, there was disparate fiscal treatment of dividends throughout Europe. These obstacles have been removed today. As many banks are withdrawing from this profession, we also have expertise on the market,” he continues. Laffitte has recruited Gregory Meyappen for the fund; he had previously directed operations of this type for proprietary trading at Crédit Agricole. He will co-manage the fund with two colleagues from Laffitte CM. The fund has a capacity of up to EUR1bn. With daily liquidity, it will be on sale to clients of all types, and will have an institutional and a retail share class to this end. It will also be listed on life insurance platforms. With the Laffitte Index Arbitrage, the firm diversifies its range, which now consists of two merger and acquisition arbitrage funds. This may help the firm to reach its objective of EUR500bn. Five years after its launch, the firm currently has slightly under EUR300bn in assets under management, and 10 employees.

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