Funds People reports that the Swiss firm Pictet has registered the Pictet-Global Flexible Allocation sub-fund with the CNMV for sale in Spain (see Newsmanagers of 8 March). The fund is a sub-fund of the firm’s Luxembourg Sicav.

Lázaro de Lázaro, who had been head of financial institutions and insurance companies at Royal Bank of Scotland serving the Iberian peninsula, has joined Santander Asset Management (EUR35.5m in assets) as CEO, Funds People reports. He replaces Dolores Ybarra, who had served in the position since last October alongside her responsibilities as global CIO.

The head of the management and investment unit at Banco Madrid Gestión de Activos (EUR1bn in assets), Iratxe Oria, has been promoted to the position of CEO of the firm, replacing Rafael Valera, who has been appointed deputy CEO of the bank, Funds People reports.

ETP provider Source and financial services group Nomura on 10 April announced the launch of anew ETF, the Nomura Voltage Short-Term Source ETF. The ETF aims tooffer reactive and tactical exposure to volatility, replicating theNomura Voltage Strategy Short-Term 30-day USD TR index, which seeksto profit from volatility peaks, while reducing costs associated witha permanent long position on volatility.This is the second Source ETF of theNomura Voltage range. The Nomura Voltage Mid-Term Source ETF, whichreplicates the Nomura Voltage Strategy Mid-Term 30-day USD TR, waslaunched in April 2011, and now has over USD540m in assets undermanagement. The two ETF funds are aimed at qualified investors, andoffers them various volatility investment options, in order to bettermanage their risk/return profile.Futures contracts on the CBOEVolatility index (“VIX”) are practical instruments for exposureto volatility. However, as curves in VIX futures may reach a state ofcontango, maintaining this exposure over the long term may be costly,a statement says. The Nomura Voltage Strategy Short-Term 30-day USDTR offers an effective alternative for investors seeking to adopt along position on volatility. The index reproduces exposure tovolatility via the S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures TR index, butmay modify its level of exposure from 0% to 100% according to theNomura Voltage allocation model. In this way, the fund seeks toprofit from peaks in volatility while limiting the cost of rollingover positions on VIX index futures contracts.Primary characteristics of NomuraVoltage Source productsName of productNomura Voltage Short-Term Source ETF Nomura Voltage Mid-Term Source ETF Bloomberg codeVOLS LN VOLT LN (LondonStock Exchange) NVLT GR (Xetra) Currency of the fundUSD USD Trading currencyUSD USD (London StockExchange) EUR (Xetra) Management fees0.30% per year 0.30% per yearListed onLondon Stock Exchange (LSE) London Stock Exchange / Xetra Name of indexNomura Voltage Strategy Short-Term 30-day USDTR Nomura Voltage Strategy Mid-Term 30-day USD TR Bloomberg ticker for index NMEDVSU3 NMEDVMU3 DomicileIreland Ireland

The investment firm Aberdeen Development Capital is proposing to discontinue the activities of the company following a redemption of preferential shares to shareholders.Aberdeen Development has scheduled a general shareholders’ meeting for 30 April, in order to fulfil the firm’s final obligations. Shares in the company will be suspended from trading on the London Stock Exchange from 30 April.

Total financial assets of euro zone insurance companies and pension funds in fourth quarter 2011 increased to EUR6.980trn from EUR6.919trn the previous quarter, according to statistics from the European Central Bank (ECB). In the same period, mandated insurance reserves, the major measure of liabilities for insurance companies and pension funds, have increased, from EUR6.113trn to EUR6.131trn. This increase is due in nearly equal proportions to positive transactions and valuation effects. In relation to ventilation of assets on the aggregate balance sheets of insurance companies and pension funds in the euro zone, assets in securities other than equities as of the end of December 2011 represented 39% of total financial assets in the sector. Shares in mutual funds represented the second largest exposure, with 23% of total financial assets. Lastly, equities and other participations represented 12% of the total.

The Chinese regulator, the CSRC, has announced that it is opening a new CNY50bn allocation for “renminbi qualified foreign institutional investors (RQFII)», who will have no investment restrictions, and will be able to invest their assets wholly in ETFs of equities listed in continental China (A-class shares), Z-Ben Advisors reports.For the first wave, investments by RQII funds in A-class shares had been limited to 20% of assets.

Lazard Frères Gestion on 6 April announced the appointment of Gilles Trancart, former inspector at the Bank of France, as managing partner and chief operating officer. Trancart will be based in Paris, and will direct support and control functions. He joined Lazard Frères Gestion in late September 2011. Trancart previously worked at Newedge as chief risk officer and a member of the executive board.

According to a study by Standard & Poor’s *S&P), only 16% of active fund managers in 2011 managed to beat the S&P Composite 1500 index, the poorest result since statistics began in 2002, Handelsblatt reports. In 2010 and 2009, the percentage of “outperformers” was 42% and 59%, respectively. This failure to outperform extends to large caps as well as small caps. The statistics will fuel current controversies about the added value that actively-managed funds offer compared to ETFs.

S&P Capital IQ is adding to its research team, Mutual Fund Wire reports. The firm has recruited Barbara Reguero has managing director of its cross-asset-class research team. Reguero had previously been global chief administrative officer in the fixed income research division at Nomura Securities International.

Swell Asset Management, dedicated to tactical asset allocation, whose foundation Newsmanagers announced on 11 January 2012, has announced that it began its activities on 27 March with the transfer of the Swell Soft GTAA Fund (formerly the LFP Allocation 3). The fund, whose assets total EUR93m, had since its inception in 2005 been managed by Olivier Ramé and Jean-Philippe Collin, the two founders of Swell AM, who were then head of alternative management and a manager, respectively, at La Française des Placements. The French regulator has also issued a license for the creation of the Swell Classic GTAA Fund, a second fund, also in UCITS IV format, which uses the same investment strategy but in a more aggressive mode. Swell Asset Management received its portfolio management firm license from the French regulator on 1 March 2012. Ramé and Collin each own 37.5% of capital in the firm, while La Française AM controls the remaining 25%. In addition to this capital relationship, La Française AM is also making operational infrastructure (IT, middle office, offices, etc.) available to the young asset management firm.

The broker Newedge has announced the appointment of Peter Ward as global head of marketing communications, based in the firm’s New York offices. In his new role, Ward will be responsible for Newedge’s marketing activities worldwide. He will report directly to Kevin Russell, global head, brand & communications. Ward had previously been an independent consultant in marketing and communications. He also spent six years at Greenwich Capital Markets and Royal Bank of Scotland.

Brett Langbert, who had been managing director at UBS in charge of the Americas prime brokerage unit, was on 10 April appointed president and chief operating officer (COO) of HedgeCo Networks, which acts as a consultant and operates a hedge fund database.Evan Rapoport, CEO of HedgeCo, says the recruitment comes at a time when US federal authorities are expected to repeal a rule forbidding hedge funds from applying for general subscriptions from the public. HedgeCo estimates that it will be able to offer a service to help investors find decorrelated returns through diversification of their portfolios, and that the repeal of the rule will primarily benefit newly-launched hedge funds.

The US asset management firm Principal Global Investors is hoping to take control of a fund of hedge fund management firm, in order to diversify its USD240bn network, Financial News reports.

Last month, the Hennessee Hedge Fund Index posted returns of 0.59%, following gains of 1.68% in February and 2.25% in January, meaning that for first quarter, the average returns come out to 4.59%.Only three strategies saw losses in March: macro (-0.29%), short biased (-1.02%), and emerging markets (-1.28%). In January-March, only short bias shows losses (of 10.81%).

Chong Jin Leow, head of Asia-Pacific at BNY Mellon Asset Servicing, has been appointed additionally as country executive and general manager for Singapore. He will continue to report to Tim Keaney, vice chairman of BNY Mellon and CEO of BNY Mellon Asset Servicing, but will also report to Steve Lackey, chairman of Asia-Pacific.In his new role as head for Singapore, Chong succeeds Jai Arya, who has been promoted to the position of head of the global sovereign institutions group at BNY Mellon. Arya will be in charge of coordinating services of the group to sovereign funds, sovereign pension funds, central banks and monetary authorities as well as government entities.

The British private equity investor CVC Capital Partners is hoping to make USD2bn for a sale of its 20% stake in the organiser of Formula 1 automotive races at its IPO, Cotizalia reports. According to Bloomberg, the IPO is to be held in Singapore, which could also be the case of the Manchester United football club.

La société de gestion américaine Principal Global Investors veut prendre le contrôle d’une société de fonds de hedge funds afin de diversifier son réseau de 240 milliards de dollars, rapporte Financial News.

La DFCG–Association nationale de Directeurs Financiers et de Contrôle de Gestion a élu, à compter du 1er avril 2012, Sophie Macieira-Coelho, au poste de présidente de la DFCG Ile-de-France. Elle remplace à ce poste Clotilde Bouchet, précise un communiqué.

Dédiée à la gestion d’allocation tactique, Swell Asset Management dont Newsmanagers annonçait la création le 11 janvier 2012 a fait part du lancement effectif de son activité le 27 mars dernier avec le transfert du FCP Swell Soft GTAA Fund (anciennement LFP Allocation 3). Ce fonds dont l’encours s'élève à 93 millions d’euros était géré depuis sa création en 2005, par Olivier Ramé et Jean-Philippe Collin, les deux fondateurs de Swell AM, alors responsable des gestions alternatives et gérant à La Française des Placements. L’AMF a également délivré un agrément pour la création de Swell Classic GTAA Fund, un second fonds également au format UCITS IV qui opère la même stratégie d’investissement mais dans un registre plus agressif.Swell Asset Management a obtenu son agrément de société de gestion de portefeuille auprès de l’AMF le 1er mars 2012. Olivier Ramé et Jean-Philippe Collin possèdent chacun 37,5 % du capital de la société, La Française AM détenant les 25 % restants. Outre le lien capitalistique, La Française AM met à la disposition de la jeune société de gestion une infrastructure opérationnelle (informatique, middle office, bureaux…).

S&P Capital IQ renforce son équipe de recherche, indique Mutual Fund Wire. La société vient de recruter Barbara Reguero au poste de managing director de son équipe «cross-asset-class research». L’intéressé était auparavant global chief administrative officer de la division de recherche fixed-income de Nomura Securities International.

Selon L’Agefi, la société d’investissement Bain Capital envisage de lever entre 6 et 8 milliards de dollars pour un nouveau fonds d’investissement mondial. Compte tenu de l’environnement difficile pour les sociétés de capital-investissement, Bain songerait à modifier sa structure de tarifs afin d’attirer davantage d’investisseurs.

Le courtier Newedge vient d’annoncer la nomination de Peter Ward au poste de Global Head of Marketing Communications basé dans ses bureaux de New York. Le nouvel arrivant sera responsable des activités marketing de Newedge au niveau mondial. Il rapportera directement à Kevin Russell, Global Head, Brand & Communications. Peter Ward était auparavant un consultant indépendant dans le domaine du marketing et de la communication. Il a également passé six ans chez Greenwich Capital Markets et Royal Bank of Scotland.

La société de capital-investissement américaine Carlyle rechercherait un niveau de valorisation compris entre 7,5 et 8 milliards de dollars lors de sa prochaine introduction en Bourse, rapporte L’Agefi qui cite Bloomberg. Carlyle envisagerait en outre de mettre sur le marché un flottant de 10%.

Le Fonds stratégique d’investissement (FSI) et le groupe Alstom, spécialiste des infrastructures d'énergie et de transport, étudient le rachat conjoint de 85% de Translohr, marque du groupe Lohr spécialisée dans la fabrication et la commercialisation de tramways sur pneus. L’opération se ferait pour un montant d’environ 60 millions d’euros.

Head of Asia-Pacific chez BNY Mellon Asset Servicing, Chong Jin Leow a également été nommé country executive et general manager pour Singapour. Il continuera ainsi d'être subordonné à Tim Keaney, vice chairman de BNY Mellon et CEO de BNY Mellon Asset Servicing, mais sera aussi subordonné à Steve Lackey, chairman of Asia-Pacific.Dans ses nouvelles fonctions de patron de Singapour, Chong Jin Leow succède à Jai Arya, qui a été pour sa part promu head du global sovereign institutions group de BNY Mellon. Jai Arya sera chargé de coordonner les services du groupe aux fonds souverains, aux fonds de pension souverains, aux banques centrales et autorités monétaires ainsi qu’aux entités appartenant à des Etats.

Le capital investisseur britannique CVC Capital Partners compte tirer 2 milliards de dollars de la vente d’une participation de 20 % dans l’organisateur des compétitions automobiles de Formule 1 lors de l’introduction en Bourse de ce dernier, rapporte Cotiazalia. D’après Bloomberg, l’introduction se ferait à Singapour, comme celle du club de football Manchester United.

L’Agefi rapporte que Proxy Pensions Investment Research Consultants, qui conseille les investisseurs institutionnels britanniques dans leur politique de vote en assemblée générale, plaide pour le rejet des bonus attribués à Bob Diamond, le patron de Barclays. L’AG de Barclays se tient le 27 avril, précise le quotidien.

Selon les informations de Citywire, Felix Freund, gérant-star d’Union Investment (banques populaires allemandes), a été embauché comme directeur crédit Europe par Standard Life Investments (SLI).D’autre part, Investment Week précise que SLI a recruté Mark Kedar comme sterling credit investment director. L’intéressé était fixed income investment manager chez Kames.

Le fournisseur d’ETP Source et le groupe de services financiers Nomura ont annoncé le 10 avril le lancement d’un nouvel ETF, le Nomura Voltage Short-Term Source ETF. L’ETF a pour objectif d’offrir une exposition réactive et tactique à la volatilité en répliquant l’indice Nomura Voltage Strategy Short-Term 30-day USD TR, un indice qui cherche à tirer parti des pics de volatilité, tout en réduisant les coûts associés à une position longue permanente sur la volatilité. Il s’agit là du second ETF Source de la gamme Nomura Voltage. Le Nomura Voltage Mid-Term Source ETF, qui réplique l’indice Nomura Voltage Strategy Mid-Term 30-day USD TR, a été lancé en avril 2011 et possède à ce jour plus de 540 millions de dollars d’encours sous gestion. Les deux ETF s’adressent aux investisseurs avertis en leur offrant des options d’investissement sur la volatilité différentes de manière à mieux gérer leur profil de risque/performance. Les contrats à terme sur l’indice CBOE Volatility (le « VIX ») constituent des instruments pratiques pour s’exposer à la volatilité. Toutefois, dans la mesure où la courbe des cours à terme du VIX peut se trouver dans une situation de report (ou de « contango »), maintenir cette exposition à long terme peut s’avérer onéreux, selon le communiqué. L’indice Nomura Voltage Strategy Short-Term 30-day USD TR offre une alternative efficace aux investisseurs désireux d’adopter une position longue sur la volatilité. L’indice reproduit une exposition à la volatilité via l’indice S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures TR, mais il peut moduler le niveau de l’exposition de 0 % à 100 % en fonction du modèle d’allocation Nomura Voltage. De cette manière, il cherche à tirer parti des pics de volatilité tout en limitant le coût de roulement des positions sur les contrats à terme de l’indice VIX. caractéristiquesNom du produit Nomura Voltage Short-Term Source ETF Nomura Voltage Mid-Term Source ETF Devise du fonds USD USD Devise de négociation USD USD (London Stock Exchange) EUR ( Xetra) Frais de gestion 0,30 % par an 0,30 % par an Bourse de cotation London Stock Exchange (LSE) London Stock Exchange / Xetra Domiciliation Irlande Irlande