p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Alexander Ciric, who joined Sal. Oppenheim in 1993, and most recently served as director of distribution to banks and insurers, has been transferred to Oppenheim Fonds Trust GmbH (OPFT) from 1 February 2011, as a member of the board of directors, in charge of distribution. He joins Amelie Harms and Marco Schmitz. Direction of sales to banks and insurers at OPFT has been entrusted to Thomas Laux.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Cornelia Keith, who was head of sales & relationship management, marketing & network management at BHF Asset Servicing (BNY Mellon group), was recruited as of 1 January as head of sales & account management outsourcing business for Germany at State Street Corporation.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Munich branch of Assénagon Asset Management SA (about EUR6bn in assets) on 20 January received a license from BaFin to create an affiliate, Assenagon Credit Management GmbH, which will include the credit unit, including credit and fixed income risk maangement, as well as relative value multi-asset class strategies.The creation of the affiliate will not affect shareholders in the two open-ended Luxembourg funds Assenagon Credit Basis and Assenagon Credit Basis II, from Assénagon Asset Management, which will continue to be managed by portfolio managers Joachen Felsenheimer and Wolfgang Klopfer, who are joining the new structure (the latter as chairman of the executive board).The objectives for Assenagon Credit Management are the management of open-ended funds and the administration of dedicated funds. The license for the firms as providers of financial services will allow the new business to operate financial portfolio management activities, investment advising, and intermediation.Assénagon also announced on 14 February that on 25 January it launched the open-ended UCITS-compliant fund Assenagon Alpha Volatility, a Luxembourg-registered product managed by René Reißhauer. The new product uses four market neutral volatility strategies to generate returns of 5-6%, after fees. Several institutionals have already invested EUR82m in the fund.CharacteristicsName: Assenagon Alpha VolatilityISIN Codes: I shares: LU0575255335 (minimal investment EUR50,000)P shares: LU0575268312Management commission: I shares: 0.8%P shares: 1.5%
Philip Michaelsen has joined the European Insurance Solutions Group at J.P. Morgan Asset Management as head of strategic insurance sales EMEA.In this newly created position he will report to Dirk Popielas, head of European Insurance Solutions Group, and will work with him to develop the group’s Europe-wide initiative to grow a substantial, and ultimately market-leading, business managing the balance sheet assets of European insurance companies. Philip Michaelsen, who will be based in London, has moved to his new role from Deutsche Bank where he was responsible for insurance asset management new business development across UK, Europe and Scandinavia. Previously he worked at UBS Investment Bank in fixed income sales.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Switzerland (GSAM), Marius Wergler, has been recruited by Lombard Odier Investment Managers as head of European sales, from 9 May 2011. He will report to Hubert Keller, managing partner at Lombard Odier, and will be in charge of commercial strategy and the deployment of this strategy for institutional investors and distributors throughout Europe.Keller will be a member of the executive board, and will oversee local teams based in London, Zurich, Geneva, Frankfurt, Paris, and Amsterdam.Wuergler arrives at his new employer along with Pascal Imhof, who was deputy head of the institutional business at GSAM Switzerland, and will now report directly to Keller at Lombard Odier.
John Hancock Asset Management, a division of Manulife Asset Management, has acquired Optique Capital Management, a registered investment adviser based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The acquisition closed on Friday, February 11; terms were not disclosed. As at December 31, 2010, Optique’s mutual fund and separate account assets under management were approximately USD800 million.As a result of the acquisition, John Hancock Funds has completed the adoption of Optique’s International Value Fund, and has re-launched it as the newly established John Hancock International Value Equity Fund (JIEAX). In addition to the Fund launch, eight members of the former Optique Capital team will be joining the John Hancock Asset Management division of Manulife Asset Management, forming a new International Value Equity team, based in Milwaukee. The team will be led by Wendell L. Perkins, senior managing director and senior portfolio manager, Margaret (Peggy) A. McKay and Edward T. Maraccini, both managing directors and portfolio managers, and will report to Christopher Conkey, chief investment officer, global equities, Manulife Asset Management.The Boston-based mutual fund business unit of John Hancock Financial, John Hancock Funds manages more than USD65.9 billion in open-end funds, closed-end funds, private accounts, retirement plans and related party assets for individual and institutional investors as at December 31, 2010.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } BNP Paribas earned net profits of EUR7.84bn (for a portion of the group) in 2010, up 34.5% from 2009, “due to its active role in the financing of the economy and the success fo the integration of Fortis, which gives the Group a new dimension,” the group announced in a statement published on 17 February. In 2010, the first complete year of its new, expanded perimeter, the Group earned net banking revenaues of EUR43.88bn, up 9.2% compared with 2009 (-0.1% with constant perimeter and exchange rates). For the year 2010 as a whole, net inflows for the Investment Solutions unit was negative to the tune of EUR3.3bn; good inflows for Insurance (+EUR8.4bn), private banking (+EUR3.2bn, despite a difficult environment) and Personal Investors (+EUR1.4bn) only partially offset outflows of EUR17.6bn from asset management, largely due to money market funds (-EUR12.7bn). Alongside positive performance and currency effects, these inflows allowed assets under management and advising to increase 7.5% compared with 31 December 2009, to EUR901bn.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } In 2010, the asset management unit at Axa, composed of Alliance Bernstein and Axa IM, has seen net redemptions of EUR64bn. These outflows affected AllianceBernstein for EUR44bn, largely from the institutional segment (-EUR37bn), and largely from investments in equities, and from the retail segment (-EUR6bn). At Axa IM, EUR20bn in net outflows were largely from Axa Rosenberg (EUR29bn). However, due to positive market and currency effects, assets under management increased from EUR845bn as of the end of 2009 to EUR878bn as of the end of 2010 (EUR362bn for Alliance Bernstein, and EUR516bn for Axa IM). Revenues are up 5% to EUR3.328bn, largely due to higher average assets under management (up 3% compared with 2009).
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Italian independent management firm Azimut has signed an agreement with Banca Tercas, the largest banking group in the Abruzzo region, with 164 branches. The two Italian groups have signed a memorandum of understanding, by which Azimut will become the chief partner for the banking group for investment products, including funds and mandates. The first phase in the agreement will be the integration by March 2011 of the Luxembourg Sicav Tercas Lux from the eponymous group (about EUR75m in assets) into the Azimut AZFUNDI a fund with multiple sub-funds also registered in Luxembourg. Azimut Holding will acquire a 2% stake in the capital of Banca Caripe, which is controlled by Banca Tercas, for EUR5m. Banca Tercas and Banca Caripe will distribute AZFUNDI funds at their branches, which are primarily located in Abruzzo, the Marches, Latium, Molise and Emiglia-Romagna. The Banca Tercas group is an addition to the roughly 100 local banks with which Azimut, which is listed on the Milan stock exchange, already collaborates.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research has launched the new Emerging Markets Corporate Bond Indices, Hedge Week reports. The range includes two main indices: the BofA Merrill Lynch Emerging Markets Corporate Plus Index (ticker EMCB) and the BofA Merrill Lynch US Emerging Markets Liquid Corporate Plus Index (ticker EMCL).
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The long-awaited moment for Italian management firms has come: from 1 July, the tax regime for Italian-registered funds will be harmonised with those of funds in other European countries, Bluerating reports. Subscribers to foreign-registered funds will be taxed on the proceeds when they sell their shares, where subscribers to Italian funds had previously been the only ones required to pay a tax calculated on the basis of the value of the shares, which was a disadvantage to these funds.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The timing of IPIC’s acquisition of the remainder of Cepsa from Total for EUR3.97bn was not accidental, Cinco Días claims. The Abu Dhabi sovereign fund was careful to kick off the operation a few days before the introduction of the Spanish sustainable economy law (Ley de Economía Sostenible), which would have made the process of gaining permission from the national Energy Commission tougher. Before the law came into force, the IPIC was not required to apply for permission from the energy regulator or the Spanish ministry of industry. As the takeover operation took place within the European community, it is subject only to approval from the European Commission, and not the Spanish antitrust commission, nor the antitrust authorities in the US or Canadia, two countries in which the IPIC already has activities.
Northern Trust has received approval from the Finansinspektionen (the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority) and the UK Financial Services Authority to offer asset management products and services to investors across the Nordic region, directly from its Stockholm office. This office opened in September 2009 to offer asset servicing products and services to its Nordic clients..This announcement shortly follows the news that Northern Trust Global Investments (NTGI), the international asset management arm of Northern Trust, will be offering asset management solutions to clients across Benelux (Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg), from Northern Trust’s Amsterdam office. It further supports the asset manager’s continuing commitment to developing its business across Europe, Middle East and Africa.Northern Trust has also appointed Kristina Ilar as investment sales director for Northern Trust Global Investments. Based in Northern Trust’s Stockholm office, she will support NTGI’s business development opportunities across the Nordic region, offering asset management products and solutions to corporate and public pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, financial institutions, charities, central banks and other eligible professional investors across the region.Kristina Ilar was previously director - client relationship management/business development with UBS Asset Management and executive director head of nordic institutional sales with Morgan Stanley Investment Management.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) on 16 February announced the appointment of Stephan Repkow as CEO of Private Banking for the Geneva-based bank in the Asian region, based in Singapore. He will also supervise the development of private banking activities for the institution in the Asia-Pacific region, a strategic market which occupies a central place in UBP’s expansion plans, the bank says in a statement. The creation of a regional head for Private Banking in Singapore is a step in UBP’s Asian global strategy, along with additions to the regional strategies of its Asset Management division in Hong Kong. Before joining UBP, Repkow worked at Deutsche Asset Management, Citigroup Private Bank, and BNP Paribas.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Stoxx Limited announced on 16 February that it has granted licenses to RBS Global Banking & Markets for the use of the Euro Stoxx 50 Monthly Leverage, Euro Stoxx 50 Monthly Double Short, LevDAX x2 (monthly) and ShortDAX x2 (montly) indices. The products will serve as underlying for four ETF funds launched on the XTF Segment of the Xetra electronic trading platform from Deutsche Börse.The funds are the RBS MARKET ACCESS Euro Stoxx 50(r) Monthly Leverage Index ETF, RBS MARKET ACCESS Euro Stoxx 50(r) Monthly Double Short Index ETF, RBS MARKET ACCESS LevDAX(r) X2 Monthly Index ETF, RBS MARKET ACCESS ShortDAX(r) X2 Monthly Index ETF, which have been listed since Wednesday.The four indices are calculated in euros.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } On 15 February, HSBC Global Asset Management (Deutschland) announced the launch of a product for retirement savings, the emerging markets fund HSBC Global Emerging Markets protect 80 dynamic, for which protection is provided by the bank HSBC France. The benchmark index for this product, which is intended to be integrated into policies from insurers, is the MSCI Emerging Markets. TER will be 1.65%.
On 14 February 2011 Robeco launched the Emerging Conservative Equities. The fund gives the opportunity to invest in emerging markets – but with less risk. The new fund is a result of research into the volatility effect conducted by Pim van Vliet en David Blitz from the Quantative Equities team. The research showed that low risk doesn’t need to lead to lower returns. Due to the low risk investment objective the fund invests in different stocks than traditional emerging market funds. This increases the possibility to diversify.Fund managers of the new fund are Pim van Vliet and Arlette van Ditshuizen. Pim van Vliet and Arlette van Ditshuizen also manage the Robeco Global Conservative Equity fund and the Robeco European Conservative Equities fund.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } DoubleLine Funds Trust (USD8bn), the firm founded by Jeffrey Gundlach after he was dismissed from TCW (Société Générale), on 15 February launched the mutual fund DoubleLine Multi-Asset Growth Fund. The multi-asset class fund (bonds, equities, traded real estate and commodities) is available in two share classes: an A share class (DMLAX), with a front-end fee of 4.25% and a minimal subscription of USD2,000, and a “no-load” I share class (DMLIX), with a minimal subscription of USD100,000. Management commission is 1.45% for A shares, and 1.20% for I shares.The fund will use active management of asset classes, market sectors, and various specific investments. Gundlach is the lead portfolio manager, and will be assisted for the product by Bonnie Baha, of the Global Developed Credit team, Samuel Garza, for asset allocation, Luz Padilla, for emerging market debt, and Jeffrey Sherman for commodities.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Turgot Asset Management has announced the launch of Turgot Multigest International, a new fund aimed primarily at IFAs. It is an international equities funds, which will invest in 20 of “the best funds from Europe and the rest of the world,” the management firm says in a statement. The objective for Turgot Multigest International, managed by Arnaud de Champvallier, chief investment officer, and Waldemar Brun-Themin, is to outperform a composite index compsed 40% of the Eurostoxx 50, 35% of the CAC40, and 25% of the MSCI World index. The portfolio is exposed 75% to 100% to international equities markets, and to international bond markets for 0% to 25%, largely via OPCVM funds. In order to add dynamism to performance, the manager may expose the portfolio to emerging markets for up to 40%, and to small cap equities for up to 30%. Characteristics ISIN code: FR0010979989 Legal format: French-registered FCP Management fees: maximum TER of 2.3920% The FCP is pledged to invest only in OPCVM Funds whose real costs do not exceed the following limits: Management fees: TER of 3% of assets Front-end fee: 1.5% Exit fee: 1.5%
Global X Funds, a New York fund manager, will on Thursday launch the world’s first exchange-traded fund focused on the Asean region, according to the Financial Times. The ETF, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, will be based on the FTSE Asean 40 index, which tracks the largest companies in the five biggest Asean markets – Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } On the basis of results as of 16 February from a sample of 2,018 hedge funds, the average performance for products of this type in January totalled 0.57%. The largest gains were for 29 convertibles arbitrage funds, at 2.03%.Only three strategies showed losses: the 122 global macro funds lost 0.62%, while the 311 emerging markets funds lost 0.60%, and the 3 equity short bias funds lost 0.57%.
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The Luxembourg platform Merrill Lynch Investment Solutions has increased the number of funds it has registered in Spain to 11. The CNMV has granted sales licenses for seven Newcits funds, which come as additions to the Marshall Wace Market Neutral TOPS, York Event-Driven UCITS, GLG European Opportunity UCITS, and CCI Healthcare Long-Short UCITS.The new funds are the York Asian Event-driven UCITS, Zweig-Dimenna US Long-Short Equity UCITs, Boyer Allan Asian Long/Short, Theorema European Equity Long-Short UCITS, Graham Capital systematic Macro UCITS, AQR Global Relative Value UCITS and Och-Ziff, European Mutli-Strategy UCITS.Minimal subscription is set at USD1,000.
La société de gestion indépendante italienne Azimut vient de passer un accord avec Banca Tercas, principal groupe bancaire de la région des Abruzzes avec 164 agences. Les deux acteurs transalpins ont signé une lettre d’intentions aux termes duquel Azimut deviendra le partenaire de référence de l’ensemble du groupe bancaire pour les produits d’investissement, comme les fonds et les mandats. La première étape de l’accord prévoit, d’ici à mars 2011, l’intégration de la Sicav luxembourgeoise Tercas Lux du groupe éponyme (environ 75 millions d’euros d’encours) dans le fonds à compartiments multiples d’Azimut AZFUND1, également basé à Luxembourg. Parallèlement, Azimut Holding prendra 2 % du capital de Banca Caripe, contrôlée par Banca Tercas, pour une contre-valeur de 5 millions d’euros. Banca Tercas et Banca Caripe distribueront les fonds AZFUND1 dans leurs agences principalement présentes dans les Abruzzes, les Marches, le Latium, le Molise et l’Emilie-Romagne. Le groupe Banca Tercas s’ajoute à la centaine de banques locales avec lesquelles Azimut, qui est coté à la Bourse de Milan, travaille déjà.
Après le Benelux, Northern Trust lance son activité internationale de gestion d’actifs, au sein de Northern Trust Global Investments, dans les pays nordiques, poursuivant ainsi son offensive européenne. Le groupe américain a en effet obtenu l’agrément des autorités de surveillance suédoise et britannique (respectivement la Finansinspektionen et la Financial Services Authorities) pour proposer ses produits et services de gestion d’actifs aux investisseurs basés dans la région nordique, depuis son bureau de Stockholm.Cette structure, ouverte en septembre 2009, proposait jusqu’à présent des produits d’administration de fonds aux clients nordiques. Pour appuyer ce développement nordique, Northern Trust a recruté Kristina Ilar en tant que directeur commercial (investment sales director) de Northern Trust Global Investment. Elle sera basée à Stockholm, et contribuera à développer l’activité de NTGI dans la région nordique, en proposant des produits et des solutions de gestion d’actifs aux fonds de pension publics et privés, aux fonds souverains, aux compagnies d’assurances, aux institutions financières, aux œuvres caritatives, aux banques centrales et autres investisseurs professionnels.Kristina Ilar était précédemment directeur en charge des relations avec la clientèle et du développement chez UBS Asset Management et directeur exécutif responsable des ventes institutionnelles nordiques de Morgan Stanley Investment Management.
La plate-forme luxembourgeoise Merrill Lynch Investment Solutions a porté à onze le nombre de ses fonds enregistrés en Espagne. La CNMV a en effet accordé son agrément de commercialisation à sept newcits qui viennent rejoindre le Marshall Wace Market Neutral TOPS, le York Event-Driven UCITS, le GLG European Opportunity UCITS et le CCI Healthcare Long-Short UCITS.Il s’agit du York Asian Event-drivent UCITS, du Zweig-Dimenna US Long-Short Equity UCITs, du Boyer Allan Asian Long/Short, Theorema European Equity Long-Short UCITS, Graham Capital systematic Macro UCITS, AQR Global Relative Value UCITS et Och-Ziff, European Mutli-Strategy UCITS.La souscription minimale est fixée à 1.000 dollars.
Total cède ses parts du deuxième groupe pétrolier espagnol contre 3,7 milliards d’euros et réduit son exposition au raffinage européen, rapporte L’Agefi. Cepsa deviendra propriété exclusive du fonds souverain International Petroleum Investment (IPIC) qui en contrôle aujourd’hui 47%. Au terme de l’opération, qui situe la valeur du groupe à 7,5 milliards d’euros, le groupe espagnol ne sera plus coté en Bourse, précise le quotidien. La vente du capital flottant (4,11%) deviendra obligatoire une fois l’achat des parts de Total formalisé (sous réserve de son autorisation).
L’Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) a annoncé le 16 février la nomination de Stephan Repkow en qualité de CEO du Private Banking de la banque genevoise pour la région Asie, basé à Singapour. Il supervisera aussi le développement des activités de private banking de l’institut dans la région Asie-Pacifique, un marché stratégique qui occupe une place centrale dans le plan d’expansion de l’UBP, rappelle la banque dans un communiqué. L'établissement d’un siège régional du Private Banking à Singapour vient compléter la stratégie globale de UBP en Asie, parallèlement au renforcement des activités régionales de sa division Asset Management à Hong-Kong. Avant de rejoindre UBP Stephen Repkow a notamment travaillé chez Deutsche Asset Management, Citigroup Private Bank et BNP Paribas.
Stoxx Limited a annoncé le 16 février avoir accordé des licences à RBS Global Banking & Markets pour l’utilisation des indices Euro Stoxx 50 Monthly Leverage, Euro Stoxx 50 Monthly Double Short, LevDAX x2 (monthly) et ShortDAX x2 (monthly). Ces produits servent de sous-jacent à quatre ETF lancés sur le segment XTF de la plate-forme électronique de négociation Xetra de la Deutsche Börse.Il s’agit des fonds RBS MARKET ACCESS Euro Stoxx 50(r) Monthly Leverage Index ETF, RBS MARKET ACCESS Euro Stoxx 50(r) Monthly Double Short Index ETF, RBS MARKET ACCESS LevDAX(r) X2 Monthly Index ETF, RBS MARKET ACCESS ShortDAX(r) X2 Monthly Index ETF, cotés depuis mercredi.Les quatre indices sont calculés en euros.
Cornelia Keth, qui était head of sales & relationship management, marketing & network management, chez BHF Asset Servicing (groupe BNY Mellon) a été recrutée au 1er janvier comme head of sales & account management outsourcing business pour l’Allemagne chez State Street Corporation.
Entré en 1993 chez Sal. Oppenheim, où il était en dernier lieu directeur de la distribution banques et assurances, Alexander Ciric a été muté avec effet au 1er février 2011 chez Oppenheim Fonds Trust GmbH (OPFT) en tant que membre de la direction générale, chargé de la distribution, aux côtés d’Amelie Harms et de Marco Schmitz. La direction commerciale d’OPFT pour la clientèle banques et assurances est confiée à Thomas Laux.