Weekly Asia News (Friday)

On the back of the HSI Volatility Index (VHSI), which measures Hang Seng Index (VNKY) option prices, reaching a six-year low earlier in October, Asian hedge funds are positioning themselves to bet on a return of volatile asset prices reported Bloomberg News this week. »

Alternative asset manager Gottex Fund Management has appointed Marc Fisher as head of marketing for the Asia Pacific region. »

The Financial Services Agency has announced that as of 31 October Chi-X Japan, a wholly owned subsidiary of alternative trading venue operator Chi-X Global, will be designated as a proprietary trading system (PTS) on which transactions are exempt from the Take-Over-Bid (TOB) rule of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. »

Japan’s Nikko Asset Management has chosen InfraHedge, a managed account platform and a subsidiary of State Street, for the launch of its Multi Manager Investment Trust, a regulated investment product that will invest in managed futures and global macro strategies. »

Daryl Flint’s Double Haven Capital Management (Hong Kong) Limited this week announced the acquisition of hedge fund platform, DragonBack Capital Limited. The hedge fund had previously been using the platform to outsource its risk management and other back office functions. »

Ramius, the alternative investment management business of Cowen Group, is partnering in Japan with GreensLedge Capital Markets and its affiliate GreensLedge Asia. »

SAIF Partners, one of China’s biggest domestic private equity firms with around USD4billion in assets under management, plans to launch a Greater China hedge fund reported Reuters this week. This would make it the first Chinese PE firm to move into the hedge fund space, although the plans are still very much at an early stage. »

Insurers and investors should prioritise investing in assets with little or no correlation to financial markets given the uncertain future for the global economy, according to PDL International, a provider of investment services to institutional and high net worth clients. »

Eurex Exchange has launched a new incentive programme for trading participants based in Asia and Australia. »

NYSE Euronext and the Taiwan Futures Exchange (TAIFEX) have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore bilateral business opportunities and connect their respective customer bases in Asia, Europe and the US through NYSE Euronext’s order routing system. »