H2O Asset Management, an affiliate of the Natixis Global Asset Management Group, has acquired a strategic stake in Poincaré Capital Management, a Hong-Kong-based asset manager focusing on global equities driven by Asian growth.
This move followed H2O’s recent communication on the limited management capacity left in its high-risk global macro products, and on its ambition to expand its range of investment products through acquisitions that remain close and complementary to its DNA. After launching a global emerging debt, then a global aggregate fund, H2O created its Barry brand in 2016, which is dedicated to thematic investments linked to the lack of liquidity in the market place. In 2017, the company acquired Arctic Blue, a quantitative manager.
Poincaré is focused on long-term Asian investment themes. The team is headed by Alex Casin and Yang Lu, previously SAFE Investment Equity CIO, the Hong Kong branch of the Chinese sovereign wealth fund.
Yang Lu, CIO of Poincaré Capital Management, says: “The objective of Poincaré is to capture Asian themes through global equity markets by combining top-down idea generation, fundamental bottom-up analysis and quantitative portfolio construction.”
Alex Casin, CEO of Poincaré Capital Management, says: “We are very excited about compounding the unique experience and skills of Yang with the asset management industry knowledge of H2O, and its exceptional franchise in terms of delivering performance. We see H2O as the perfect partner to help us capitalise on our vision of the growing influence of Asia globally.”
Poincaré will initially adopt a long/short strategy which will be made available to investors through both an offshore and a UCITS vehicle. A long-only investment scheme will later be launched.
Bruno Crastes (pictured), CEO of H2O, says: “Poincaré is a great fit for us as it combines a long-term judgmental vision with quantitative skills. We look forward to this initiative turning into a durable success story for Poincaré, H2O, and above all our clients.”
Loic Guilloux, head of H2O’s new business development, added “Alex and Yang have built a robust investment process with a unique approach to Asian growth. By leveraging our expertise and franchise, we will accelerate Poincaré’s development, and offer our clientele the opportunity to invest in a truly exceptional theme.”
