Funds
EEX Group is to acquire Nasdaq Futures’ (NFX) futures and options exchange business. EEX Group will acquire the core assets of NFX, including the portfolio of open interest in NFX contracts.
The transaction involves the transfer of existing open positions in US Power, US Natural Gas, Crude Oil, Ferrous Metals and Dry Bulk Freight futures and options contracts to EEX Group’s clearing houses Nodal Clear and European Commodity Clearing (ECC).
The agreement signifies another major development for EEX Group’s global business as it continues to expand its presence in the US energy markets and seaborne commodities sector.
Speaking on the
The pace of hedge fund returns picked up a bit in October, with the industry posting a monthly gain of 0.88 per cent, according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index compiled by BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions.
By comparison, the S&P Total Return Index was up 2.17 per cent in October.
For the year-to-date through October, hedge funds returned 7.95 per cent. Over the same period, the S&P Total Return Index gained 23.17 per cent.
October saw positive returns across 28 of Barclay’s 31 hedge fund indices. Hopeful economic signs on several fronts contributed to the month’s gains.
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Hedge fund managers were up 0.26 per cent in October, pushing their year-to-date return to 6.21 per cent, according to Eurekahedge’s latest Index Flash Update. The US-China partial trade agreement supported the risk sentiment among investors, which pushed the global equity market up 1.93 per cent over the month.
On an asset-weighted basis, hedge funds were up 0.62 per cent in October, as captured by the Mizuho Eurekahedge Hedge Fund Index (USD). The index was up 4.84 per cent over the first 10 months of the year.
The Eurekahedge North American Hedge Fund Index edged 0.53 per cent higher during
London-based investment firm, Carbon Cap has added several trading and environmental experts to its team in preparation for the launch of a global carbon and environmental markets fund.
The World Carbon Fund, which is set to launch in early 2020, will focus on the international CO2 emissions trading markets.
Founder and CEO, Michael Azlen says: “Carbon markets have been a successful policy tool in the effort to reduce emissions and now carbon is emerging as an attractive and investable global asset class. Carbon markets are expanding quickly around the world and the launch of China’s carbon market next year
The global hedge fund industry saw an average return of +0.55 per cent in October, bringing year to data (YTD) average industry returns to +7.09 per cent, according to the October 2019 eVestment hedge fund performance data.
Managed Futures funds, which saw returns at -1.73 per cent in October, were the primary reason aggregate returns were not more positive last month.
YTD 83 per cent of funds tracked by eVestment have produced positive results, with average gains among positive performers of +11.25 per cent for the year.
Among primary strategies, Origination & Financing funds were the big performance winners
iM Global Partner, an investment and development platform focused on acquiring strategic investments, and Scharf Investments, an investment firm providing high quality value investment strategies, have launched the iM Scharf US Quality Value fund, the first collaborative UCITS fund between the two firms.
The equity fund will seek to deliver compelling risk-adjusted absolute returns through a value-focused, fundamental, bottom-up approach.
The fund, which launched on 12 September, 2019, will give investors outside of the US access to Scharf Investments’ expertise for the first time, facilitated by the unique business model of iM Global Partner who acquired a 40 per
Liontrust is to broaden its sustainable investment offering to European fund buyers through the launch of the Irish-domiciled GF Sustainable Future Global Growth Fund on 12 November 2019.
The Fund will use the same investment process that has been applied by the Liontrust Sustainable Investment team to managing its Global Growth strategy for UK investors since 2001.
Managed by Simon Clements and Peter Michaelis, the Fund is being launched to meet the growing demand for sustainable investment from across continental Europe. Liontrust GF SF Global Growth will join two other Sustainable Investment funds in Liontrust’s Irish range – GF SF
Moody’s Analytics Knowledge Services has rebranded as Acuity Knowledge Partners (Acuity) following the completion of its management buyout from Moody’s Corporation, supported by the European mid-market private equity investor Equistone Partners Europe (Equistone).
Acuity, a leading provider of bespoke research, analytics and automation technology to the financial services sector, has also appointed Philip Gore-Randall as Non-Executive Chairman.
Under its new brand identity and with Equistone’s backing, Acuity will continue to provide market-leading customised knowledge services to a growing, blue-chip client base of over 300 financial services firms globally, in domains such as investment banking, investment research, private equity &
Intercontinental Exchange is to aunch a new exchange, ICE Futures Abu Dhabi (IFAD), to host the world’s first futures contracts based on Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (ADNOC) Murban crude oil.
On 4 November, 2019, Abu Dhabi’s Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC) announced that it would implement a new pricing mechanism for ADNOC’s Murban crude. As a result, Murban pricing will move from a retroactive official selling price to market-driven, forward pricing using a Murban futures contract as its price marker. The SPC also authorised ADNOC to remove destination restrictions on Murban crude sales. With the support of ADNOC, the Murban
Vistra, a global corporate service, trust and fund administration provider, has completed the rebrand of London Legalisation Services (LLS), a London-based provider of legalisation and consular services, as Vistra.
Derek Kemp (pictured), Regional Managing Director, UK, Ireland, Channel Islands & Middle East, says, “We are excited about the completion of the rebrand. The successful integration of LLS under the Vistra brand has further broadened our capabilities in the UK, enabling us to provide truly one-stop solutions. It complements the corporate and commercial legal and compliance services we are providing through Vistra Corporate Law. Harnessing our local expertise and global reach
