Funds
Specialist fund manager VAM has launched a Luxembourg-domiciled UCITS IV fund targeting the high growth potential of frontier market equities.
The VAM Frontier Markets Fund has an investable universe primarily consisting of companies domiciled or doing business in the 33 countries classified by MSCI as frontier markets.
The fund follows an all-cap strategy and will typically hold between 60 and 90 stocks to provide exposure to a diverse portfolio of underlying companies and economies.
The fund will be available to institutional fund buyers, including discretionary fund managers, wealth managers, funds of funds, private banks, pension funds and family
Dr Vladimir Tikhomirov, Chief Economist at BCS Financial Group comments on the rouble’s recent fall to a new low…
Hopes that the Minsk summit and the first direct talks between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents would open the way for a peaceful resolution of the conflict were short-lived.
On 28 August, less than two days after the summit ended, Ukrainian authorities publicly stated that Russia intensified its support for the rebels and moved regular troops in to Ukraine numbering in the thousands. These statements provoked an escalation in Russia-West relations, which were accompanied by renewed discussions of sanctions against Russia.
Swiss alternative investment company ALTIN’s portfolio generated positive returns over the first half of 2014 with a return of 3.43 per cent, outperforming the HFRI FoF Composite index which recorded 1.53 per cent for the same period.
The period was characterised by a strong and somewhat renewed appetite for yield, a forceful rotation from growth/momentum-driven stocks to value stocks and by heightened geopolitical risk emanating from Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East.
Overall the first semester of 2014 was positive for most asset classes.
As expected corporate activity was strong, providing a broad range of opportunities for managers
Lyxor Asset Management has expanded its range of ETFs available on the London Stock Exchange with the launch of four new European equity products:
– LYXOR UCITS ETF FTSE Developed Europe ex UK
– LYXOR UCITS ETF CAC 40
– LYXOR UCITS ETF DAX
– LYXOR UCITS ETF FTSE MIB
The extension of the European ETF range is part of Lyxor’s drive to provide more choice around key exposures. Through these new Lyxor ETFs, investors can be more specific with their European exposure, targeting specific countries or regions to gain the precise exposure they require.
Three of the new products
Gar Wood Securities and Axxcess Wealth Management have formed a strategic relationship and joint marketing effort to introduce emerging US hedge fund managers to institutional clients, ultra-high net worth individuals and family offices.
The combined effort increases the manager talent pool for clients of Axxcess Wealth Management by providing unique access to Gar Wood Securities' emerging managers, in addition to the investment strategies currently available to investors via Axxcess Wealth Management's customisable investment platform.
"Gar Wood is pleased to offer this very unique capital-raising platform to our approved fund managers. The Axxcess Wealth Management platform provides a powerful tool
Three quarters (73 per cent) of hedge fund managers say competition in fundraising has increased in the past 12 months, according to a survey by Preqin.
However, 64 per cent of fund managers that run pooled products noted that their assets in these products had increased in the first half of the year.
Similarly, 61 per cent and 50 per cent of firms that manage alternative UCITS and alternative mutual fund products respectively reported net inflows to these vehicles.
Only 12 per cent of managers of pooled hedge funds noted their assets in these funds had decreased in
Alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group has closed a collateralised loan obligation (CLO) fund in the US totalling approximately USD816 million.
The CLO, arranged by Citigroup, is the firm’s third of 2014 in the US.
Carlyle GMS CLO 2014-3 will invest predominantly in senior secured bank loans.
Including these latest closings, in 2014 Carlyle has raised approximately USD3.23 billion in CLOs — USD2.16 billion in the US and USD1.07 billion (EUR777 million) in Europe, the second consecutive year in which Carlyle has raised more than USD3 billion in new issue CLOs.
JTC Group has been granted a licence to provide the firm’s full suite of private client, corporate, fund and real estate services in the Cayman Islands.
Since 2013 JTC Group has had a presence in the Cayman Islands through an alliance office but is now licenced to deliver its full range of services.
The Cayman office will continue to build on its existing platform of services for private and international clients. This will include company incorporation and administration services and the provision of directors to companies and regulated funds.
The office will focus on establishing and servicing Cayman
GAM has launched the GAM Star MBS Total Return Fund – a UCITS-compliant version of an institutional investment strategy.
The fund invests in the US asset-backed securities market, mainly in residential MBS, issued both by US government agencies and by non-agency entities.
In the current environment, the fund aims to deliver returns of the three-month Libor rate +4 to +6 per cent per annum.
The GAM Star MBS Total Return Fund invests in MBS of all maturities: interest rate risk is actively managed in line with the team’s macroeconomic outlook.
The fund is managed by Gary
Kanaly Trust has partnered with Meritage Capital to develop alternatives investment solutions for high net worth (HNW) investors as part of their portfolio strategy.
This is a joint effort between the two firms with Meritage acting as a sub-advisor.
Although alternative investments have been used by institutions and endowments for decades, high net worth investors face challenges incorporating alternatives into their portfolio, including limited access to best-of-breed managers and the high cost of competing mutual fund and other access vehicles.
"As Kanaly sees itself as a firm that listens to clients and advises them on innovative ways they
