Managers
The State Street Investor Confidence Index (ICI) increased to 101.8 for July 2018, up 1.0 point from June’s revised reading of 100.8.
Confidence among North American investors declined, with the North American ICI decreasing from 104.2 to 103.4. Meanwhile, the European ICI rose by 0.7 points to 91.5 and the Asia ICI increased by 0.5 points to 103.3.
“Despite the recent rebound in equity markets, we haven’t seen significant traction in risk appetite globally over the past couple of months,” says Rajeev Bhargava, managing director and head of Investor Behavior Research at State Street Associates. “It appears that geopolitical
The FCA has released a statement on the selling high-risk speculative investments to retail clients following ESMA’s action on CFD products…
In June 2018, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) finalised temporary measures to restrict the sale, marketing and distribution of contracts for difference (CFDs) to retail clients. These measures apply across the EU from today.
We fully support ESMA’s measures, which are designed to protect retail investors.
In common with other regulators across Europe, we know that other products can create the same kinds of risks to consumers as CFDs, particularly where they expose the investor to significant
Alternative asset manager Man Group has reported ‘sustained growth’ during the first six months of 2018, with funds under management (FUM) reaching USD113.7 billion, up from USD109.1 billion as at 31 December 2017.
According to the group’s interim results, adjusted profit before tax for the period was USD153 million, an increase of 5 per cent over the USD245 million reported for the same period in 2017.
Net inflows meanwhile, totalled USD8.3 billion in H1 marginally up on the USD8.2 billion of inflows reported in H1 2017.
Luke Ellis (pictured), Chief Executive Officer of Man Group, says: “The first
Event driven fund managers ended the first half of 2018 up 2.02 per cent, supported by healthy activities within the M&A sector, says Eurekahedge. However, the escalating tension between the US and China may pose as a headwind for event driven fund managers, as regulators become increasingly strict in approving big M&A deals.
Asian hedge funds were down 1.22 per cent as of June 2018 year-to-date, as they struggle under the pressure of global trade and political concerns. Fund managers focusing in China, India, and Korea posted losses of 4.38 per cent, 2.46 per cent, and 1.60 per cent respectively
HFR has launched the HFR Bank Systematic Risk Premia Indices, a family of indices including 40 which are ‘efficiently delineated along a nested matrix of established risk premia asset type and strategy’.
Risk premia strategies have experienced a surge in interest from both institutional and retail investors as a result of high liquidity and flexible tactical exposures. The universe of bank risk premia strategies surpassed USD700 billion in notional capital in 2018 and leverages a universe of over 1,200 risk premia products, according to HFR.
The HFR Bank Systematic Risk Premia Indices offer daily performance reporting categorically delineated across a
Resurgens Technology Partners has acquired InvestorForce from MSCI and is to merge it with portfolio company Investment Metrics. The combined investment analytics and reporting solutions business will cater for investment consultants, wealth managers and investment managers.
The transaction is expected to close within the next three months, subject to customary closing conditions. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Resurgens says the merger will enable the combined business to provide investment tools for performance analysis, investment reporting, investment policy statements, peer benchmarking and competitive insights, leveraging the unique and substantial data assets of the combined company. The newly
Amiral Gestion, an independent asset management firm which bases its investment philosophy on value investing, has joined the Group of Boutique Asset Managers, GBAM.
GBAM is an international grouping of small and medium-sized specialist asset management firms who share the objective of strengthening their presence in international markets.
Amiral, which has offices in Paris, Madrid and Singapore and is planning to expand its business in Italy, joins a select group of international boutiques. Joining GBAM enables it to exchange information while cooperating and identifying best practices in international business development.
François Badelon (pictured), founder of Amiral Gestion, says:
Hedge funds returns were overall negative last week, dragged down by CTAs, with early signs of the BoJ moving out of ZIRP also hitting their Japanese bonds and short JPY positions, according to the latest Weekly Brief from Lyxor’s Cross Asset research team.
Some Event Driven funds also suffered from idiosyncratic events, including the NXP deal.
Lyxor writes that while L/S Equity funds consistently added alpha in 2017, their contribution has been more modest and more volatile in 2018. It has also been more heterogeneous across regions. Peaking global growth concerns and an unusual stream of political wildcards overshadowed
OpenInvest, a digital investment advisor for socially responsible investing, has raised USD10.4 million in a Series A funding round led by QED Investors, with additional participation from Andreessen Horowitz (who led OpenInvest’s previous venture round in 2017) SYSTEMIQ, Wireframe Ventures, Yard Ventures and Abstract Ventures.
According to Morningstar’s Sustainable Funds US Landscape report, assets under management in portfolios using various approaches to sustainable investing have grown to an estimated USD23 trillion globally, an increase of more than 600 per cent over the past ten years. OpenInvest’s platform delivers customised investment portfolios aligned with an individual’s or institution’s values. ESG (environmental,
Investment banking and alternative asset management firm JMP Group has closed a USD407.8 million collateralised loan obligation (CLO) transaction issued by two newly formed special purpose vehicles and backed by a diversified portfolio of broadly syndicated leveraged loans.
The notes offered in the transaction are issued by JMP Credit Advisors CLO V Ltd and co-issued in part by JMP Credit Advisors CLO V LLC and are subject to a two-year non-call period.
A wholly owned subsidiary of JMP Group purchased USD2,500,000 of the Senior Subordinated Notes and 100 per cent of the Junior Subordinated Notes, which are not rated.
