Managers
UK-based independent AIFMD depositary INDOS Financial has recorded a 160 per cent increase in assets under depositary from September 2015 to end-September 2016 of USD8 billion to a total of USD13 billion. In the same period, client relationships have grown 70 per cent to 45.
INDOS CEO Bill Prew believes that the growth has come as a result of an increasing recognition by investment managers and investors of the value offered by an independent depositary.
“The value of the depositary beyond meeting regulatory compliance obligations should not be discounted,” says Prew. “Many managers initially viewed the appointment of a depositary as a
BNP Paribas Investment Partners has completed the EUR500 million final close of the BNP Paribas European SME Debt Fund, attracting a range of European institutional investors.
The fund finances small and medium sized enterprises in Europe through a solution combining bank lending and fund financing.
Strong demand has resulted in the fund reaching its target of EUR500 million at first close, offering institutional investors, including insurers and pension funds, access to an innovative way to diversify their credit exposure.
Included in the investors are AG2R La Mondiale, BNP Paribas Cardif, CNP Assurances, l’ERAFP, Federal Finance Gestion (on behalf
The hype for blockchain is over and real world results must now be achieved, according to TABB Group’s latest research, “Demystifying Blockchain.”
The report details how a clearer vision and execution path for blockchain is emerging, but that the technology is only a piece of the puzzle for a next generation data solution.
“There have been dozens of conferences, tens of thousands of words written, multiple consortiums created and many experiments conducted in blockchain over the course of the last 18 months and what have we learned?” asks TABB principal and head of fintech research Terry Roche (pictured), who
MUFG Investor Services, the global asset servicing group of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, has completed the acquisition of Rydex Fund Services, a 1940-Act mutual fund administration business, from Guggenheim Investments.
The deal complements MUFG Investor Services’ full service offering for alternative investment managers, adding regulated 1940 Act mutual fund and exchange-traded fund services expertise to its existing single manager, fund of hedge fund, private equity, real estate and infrastructure funds, pension funds and traditional asset managers offering.
The acquisition adds USD52 billion assets under administration (AuA) and brings the total AuA for MUFG Investor Services’ to USD422 billion. The
S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) has acquired a controlling stake in Trucost, a provider of carbon and environmental data and risk analysis, through its subsidiary S&P Global Indices UK.
The acquisition will build on S&P DJI’s and S&P Global’s current portfolio of environmental, social and governance (ESG) solutions, positioning the combined entity to satisfy growing market demand through new product development and the enhancements of Trucost’s existing capabilities, including the provision of environmental data via the EBoard platform and portfolio carbon footprinting.
Alex Matturri (pictured), CEO of S&P Dow Jones Indices, says: “The demand for ESG data and
Hathersage Capital Management LLC is a global macro manager founded in 1991. Employing a discretionary global macro philosophy which it applies strictly to G10 currencies, the firm takes directional market views using interbank spot, forwards and options.
"Unlike equity and fixed income markets, the drivers affecting currency pair valuations can change very quickly," comments Bill Lipschutz, principal, CIO and head of portfolio management. "Uncertainty, creates opportunities for skilled discretionary managers. Hathersage takes exposures that can be structured with return asymmetry and, at all times, actively manages positions no matter market conditions."
The strategies offered by Hathersage express trade ideas
Jade Fu (pictured), Investment Manager at Heartwood Investment Management, comments on OPEC’s (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) surprise announcement to cut production…
OPEC’s first cut in eight years has been taken positively by financial markets. Oil prices rose 6 per cent on the announcement and energy stocks also led US and UK equities higher. At the informal meeting in Algiers, OPEC countries committed to production cuts in the range of 32.5-33 million barrels per day.
While the agreement is a positive signal for the energy sector as a whole, we think it is too early to tell what
Pluribus Labs and Huq Industries have formed a partnership which aims to bring real-time “bricks-and-mortar” retailer performance data to the institutional investor community.
Through this partnership, investors can track the performance of real-world retailers and their competitors systematically and in real-time, using an impartial intelligence resource to help evaluate their investment positions on an ongoing basis.
The data source is brought by Huq Industries, the operator of a real-world market intelligence panel which measures the bricks-and-mortar store-visits of over seven million individuals in 140 countries daily.
The full catalogue is being made available to financial services professionals by
Canadian asset management firm Fiera Capital has made an offer to acquire the entire share capital of London-based asset manager Charlemagne Capital.
Fiera Capital’s recommended offer includes the payment of a special dividend by Charlemagne Capital.
If the offer is completed, it would provide Fiera Capital with an entry into the emerging and frontier markets asset class and create a European platform to enhance the growth and distribution of Fiera Capital's existing investment strategies.
"The acquisition of Charlemagne Capital would be an important step in advancing our global presence by teaming up with a high quality emerging and
Boutique investment management firm RiverNorth Capital Management has launched RiverNorth Marketplace Lending Corporation, a registered 1940 Act closed-end interval fund dedicated to the rapidly growing online lending asset class.
“We are pleased to add RiverNorth Marketplace Lending Corporation to our portfolio of opportunistic investment offerings,” says Brian Schmucker (pictured), chief executive officer of RiverNorth. “RiverNorth is among the first to offer retail investors this tremendous opportunity, that of providing diversified and efficient access to the peer-to-peer lending space.”
The fund will invest in a diverse mix of marketplace lending sectors, including unsecured consumer, small business, and specialty finance loan segments.
