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Mark Ferguson has been appointed as Head of UK Wholesale Distribution at Kames Capital.
Read the full story at Institutional Asset Manager…
Ardent Financial has launched itself as a new global securities dealer with institutional-quality permanent equity to provide firm markets and liquidity. Veteran CEO, Peter Chung, says he hopes to address “the continuing decline of well-resourced and seasoned dealers over the past decade”, and has already onboarded a number of European and US institutional clients.
Read the full story at Institutional Asset Manager…
CMC Markets, a contracts for difference (CFD) provider, has launched two new share baskets to track key behavioural changes, harnessing the popularity of Remote Lifestyle and Collaborative Technology investments.CMC Markets regularly consults with a number of respected industry experts to help better understand what clients will want to trade next. Research Analyst and Portfolio Manager Joe Kunkle is one such contributor, who says: “Recent events have accelerated the speed of major thematic shifts such as work-from-home, and discussions from management across the software space are validating the surge in demand for these solutions as every company scrambles to ensure business
The amount of short bets against UK stocks during the first five months of 2020 has surged 25 per cent compared to the same period last year, with the increase triggered by huge surges in market volatility, according to industry analysis by GraniteShares.
Backstop Solutions Group (Backstop), a cloud-based productivity suite for institutional and alternative investors, and Mercer, a business of Marsh & McLennan, have formed a strategic alliance which will make Mercer’s institutional investment data, forward-looking research and ratings available through Backstop’s platform.Backstop clients who subscribe to MercerInsight, Mercer’s cloud-based investment manager research and analytics platform, will be able to access institutional investment data, research and ratings on over 7,000 managers and 35,000 strategies through Backstop’s productivity platform, enabling such institutional asset owners, consultants, and advisors clients to quickly ascertain Mercer’s views on managers to bolster their own research and opinions.
The Campbell Systematic Macro Fund, a series of The RBB Fund, has completed the previously announced acquisition of the Equinox Campbell Strategy Fund effective 1 June, 2020.Campbell, which previously served as the sub-adviser to the portfolio, will now operate as the sole adviser to the fund going forward. The reorganisation provides benefits to existing shareholders of the acquired fund in the form of lower net and gross operating expenses.
“We’re always looking for ways to reduce cost and complexity for our shareholders,” says Will Andrews, CEO of Campbell. “By becoming advisor of the Fund and moving it to RBB, we
Most hedge fund industry employees have been working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic, but now firms are split over when staff should return to work and when businesses can resume face-to-face contact with investors and other clients, a new study by the Alternative Investment Management Association has found.
The survey data suggests firms with smaller headcounts are more confident on resuming client contact and overseas travel later this year.
But firms with larger staff numbers do not expect to return to normal until 2021, suggesting they face bigger practical challenges in ensuring social distancing among employees.
AIMA, the trade body
Alpha Blue Ocean, the London-based alternative credit investor, is eyeing growing funding opportunities arising out of the sharp economic downturn following the coronavirus outbreak.
The firm focuses mainly on the healthcare, energy and technology sectors, targeting typically smaller and medium firms forced to innovate to create growth to sustain themselves, rather than major well-established companies at the top of their curve, said CEO and co-founder Pierre Vannineuse.
The EUR300 million manager’s novel convertible bond-focused investment model provides financing for small and dynamic start-up companies unable to access traditional bank lending, or preferring a less dilutive alternative to straight equity when
MUFG Investor Services’ Global Securities Lending Solutions Group has selected the EquiLend Spire securities finance system as its core global platform to expand front-, middle- and back-office solutions.EquiLend Spire is a modular and scalable securities finance system offering solutions for compliance, reporting, risk analysis, accounting, positions and trade. MUFG Investor Services’ choice of EquiLend Spire as its global platform reflects our ongoing commitment to innovation by complementing cutting edge in-house technology with leading industry systems into front-, middle- and back-office offerings for clients.
This deal also signifies yet another step MUFG Investor Services has taken to support the growth
Integral, an FX technology partner for banks, brokers and asset managers, has announced that INTL FCStone Ltd has begun trading NDFs on Integral’s BankFX Platform. INTL FCStone, a provider of financial-services execution, risk management, market intelligence, and post-trade services, also offers trading and clearing in a wide range of OTC FX instruments. The NonDeliverable Forward was developed in order to meet growing client demand and will be supported by Integral’s new streaming NDF workflow, along with its established Request for Stream functionality.
Initially, INTL FCStone will support the Brazilian Real (BRL), the Chilean Peso (CLP), and the Columbian Peso in
