Paris-based M&A investment manager, Bernheim, Dreyfus, has unveiled research designed to uncover possible or potential bid targets during 2011. Among other names, the luxury jeweller Tiffany and software company, Adobe Systems, are seen as being particularly attractive. Tiffany & Co is a jewellery and specialty retailer whose principal merchandise offering is fine jewellery and except its one Tiffany brand its portfolio also consists out of the Elsa Peretti, Frank Gehry, Paloma Picasso and Jean Schlumberger brands. Tiffany with sales of USD2,7 billion in 2009 is operating worldwide but with greatest presence in America and Japan totalling together 70% of sales.

Melody Bryant has joined the CL Kempner Asset Management as a principal to work alongside founder and managing partner Carl Kempner to ramp up the firm’s long/short equity hedge fund platform.   Together, Kempner and Bryant plan to expand the firm, which began as a family office and now has a 20+-year track record of aggressive capital preservation on behalf of high net worth individuals and institutions.   “Through the years, we have worked diligently to meet the investment requirements of many of our family members and friends," says Kempner. "Now, the time is right to capitalize on market inefficiencies

The hedge fund industry posted an estimated inflow of USD13.0 billion (0.8% of assets) in November 2010, the fifth straight inflow as well as the heaviest since February 2010, according to the latest figures released by TrimTabs Investment Research and BarclayHedge. “The year ahead looks bright for the hedge fund industry,” says Sol Waksman, founder and President of BarclayHedge. “Hedge funds returned 11.6% in 2010, and investors continue to pump money into the space. Additionally, we suspect pension managers will need to chase active returns because plans are underfunded and market yields are far too low to get the job done.” Equity

More than 1,200 investment professionals passed the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (CAIA) AIA Level II exam in 2010, making them eligible for the CAIA designation, the only globally recognised designation focused on alternative investments.   By year-end 2010, CAIA Association membership worldwide for the 8-year-old organisation grew to more than 4,600. “Employers and investors are looking for professionals with an in-depth and current understanding of the dynamic world of alternatives,” says Florence Lombard (pictured), CEO, CAIA Association. “The CAIA designation’s international reputation is unique and draws investment professionals to the CAIA Association’s comprehensive educational program.” The CAIA designation is

Despite an increase in average costs, a unanimous rise in business volumes and a robust increase in fee, commission & premium income meant that investment management profitability grew strongly for the sixth consecutive quarter, according to the latex CBI/PwC Financial Services Survey. However, the survey, which asked participants how their business volumes fared in the three months to December, found that plans for capital spending in the year ahead have generally weakened; in particular, investment managers plan to authorise less spending on IT relative to the past year, for the first time since June 2009. Optimism in securities trading rose