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Lyxor Asset Management has expanded its managed account platform with the addition of five hedge funds: Caxton, Ecofin, NewSmith, Lynx and Rhicon.
Caxton, Ecofin and NewSmith are long/short equity strategies, while Lynx is a CTA strategy and Rhicon a currency trading strategy.
The Lyxor managed account platform replicates over 100 hedge funds and has over USD10bn in assets under management.
It is based on full segregation of assets, independent valuation, independent risk management, as well as enhanced transparency, liquidity and reporting.
Hedge Funds Care, a non-profit organisation which raises funds and awareness within the hedge fund industry to prevent and treat child abuse, will hold its 12th annual New York Open Your Heart to the Children Benefit on 25 February.
This year’s event features a gala cocktail reception and the presentation of the Hedge Funds Care Award for Caring to Liya Kebede, for her efforts to improve health conditions for women and children around the world, and Michael E. Novogratz, president of Fortress Investment Group, for his corporate and philanthropic leadership.
Lee Daniels, director of the film Precious: Based on the
Deutsche Bank has launched a Ucits III compliant equity fund which aims to reduce volatility and drawdowns by implementing an enhanced option strategy.
In comparison to a long-only equity investment, the fund, called DB Platinum Option Overwriting Plus Fund, benefits from traditional call overwriting strategies but also uses additional protection features on the downside and has some increased participation potential on the upside.
The fund is aimed at institutional investors and tracks the db Option Overwriting Plus Index strategy, which invests 100 per cent in a benchmark index – DJ Euro Stoxx 50, DAX or SMI – and enters into
Alternative asset management firm Armajaro Asset Management has launched a fourth commodity hedge fund: the Armajaro STS Commodities Fund.
The fund is a systematic, trend-following commodities fund which invests in liquid exchange-traded commodity derivatives including base metals, precious metals, energy and soft commodities.
The strategy has a long-term trading horizon, and aims to generate superior returns and control risk.
Trade signals originate from a proprietary systematic programme – the Armajaro STS Commodities programme – which has been developed by Will Griffin, the portfolio manager for the Armajaro STS Commodities Fund.
Since April 2007, the programme has been allocated five per
A large portion of alternative investment firms may be hindering their capital raising efforts by not providing investors with access to online reporting systems, according to a survey by Netage Solutions.
The survey also revealed that limited partners and their advisers overwhelmingly agree that such systems increase transparency.
The survey of 31 institutional investors, family offices and advisers conducted in the fourth quarter of 2009 found that nearly 87 per cent of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “online reporting systems provide much needed transparency in the alternative assets industry”.
Further underscoring the importance of investor portals
Azad Zangana, European Economist at Schroders, cautions against expectations of a swift UK recovery.
Preliminary estimates of GDP growth for between October and December 2009 showed the UK economy grew by 0.1%, ending the longest and deepest recession since the Second World War.
The 0.1% rise in GDP growth in Q4 was far lower than city consensus of 0.4%, though preliminary estimates only have about 40% of the final information required to produce a final estimate, and are subject to revisions.
The latest estimate provides end-of-year annual growth. The worst performing sectors of 2009 was the manufacturing sector,
Investor confidence rose fractionally by 0.2 points to 104.5 in January from a revised December level of 104.3, according to the State Street Investor Confidence Index.
The mood was upbeat in North America, where confidence showed an increase of 4.4 points over December’s reading of 103.5 to settle at 107.9.
In Europe, by contrast, institutional investors were more wary, and their confidence fell 5.6 points to 98.9 from the December level of 104.5.
Amongst Asian institutional investors, confidence rose slightly to 98.1 from a level of 97.5 in December.
Developed through State Street Global Markets’ research partnership, State Street Associates,
The UK Financial Services Authority has approved Xtrakter to regulatory report exchange-traded derivatives using alternative instrument identifiers.
The approval was awarded to Xtrakter after it successfully completed an FSA review and a period of extensive testing.
As an approved reporting mechanism) Xtrakter will continue to adhere to the requirements of Directive 2004/39/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council 21, April 2004 Markets in Financial Instruments Directive.
Yannic Weber, chief executive officer of Xtrakter, says: “We are pleased to have obtained FSA approval for our new Aii reporting service. This endorsement reinforces our position as a regulatory reporting hub
Merchant Capital has launched a Ucits platform that aims to provide hedge fund managers of all sizes with a cost-effective vehicle for running their own Ucits III funds.
Merchant is in the process of signing up appropriate distributors in both the retail and institutional market to help clients get access to the USD7trn Ucits market.
Tressis, a Spanish distributor of investment funds, structured products, fixed income and other financial products, has selected Merchant Capital as its Ucits III umbrella provider. The company is due to launch a European equity long/short strategy on the platform.
Tressis has over EUR1.7bn of assets
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has issued an order granting ICE Clear Europe registration as a derivatives clearing organisation pursuant to Section 5b(b) of the Commodity Exchange Act.
ICE Clear Europe is a private limited company organised under the laws of England and Wales.
Pursuant to an order that the commission issued on 23 July, ICE Clear Europe has operated within the US as a multilateral clearing organisation.
ICE Clear Europe clears energy-based contracts and credit default swap contracts on European reference entities.
As a registered DCO, ICE Clear Europe is authorised to clear futures contracts, options on futures contracts,
