Solutions
Nasdaq’s Quandl, an alternative data provider, has launched the E-Commerce Intelligence (ECI) dataset, which allows investors to track product-level e-commerce transactions on a near real-time basis.
The exclusive dataset follows the day-to-day transactions of 800 brands and 500 companies across more than 350 e-retailers in North America and EMEA, capturing USD15 billion worth of product sales annually.
ECI data is available daily with a seven-day lag, offering a distinct speed advantage over consumer sales datasets currently available on the market. Investors can monitor early traction on new products, follow the entire lifecycle of a product, monitor same-store sales and measure
By Michael Killourhy, Ogier – 2017 and 2018 were record setting years for Special Purpose Acquistion Company (SPAC) offerings in the United States. Strong demand continued into 2019, with SPAC IPOs crossing the 100 mark by end Q2 2019. SPACs are publicly-traded investment vehicles that raise funds via an IPO to complete a targeted acquisition (a “business combination”) within a limited time frame (18-24 months).
The funds raised are placed in an interest bearing trust account and may only be used to fund a business combination. If the company fails to complete a business combination, the funds are returned to investors
Since the Approved Manager Regulations were implemented in the BVI in 2012, smaller managers seeking a more simplified approval process and lighter touch regulatory framework compared to the Securities and Investment Business Act (SIBA) have really benefited.
Under the approved manager regime, start-up managers can choose to avail of the BVI’s incubator fund and approved fund products, both of which are designed to help build their track records without necessarily having to launch a BVI professional fund on day one.
In that sense, the approved manager enables smaller managers to establish a structure on a cost-effective basis, says Walter Reich
Interview with Jacques Roux (pictured), Managing Director, Audit, KPMG
How big an opportunity do you think technology innovation is for the BVI’s service provider community, broadly speaking?
The investment funds industry, like most other activities in the financial market space, is information intensive. Data is the lifeblood of alternative investments and, therefore, digitisation is already proving to be a key driver in the next wave of the investment fund industry’s growth. We fully believe that, ultimately, digitisation is going to have a similar effect on the alternative investment industry as the effect of the internet on the media content industry.
By Simon Gray, BVI Finance – A new generation of hedge fund managers are looking to make a name for themselves. But starting a fund, raising money and managing a back office can be a gruelling task even for the most talented rising stars.
The main challenge for a start-up hedge fund manager is that institutional investors are looking for a three-year track record before they even consider investing, while alternative sources of funding expect at least 12-18 months of experience.
So how do new fund managers go about achieving this track record without drowning under the operational costs and constraints of
By Christopher Simpson & Kerry Anderson – News outlets, including The Guardian and CNBC, were reporting and market watchers were opining in early 2019 that a slowing world economy forebodes a major global economic shift – possibly another recession. By mid-August, the concern found renewed attention when analysts pointed to an inverted yield curve in the United States Government bond market as a historical precursor to a recession.
According to Credit Suisse, a recession has occurred, on average, 22 months following such an inversion in past cycles. Whether the inverted yield curve is a reliable indicator of an imminent recession is
By Ian Montgomery, Partner, Collas Crill – A new generation of offshore incorporations: Succession planning for offshore incorporations, particularly those where companies are controlled by one individual, needs careful consideration. Problems can arise where a significant proportion of shares in a BVI company are held by a foreign-domiciled deceased individual with a foreign will or no valid will at all, particularly where the deceased was the sole director of the company.
As a matter of BVI law, a BVI grant of probate has to be obtained to allow shares in a BVI company to pass to the intended successors. This can be
By Simon Gray, BVI Finance – The crypto hedge fund is a new phenomenon, created by entrepreneurial investment managers looking to take advantage of the huge gains that cryptocurrencies have experienced over the last three years.
At present, the sector is still in its fledgling phase. A 2019 report by PwC estimated that there are fewer than 200 active crypto hedge funds collectively being managed today, with only USD1 billion in total assets under management (AUM).
It seems more a sector for plucky managers who see the potential in the asset class for now – the average crypto hedge fund team
By Paul Waldron (pictured), Harneys BVI – The BVI approved manager product, first introduced in 2012, continues to be a popular choice with start-up and emerging managers all over the world. It was introduced as an alternative to the full investment management licence available under the Securities and Investment Business Act, 2010 (SIBA) in the BVI, which remains a robust product ideally suited to institutional managers.
However the application process and ongoing obligations were considered to be somewhat daunting for managers running a lower AUM, or without the experience and track record to meet the requirements. The process also took
Discipline is one of the key traits of any successful fund manager – sticking to the core investment strategy and avoiding style drift. And in some respects, the same is true of offshore jurisdictions.
Over the years, rather than try to compete for mega-funds with the Cayman Islands, the BVI industry has instead focussed its efforts in carving out a reputation as the natural home for mid-sized and emerging managers across both the hedge fund and PE/VC fund space.
Relative market positioning is difficult to quantify in the unregulated PE/VC space, as offshore regulators do not maintain statistical data for
