- September 10, 2010 - New UCITS Platform Launches In Ireland
The Malta-headquartered asset manager ML Capital has launched a new Irish UCITS platform following amendments to the Irish regulator’s naming conventions for authorised investment funds – changes which the firm was actually involved in bringing about.
The amendments to the regulator’s naming conventions, which came into effect at the beginning of the month, mean that the sole reference to an investment manager’s name will now be permitted in the title of a sub-fund within an umbrella fund structure. This change came about following a request made by the Dublin-based law firm Matheso.
- September 8, 2010 - HSBC Expands Alternative Investments Team
HSBC has appointed Amy McNally from Barclays Wealth as global marketing manager at its alternative investments division.
At Barclays Wealth, McNally was a product specialist covering alternative investments, responsible for marketing and distributing hedge funds, private equity and real estate products in the UK and EMEA. She has also previously worked at JP Morgan Treasury Services and ABN AMRO Mellon.
- September 8, 2010 - August Brings Little Summer Joy For Hedge Funds - Lyxor
Hedge funds returned just 0. 84 per cent between January and August this year, new figures from Lyxor Asset Management showed, but data nevertheless contrasts with a 6. 2 per cent fall in global equities over that period.
- September 7, 2010 - Matrix Group Adds To FoHFs Team
The privately-owned UK financial services business Matrix Group has appointed Alkesh Chohan as an analyst within its fund of hedge funds group, boosting its five-strong fund of funds team.
Alkesh joins from TCP Asset Management, where he worked as an investment analyst for three years. In his new role Chohan will be responsible for conducting due diligence on prospective managers and developing existing relationships with fund managers and prime brokers.
- September 7, 2010 - Rothschild PB&T Still Frowns On Government Bonds, Frets Over Debt Pile
Rothschild Private Banking & Trust has hardened its bearish stance towards government bonds, arguing that they appear even more expensive as their yields are in some cases less attractive than dividend yields from equities.
The private bank said it had warned about overvaluation of government bonds back in the spring of this year, and argues that the negative case has grown more compelling as the year has gone by.
“We also remain concerned about the longer-term outlook for government bonds.
- September 7, 2010 - The US HIRE Act - New Guidance For Trusts, Investors
The “Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act of 2010” (the HIRE Act) may be the broadest tax and information reporting legislation ever enacted, potentially affecting all investors whether individuals, trusts, family offices, or other entities and virtually all non-US banks, investment houses, brokerages, custody agents, mutual funds, hedge funds, private equity funds and life insurance providers, among others, with any investments in the US.
The Hire Act, enacted this March, left a number of issues to be determined at the discretion of the IRS and the US Treasury. Since its ena.
- September 6, 2010 - Where Big Can Be Beautiful
“True independence as a wealth manager in the eyes of clients can be a tough sell when so many investors have been hurt by the financial system” wrote our group editor, Tom Burroughes, back in May. This had arguably led to the rise of the family-office and boutiques which have been mushrooming all over London.
However, one wealth manager who appears to have got things right over the last 18 months is HSBC Private Bank, which in July won the prestigious award of ‘Best Global Wealth Manager’ from Euromoney.
- September 6, 2010 - Matrix Group CEO Says Wealth Preservation Drives Client Demand
Wealth preservation in uncertain times is the driving force behind investor demands, helping to explain the plethora of products and services hitting the market, according to Chris Merry, chief executive of UK-based Matrix Group.
“Wealth managers are still reeling from the credit crisis and clients have not yet – until recently – been ready to commit money. Capital preservation is extremely important; liquidity is extremely important and the high return requirements we saw in the past have almost gone away although they have started to come back,” Merry told WealthBriefing in a.
- September 6, 2010 - London-Based Stenham Acquires Discretionary Manager
UK-based Stenham Asset Management, the fund of hedge funds firm, has added $400 million of assets by acquiring Montier Partners, a discretionary investment management firm, taking total AuM to $3. 5 billion. Stenham described the move as an example of consolidation in the FoHFs business.
- September 3, 2010 - Deflation Or Inflation - How Either Outcome Affects Art Investment
Expectations in the financial markets have changed significantly since our last report on the art fund market in which we discussed how investors were shifting their concerns from weathering the financial crisis to anticipating the inflationary effects of rising government spending and debt.
In our June Issue of Art Fund Tracker, we enumerated the factors that led us to believe – as we still do – that an allocation to real assets like fine art in the form of a well diversified art fund could help protect against the damaging by-products of inflation and volatility. Since then.