Participant Capital, a Miami-based private equity real estate investment firm, founded by Royal Palm Companies, a developer with more than 40-years of success, has announced today the promotion of Claudio Izquierdo to Chief Operating Officer. With Claudio’s years of experience in international investment and business development, the company is strongly aimed to elevate its global expansion.
Claudio Izquierdo has a long history of working with institutional investors and ultra-high net worth individuals throughout Latin America. His successful career includes impressive achievements at some of the world’s most prestigious investment banks such as Morgan Stanley where he rose to the position of Vice President. He also served as a Senior Vice President of Investments at UBS and a Senior Financial Advisor at HSBC.
“Claudio is an exceptional professional with international business acumen and deep expertise. He is managing over 30 distributors and building partnerships with key financial institutions across the globe,” comments Daniel Kodsi, Participant Capital CEO. “We are proud to have him on our team!”
Prior to joining Participant Capital, Claudio enjoyed a successful career as an entrepreneur having established a number of international export and trading businesses. He has a degree in finance from Florida International University. He is a frequent contributor to a variety of trade and business publications and a sought-after speaker and expert authority on international investment and management products.
“I am happy to oversee how fast Participant Capital is growing,’’ says Claudio. “Thanks to the dedication of our team, we are creating long-lasting value for our clients and providing direct access to world-class real estate projects from the ground-up at the developer’s cost basis.”
Wikimedia CommonsColfondos Tower. AFP Habitat announces the acquisition of AFP Colfondos in Colombia
Inversiones La Construccion (ILC) and Prudential Financial Inc., which together hold 80% of the ownership of AFP Habitat, announced on Friday an agreement to acquire, through AFP Habitat S.A., 100% of the ownership of Colfondos S.A. Pensiones y Cesantías, a Colombian pension fund manager currently owned by Scotiabank and Grupo Mercantil Colpatria.
Colfondos is the third largest pension fund manager in Colombia, with 1,916,000 clients and 27 years of history. The transaction involves the purchase, by Habitat, of 100% of the ownership of AFP Colfondos. As per an official communication of AFP Habital to the national regulator CMF, the price of the transaction in 585.000 million pesos ( 170 million dolars) that will be paid in cash.
Upon completion of this operation (subject to usual closing conditions, including regulatory approvals), AFP Habitat will consolidate its presence in three countries (Chile, Peru and Colombia), reaching a market of around 100 million inhabitants and over 850,000 million dollars of total GDP.
“This transaction consolidates the corporate relationship we have with Prudential and ratifies our vision regarding the potential of the Latin American market. Likewise, and if authorized by Colombian regulatory authorities, AFP Habitat will take a significant step in its expansion strategy, contributing in a new country its differentiating attributes such as its track record in investment returns, professionalism and leadership in the industry”, said Pablo González, CEO of ILC.
Additionally, Cristián Rodríguez, Chairman of AFP Habitat Chile said that “we are very happy with the decision to acquire AFP Colfondos, as it will allow us to consolidate a portfolio of about 5 million affiliates in the Andean Region (Chile, Peru and Colombia), capture the regional growth potential and work towards the goal of achieving better pensions for the people”.
The Manager of Prudential for Latin America, Federico Spagnoli, said that “our partnership with ILC is delivering the expected results, and this transaction is a concrete demonstration that the internationalization of AFP Habitat is being achieved in the right terms and conditions, responding to the spirit that drove our alliance in 2014”.
As reported previously, in October 2014 ILC -an investment company of which the Chilean Chamber of Construction is a majority shareholder- partnered with Prudential Financial Inc., a North American company, to control 80% of the ownership of AFP Habitat, which was an important step to strengthen the internationalization strategy of this company. Since then, AFP Habitat has consolidated its presence in the Peruvian market by becoming one of the main pension funds managers in the country.
Foto cedidaHenry Wong, CFA Managing Director Head of Asia Fixed Income. Henry Wong, DWS: "There are Currently More Interesting Investments than Chinese Fixed Income from a Risk Return Perspective"
Henry Wong, CFA Head of Asia Fixed Income, with close to 30 years of experience in the industry, has a management style that runs away from sentimentality, maintains its long-term investment strategy, seeks internal and external transparency. “My intention when buying an asset is to sell it and when I sell it, to buy it again at a better time market momentum” states Wong
Chinese Macroeconomic picture
For the manager, “after four decades of continued growth, the Chinese economy is tired and with significant excess capacity” . The adjustment of this excess capacity will be painful in terms of job losses and increased competitiveness by companies.
In his opinion, it is still premature to know if it will be successful or not, because this adjustment needs a change in mentality that has not yet occurred and that takes time. But “they have no choice but to do so, and the government must decide whether to do it gradually or faster,” says Wong.
In addition, Wong points out that the markets since 2007/2008 have been favored by an excess of liquidity that benefited more asset holders than ordinary people, so in his opinion, the political class, especially in the United States and Europe, has to rethink its strategy in this line to redirect this imbalance.
For Wong, the trade conflict between the United States and China is a “consequence of this money printing excess,” but to some extent this increase in protectionism is also related to sustainability policies by having to reduce the transportation costs of products to favor of local products. “I do not think we can foresee a specific termination date of the conflict, it is a global structural change that will take decades,” he concludes.
Bond Connect
From his point of view, China, like many other economies, faces a problem aging population that will lead to a reduction in income due to lower taxes collected from a depleted workforce and an increase in expenses derived from an older population,
In this sense, the Bond Connect project, which will include fixed income assets in local currency in the main world indexes, is an effort by the State to open its capital market and secure foreign financing sources.
Although Wong´s portfolio invests mostly in hard currency, the manager states that this process has just begun and that the supply of available assets is still reduced, limited to government bonds and state owned entities: “At this very initial moment the Investment alternatives are very limited for international investors, who can only move along the curve buying assets with different maturities, but the number of issuers is very limited and liquidity is reduced. I think this market will get bigger every day, but it will do so at a very gradual speed, ” concludes Wong.
Regarding the attractiveness of the Chinese fixed income market, the manager affirms that risk return ratio currently does not suggest putting too many resources in Chinese assets, or in other words: “There are currently more interesting opportunities from a risk/return perspective than China”, he points out.
India and Indonesia
Specifically, one of its current hard currency bets is Indonesia, since after the presidential elections it is one of the countries that can benefit the most from an exit from the factories of China in search of greater competitiveness. Preferably, they opt for companies that have already gone through a process of restructuring and sovereign or quasi-sovereign issuers for the good macro moment that the country is going through.
Additionally, India is also an overweight country in its portfolio, although they are very selective and avoid financial names.
Increase in portfolio duration
With regards to positioning within the curve, Wong explains that they have been extending the duration of the portfolio gradually since last October, reaching a duration of 5 years compared to the 2 years they maintained in August 2018.
This commitment responds to his conviction that global growth will be slower and less efficient affected by protectionist policies and capacity adjustments. This duration objective has been achieved through the purchase of high quality long term Asian corporate bonds and 10 year and 30 year US treasuries up to 10% of its portfolio.
Foto cedidaChris Kaminker (left) and Ebba Lepage (right) / Courtesy photo. Chris Kaminker and Ebba Lepage Join Lombard Odier
Lombard Odier further strengthens its commitment to sustainability with two strategic hires. Christopher Kaminker and Ebba Lepage have joined the firm.
Kaminker joins as Head of Sustainable Investment Research & Strategy, a newly created role within Lombard Odier Investment Managers (LOIM). He will lead on strengthening LOIM’s sustainability offering and research capabilities. He joins from Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB), a leading Nordic financial banking group, where he was Head of Sustainable Finance Research and a Senior Advisor. He is the author of over 30 publications on sustainable finance, and has held responsibilities for cross-asset research and strategy, as well as advising on and structuring sustainability financing solutions for investors, corporates and sovereigns.
Prior to SEB, Kaminker was the lead economist and policy advisor for sustainable finance at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and represented the OECD as a delegate to the G20 and Financial Stability Board. Previously, he worked at Société Générale and Goldman Sachs.
Ebba Lepage will join as Head of Corporate Sustainability on 19 August 2019. Her experience in corporate business development and ESG strategy, assessment and implementation will be key assets to help drive Lombard Odier’s sustainability agenda forward.
Lepage has worked in a multinational environment, in New York, Montreal, Monaco, London, and Stockholm. She has spent her career in corporate finance, investment banking, asset management and for nearly five years in sustainable innovation. She joins from Stora Enso, a sustainability leader of renewable solutions in biomaterials for consumer products, where she was Group Vice President M&A and Corporate Finance. Here, she oversaw the Biomaterials Innovation group division’s sustainable investment activities.
Patrick Odier, Senior Managing Partner of the Lombard Odier Group, said: “I am pleased to welcome such experienced talents to Lombard Odier as we continue to strengthen our sustainability expertise and offering. Seeking to identify and provide the best solutions for our clients is at the heart of what we do, while always ensuring we have a positive impact on society, creating a better future for the next generation.”
Hubert Keller, Managing Partner of the Lombard Odier Group and CEO of Lombard Odier Investment Managers, said: “Investors and the corporate world are coming under mounting pressure to transition to a sustainable economy. Christopher’s extensive experience across the academic, financial and policy sectors will advance our integrated sustainability solutions and bolster our research capability within LOIM as we seek to give our clients access to companies which adopt sustainable business models and practices.”
Annika Falkengren, Managing Partner of the Lombard Odier Group, said: “Lombard Odier has a long heritage in sustainable investment and corporate sustainability. These appointments further demonstrate our commitment to continually innovate in these fields. Ebba’s experience in sustainable innovation will be crucial in helping us become an even more sustainable business as we continue to grow over the coming years.”
Foto cedidaGonzalo Binello. Schroders nombra a Gonzalo Binello director para Latinoamérica
Schroders is announcing today that Gonzalo Binello has been appointed Head of Latin America. His appointment will bring a dedicated, regional-specific emphasis on our development in Latin America, a key strategic growth area for the firm. Gonzalo will also retain his role and responsibilities as Head of Offshore Intermediary Sales.
Gonzalo joined Schroders in 2003 and was most recently the Head of Intermediary Offshore Sales, based in Miami. He has extensive experience and knowledge of the Latin American market, having been Head of Distribution for Latin America and Central America at Schroders from 2009 to 2013.
Gonzalo will report in to John Troiano, Global Head of Distribution at Schroders.
As part of these changes and our focus on Latin America, Pablo Albina will also become Head of Investments for Latin America and continue with his role as Country Head of Argentina. Pablo will work in partnership with Gonzalo to develop and implement our strategy for the region, focusing on building our local investment teams and enhancing our product suite. In this role, he will report to Karl Dasher, Co-Head of Fixed Income and CEO North America.
The new appointment of Gonzalo, together with Pablo, will secure the ongoing prosperity and growth in the Latin America region.
John Troiano, Global Head of Distribution, Schroders commented:
“Schroders has established itself as a growing force in the Latin American market. Furthermore, the region has become a key strategic growth area for the firm and we are experiencing significant client demand for our investment expertise across the continent. We are confident that Gonzalo’s appointment will support the continued growth of our business across Latin America.”
Gonzalo Binello, Head of Latin America, Schroders, said:
“Schroders’ profile in Latin America among investors continues to grow. I am excited to bring my regional experience of the market to this new role and help build on the substantial foundations that Schroders already has in place.
“The investment needs of investors across the continent are diverse. I am determined to ensure that Schroders’ business continues to evolve to meet the complex challenges that both existing and prospective clients face.”
After years of growing older, the ranks of advisers and RIA firm leaders are getting younger. New FA Insight benchmarking research from TD Ameritrade Institutional finds the leadership of registered investment advisor firms is passing the torch from the Baby Boomer to Gen X and investing to sustain their firms’ strong performance well into the future.
The report found that the advisory community as a whole is getting younger, reversing a graying trend that had many advisors worried about the sustainability of the industry. With a median age of 49 years – three years younger than in 2015 — six out of 10 firms have at least one owner who expects to stay at the helm for at least another 12 years, according to The 2019 FA Insight Study of Advisory Firms: People and Pay.
The median age of firm associates, overall, dropped to 42 from 44 in 2015, while the median age of lead advisors is now 46 years, down from 50. The study also found that the number of owners who are 40 years of age or younger equals the number of firm owners who are over 60.
“As the next generation of RIA leaders comes to the forefront, they’re investing in their firms with a long time horizon,” said Vanessa Oligino, Director of Business Performance Solutions at TD Ameritrade Institutional. “We expect to see different approaches to industry challenges – whether they be staffing and compensation, growth and organizational design, or technology and innovation.”
Firm owners remain characteristically confident about continuing growth in 2019. They’re investing in senior-level experience, with lead advisor compensation up by 12 percent over the last two years, in an effort to secure seasoned talent that can help supercharge growth and navigate tomorrow’s challenges.
The report found that, although 2018 ended with the major stock indexes posting their worst yearly performances since the 2008 global financial crisis, choppy markets did not quell firm owners’ optimism, even as growth in assets under management (AUM) slowed.
The median revenue growth rate for firms was 14 percent in 2018, up slightly from 2017, while the median client growth rate of 7.4 percent was little changed. The rate of growth for AUM dropped to 5.9 percent.
Today’s Advisory Firms: Growing and Profitable
Firms continued on their growth trajectory in 2018, thanks to efficient operations management and the increase in productivity from associates in revenue-generating roles.
At 21 percent, a typical firm’s operating profit margin last year rose by more than a percentage point from 2017, and overhead expenses as a share of revenue fell slightly in 2018. This translated to rising income for firm owners, whose median total income rose 3.6 percent in 2018 to $633,000, the highest since 2014, or 55 cents for every dollar or firm revenue.
Despite market declines at the end of 2018, firm financial performance was also strong compared to the average of the previous five years. The rate of revenue growth increased to 14 percent, versus 12 percent, while operating profit margin increased from 20 percent to 21 percent. Revenues generated by revenue-generating roles were up 14 percent to $547,000 in 2018, while annual revenues per full-time equivalent (FTE) were up 13 percent over a two-year period.
Wanted: Seasoned Help
Advisory firms anticipate doubling their hiring rate in 2019 compared to 2018, with 61 percent making at least one hire last year. The largest firms plan to increase headcount by 10 to 12 percent, bringing on board seven FTEs.
Senior revenue generators and advisory firm staff, who have a proven ability to navigate market volatility and ease client concerns, have seen compensation rise over the last two years, whereas compensation for less experienced revenue generators has fallen. The compensation of associate advisors, who are now generally younger and have less experience than in prior years, has gone down by 8.5 percent and operations manager compensation rose during this period by 8 percent during this period.
The quest for experience may also help explain why firms continue to recruit lateral hires from inside the industry. RIAs tend to hire predominately from other independent RIAs for revenue roles, though they may also consider recruiting from other financial services firms and wirehouses.
Only 4 percent of firms are hiring recent college graduates for revenue-generating roles. A slightly higher amount, 6 percent, are hiring professionals from outside of the financial services industry.
People costs represent 77 percent of a typical firms expenses and 59 percent of total revenues. For every dollar spent on cash compensation, firms spend an additional 14 cents, on average, on retirement programs, medical benefits, training and payroll taxes.
“Independent advisory firms are laser-focused on growth and profitability, keeping expenses in line, while generating healthy returns across market cycles,” said Oligino. “Entrepreneurial and optimistic, successful owners are making investments they believe will benefit their firm in the long-run.”
Click here to read the executive summary of The 2019 FA Insight Study of Advisory Firms: People and Pay.
Wikimedia CommonsIan Sims, President and CIO . Colchester Global Investors: "In the Medium Term, We Seek to Establish a Diversified Footprint in Spain and Other Spanish-Speaking Countries"
A new management company has landed in Spain: it is the independent firm and fixed income specialist Colchester Global Investors, which invests exclusively in public debt with the objective of “preserving the diversifying integrity of government bonds” and which seeks to offer investors between 150 and 200 basis points of alpha above the benchmarks, and de-related risk assets. It only uses derivatives in currency futures contracts, whose exposure manages separately from that of bonds. Constance de Wavrin, Client Relationship Manager at the firm talks with funds society about their expansion plans.
Why have you decided to make the jump to the Spanish market?
We have recently made our investment strategies available in daily dealing, Irish-domiciled, UCITS Fund form. This prompts us to make headways in more intermediary- and retail distribution-focused jurisdictions than we have in the past, such as the Spanish market. While Colchester’s current assets under management are globally well-diversified, our presence in Continental Europe has historically been more heavily weighted in the more institutional space owing to managing portfolios in global sovereign bonds. We believe however that our trademark real yield investing process can bear significant decorrelation, diversification and liquidity advantages to Spanish investors in the intermediary and retail space. Colchester is committed to the Spanish market and this move is the first step in deepening our relationship with and presence in the market.
Do you think it has potential for growth and there is room for new managers?
The Spanish fund market, like many other continental European markets, is dominated by sizeable, established global asset managers. Especially in recent years, the rate of penetration by large, global managers has increased exponentially. We believe that the appeal of smaller, less well-known, asset managers can contribute to helping investors diversify their cross-asset exposure. In addition, by virtue of being of a more modest size, our fund strategies can help them gain exposure to less likely sovereign debt issuers which display strong balance sheets, are on a solid debt path and whose bond issuance is highly liquid.
What are the keys to your DNA and your offer in sovereign debt and currencies?
Colchester’s business is focused solely on bond and currency management.
As a result of this narrow focus, we believe our firm possesses six key advantages:
Independence of ownership and the resulting alignment of our interests with those of our clients;
Concentrated focus on global sovereign debt and higher quality smaller markets;
Sovereign-only focus delivering the diversification benefit of being invested in bonds;
Size (as measured in assets under management), which enables us to take meaningful positions in markets within the opportunity set;
Consistent and disciplined application of time-proven value-oriented techniques; and
Stability of investment team and other key professionals. Only one investment professional has left Colchester since inception.
We believe Colchester’s use of the smaller higher-quality sovereign bond markets is unique in the global bond investment management universe.
Colchester’s active use of this diversity allows it to circumvent the use of credit products in its portfolios and provides clients with attractive diversification at the aggregate portfolio level.
How do you want to conquer the Spanish market and what kind of product?
The Colchester Multi-Strategy Bond Fund (“MSGBF”) ICVC has recently been registered for fund unit sales in Spain and has appointed Allfunds Bank as a transfer agent and distributor.
We are in the process of initiating relationships with a number of prestigious local banks. In addition, we are listed on a number of European platforms including Allfunds, MFEX and UBS Fondcenter. We also have strong, long-standing relationships with leading global consultants and are working closely with their respective local offices in Spain. Colchester is committed to the Spanish market and this move is the first step in deepening our relationship with and presence in the market.
We strongly believe that our singular focus on sovereign bonds will help Spanish institutional clients’ preserve the integrity of their fixed income allocations. We also expect our offering to complement existing fixed income products currently carried by fund buy lists at intermediaries in Spain, including retail distribution platforms, discretionary portfolio managers at private banks, open-architecture multi-managers and fund-of-funds.
We count four flagship strategies. Our core strategy is a Global Sovereign Bond program, which we have been running since September 2000. Colchester introduced the Global Inflation–Linked Bond program in 2006, the Local Currency Emerging Markets Debt program at the end of 2008 and the Alpha Program in 2005.
In the current environment of very low profitability in public debt… What is your bet to win profitability?
In order to respond to this question, I would like to share with you some insight into our investment style and process which aim to deliver value in real terms throughout the cycle to our investors.
Colchester is a value-oriented manager. At the heart of Colchester’s philosophy is the belief that investments should be valued in terms of the income they will generate in real terms. The investment approach is therefore based on the analysis of inflation, real interest rates and real exchange rates, supplemented by an assessment of sovereign financial balances – fiscal, external and monetary. Portfolios are constructed to benefit from those opportunities with the greatest relative investment potential for a given level of risk. Sovereign bonds form the majority of Colchester’s portfolios.
Colchester eschews corporate credit, believing instead that its broader sovereign opportunity set provides attractive diversity and return potential.
Colchester’s use of sovereign-only portfolios ensures that the diversifying integrity of bonds is not compromised. Our Global Bond program mainly invests in developed markets, however Colchester’s unique use of the smaller bond markets in its portfolios differentiates us from most other fixed income managers. The fact that we are willing to make meaningful allocations to the likes of Australia and New Zealand among the developed bond markets and to Mexico and Poland among the Emerging Markets sets us apart from peers.
Colchester applies a qualitative screen to all high-quality investment grade countries to decide upon their inclusion, or otherwise, in the opportunity set. Size of market, liquidity, institutional structure, regulatory environment, capital regulations, political environment, stability issues, etc., are all considered by Colchester in its determination of the suitability of a country to be included in the opportunity set. Not all investment grade countries are included as barriers to foreign entry, political uncertainty and other factors have resulted in some countries being ‘screened out’. We constantly monitor the suitability of all existing and potential countries for inclusion in their investment opportunity set.
Colchester’s investment process focuses on identifying “Investment Value” at each important level: country, currency, sector and duration/maturity.
“Investment Value” is the synthesis of what we term “Real Value” and “Financial Stability” and its determination provides the basis on which Colchester takes investment decisions. “Real Value” is composed primarily of traditional real yield and real exchange rate measures, supplemented with an analysis of the term structure of interest rates. The determination of real yields and rates requires forecasts of future inflation, for which we employ robust, time-proven quantitatively oriented methodologies. We complement this analysis with quantitative assessments of sovereign financial strength backed up by country visits. “Financial Stability” has as its key determinants economic deficits and surpluses, monetary conditions and policy objectives.
Bond management is treated independently from currency management when deriving optimal bond and currency portfolios and we aim to generate half to two thirds of the relative return from bond selection and one third to a half from currency management. However, cross correlation risk between bond and currency exposures are analysed as a part of the assessment of the overall composition of risks in the final portfolio. Colchester believes significant duration variation is a low information ratio strategy. Accordingly, duration management is constrained to approximately +/-25% of benchmark duration.
Colchester’s approach to currency management is underpinned by an assessment of a country’s real exchange rate. This real valuation framework complements the real yield driven approach used on the bond side. A currency’s deviation from fair value has repeatedly been a strong indicator of a currency’s future movement. The further and longer a currency moves away from fair value the greater the likelihood—and the faster the speed—of an adjustment back towards fair value. Accordingly, we believe that higher returns are achievable over the medium term by being exposed to those currencies that are the most undervalued according to their real exchange rate.
In practical terms, this means that little or no currency risk is taken when a country’s real exchange rate is around fair value, but currency exposure is taken as currencies begin to meaningfully diverge from fair value. Estimates of the real exchange rate therefore provide the cornerstone of our currency valuation. We supplement these estimates with an assessment of a country’s financial balance factors and real interest rate differentials to generate Colchester’s estimate of each currency’s value. These currency values are then input into our optimisation framework to determine final currency allocations. Final portfolio exposures reflect both this underlying real valuation philosophy and clients’ risk preferences. Approximately 60% of Colchester’s currency valuation is determined by our estimate of the deviation of the real exchange rate from fair value, 20% by our assessment of the state of a country’s financial balances and 20% by the differential in short term real interest rates.
Are the Funds registered in Spain?
Yes, our funds are registered for sale in Spain. Our transfer agent is Allfunds Bank. Allfunds are also our distributing platform. We are aiming to add to this soon for greater accessibility.
Please see below our flagship funds. Each strategy exists in Irish-domiciled UCITS commingled fund form offering daily dealing, with different currency share classes, available hedged and unhedged:
Colchester Global Bond Fund (sovereign bonds only) – USD 1.3 billion with a since inception annualised alpha of 0.9% (7yr track record)
Colchester Local Markets Bond Fund (EM local debt only) – USD 2.4 billion with a since inception annualised alpha of 1.6% (6yr track record)
Colchester Global Real Return Bond Fund (inflation-linked bonds) – USD 490 million with a since inception annualised alpha of 0.9% (10yr track record)
Colchester Global Low Duration Bond Fund (sovereign bonds only) – USD 97 million with a since inception annualised alpha of 1.1% (4yr track record)
Colchester Local Markets Real Return Bond Fund – seeded with our own money so only 2m USD in size with a since inception annualised alpha of 0.8% (7 year track record)
What kind of funds (of your offer) are generating more interest in the Spanish investor? And why?
To date, we have found that our EMD Local Currency fund is of particular interest to our prospects in the Spanish market. While demand in the EMD sector has recently shown signs of weakening and fund buy lists appear to be well-stocked, it appears that the compelling differentiating characteristics of our investment approach (as described below) are worthwhile considering by domestic fund selectors. Diversification in the form of uncompromised interest rate duration, daily liquidity and decorrelation from risk assets, including credit and other equity-linked securities, are appealing to today’s fixed income investors.
The analysis of your sovereign debt funds is different from the rest… how do you tell from the competition?
What sets us apart from other Global Fixed Income asset managers is that we are a value-oriented manager. At the heart of Colchester’s philosophy is the belief that investments should be valued in terms of the income they will generate in real terms. The investment approach is therefore based on the analysis of inflation, real interest rates and real exchange rates, supplemented by an assessment of sovereign financial balances—fiscal, external, monetary and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors. Portfolios are constructed to benefit from those opportunities with the greatest relative investment potential for a given level of risk.
Contrary to most managers of Global Bond and Emerging Market Debt funds, sovereign bonds form the majority of Colchester’s portfolios. Colchester eschews corporate credit, believing instead that its broader sovereign opportunity set provides attractive diversity and return potential. Colchester’s use of sovereign-only portfolios ensures that the diversifying integrity of bonds is not compromised. Our Global Bond program mainly invests in developed markets, however Colchester’s unique use of the smaller bond markets in its portfolios differentiates us from most other fixed income managers. The fact that we are willing to make meaningful allocations to the likes of Australia and New Zealand among the developed bond markets and to Mexico and Poland among the Emerging Markets sets us apart from peers.
This greater independence in the opportunity set improves the potential information ratio. This compounded with the highly liquid nature of our investment universe and the powerful decorrelation effect of the allocation make for a compelling investment proposition as part of a broader mix of assets.
Colchester give great importance to the ESG factors in the management. How we incorporate in the management of funds?
Colchester is a PRI signatory and we integrate ESG analysis into the financial balance sheet work within our investment process. All members of the Investment Team are involved in implementing our ESG Policy as part of their day-to-day involvement in research and portfolio management activities. Claudia Gollmeier, Senior Investment Officer, is responsible for PRI reporting and initiatives which are approved by Compliance and the Chief Investment Officer. Claudia is also a member of the PRI Fixed Income Advisory Committee (https://collaborate.unpri.org/news/eleven-new-signatories-added-to-pri-fixed-income-advisory-committee) and chairs the Sovereign Working Group. Please find on page 78 of the “PRI – Shifting Perceptions” a new paper from Claudia, which can be found here: https://www.unpri.org/credit-ratings/credit-risk-case-study-colchester-global-investors-/4028.article.
What customer profile do you direct?
We strongly believe that our singular focus on sovereign bonds can help Spanish institutional and intermediary clients’ preserve the integrity of their fixed income allocations. We also expect our offering to complement existing fixed income products currently carried by fund buy lists at intermediaries in Spain, including retail distribution platforms, discretionary portfolio managers at private banks, open-architecture multi-managers and fund-of-funds.
What growth objectives do you set in Spain for the next few years?
Colchester’s focus on generating solid risk-adjusted performance for our investors has been the main driver of the firm’s growth over the past 20 years. With this in mind, we are hoping to continue deliver for our clients and simultaneously gain traction with as many institutions, private banks and multi-managers as possible in the Spanish market. We are looking to establish mutually beneficial partnerships with key fund distributors. In the medium term, we are looking to establish a diversified footprint in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. As mentioned before, Colchester is committed to the Spanish market and this move is the first step in deepening our relationship with and presence in the market.
About the history and team…
Colchester was founded by Ian G. Sims in 1999 and commenced managing client portfolios in February 2000. Ian Sims, Chairman and Chief Investment Officer, was one of the premier global bond managers of the 1990s prior to founding Colchester. Our business is focused solely on interest rate, bond and currency markets managed by an investment team with combined experience of over 100 years. Colchester manages only fixed income, and as of end of May 2019 had US$ 46 billion under management.
Colchester is headquartered in London, and this is where the majority of the investment activities and operations take place. Colchester also has offices in New York and Singapore and Compliance and Marketing and Client Service representatives are based in all three office locations. Colchester Singapore was incorporated in February 2012 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Colchester London and provides discretionary investment management, research and advisory services, marketing, client services and trade execution services to Colchester London and to external clients in Asia Pacific.
Foto cedidaFrom left to right: Rafael Mendoza, CFA; Pablo Jaque, CFA; Magdalena Bernat; Luis Fernando Pérez y Diego Chomali, CFA. Oaktree Acquires Strategic Stake in Chilean-based Singular
Oaktree Capital Management announced on July 29th that it has agreed to acquire a 20% strategic stake in Chilean-based asset management firm and placement agent Singular. This is Oaktree’s first corporate acquisition in Latin America.
Howard Marks, Co-Chairman of Oaktree, stated, “We have worked with the people of Singular for seven years. We respect them; their work in the region has been excellent; and most importantly they embody Oaktree’s culture. We are very glad to take this next step in extending our relationship and deepening our commitment to Latin America.”
“I am pleased to continue our work with the Singular team,” said Daniel Saieh, a Managing Director at Oaktree specializing in distribution of funds in Latin America. “They have been great partners for Oaktree and our clients and I look forward to expanding this important relationship throughout the region.”
Singular will continue to operate independently. Oaktree will have the right to appoint one representative to Singular’s board of directors.
Singular Chairman Pablo Jaque said, “We are thrilled to partner ever more closely with Oaktree. We welcome the expertise and best practices Oaktree has to offer to our platform as well as their additional support as we continue developing our asset management business across Latin America.”
Oaktree is a leader among global investment managers specializing in alternative investments, with 119 billion dollars in assets under management as of March 31, 2019. The firm emphasizes an opportunistic, value-oriented and risk-controlled approach to investments in credit, private equity, real assets and listed equities. The firm has over 950 employees and offices in 18 cities worldwide.
Singular is an asset management company based in Chile bringing a long track-record in managing institutional money to the Latin American market and extensive experience as Oaktree strategies’ institutional distributor in the region.
At today’s meeting the Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) decided that the interest rate on the main refinancing operations and the interest rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility will remain unchanged at 0.00%, 0.25% and -0.40% respectively.
According to a press release, “the Governing Council expects the key ECB interest rates to remain at their present or lower levels at least through the first half of 2020, and in any case for as long as necessary to ensure the continued sustained convergence of inflation to its aim over the medium term”.
However, on his opening statement, Draghi made it clear that loose policy is here to stay: “An ample degree of monetary accommodation is still necessary”.
The Governing Council also underlined “the need for a highly accommodative stance of monetary policy for a prolonged period of time, as inflation rates, both realised and projected, have been persistently below levels that are in line with its aim. Accordingly, if the medium-term inflation outlook continues to fall short of its aim, the Governing Council is determined to act, in line with its commitment to symmetry in the inflation aim. It therefore stands ready to adjust all of its instruments, as appropriate, to ensure that inflation moves towards its aim in a sustained manner”.
In this context, the Governing Council has tasked the relevant Eurosystem Committees with examining options, including ways to reinforce its forward guidance on policy rates, mitigating measures, such as the design of a tiered system for reserve remuneration, and options for the size and composition of potential new net asset purchases.
Aneeka Gupta, from WisdomTree said: “The ECB remains stubbornly stoic, falling short of market expectations. It has decided to leave the deposit rate unchanged at -0.40% but sets up the stage for a rate cut ahead at its meeting in September… European financials reacted positively to the possibility of tiering by the ECB. The markets were expecting to receive more stimulus at this meeting after the release of the weaker manufacturing PMI and IFO data from Europe and Germany respectively at the start of the week. The German bund yield fell to a record low of -41bps as the ECB opens up the option of further QE.”
Also today, the Governing Council of the ECB adopted an opinion on the recommendation from the Council of the European Union on the appointment of the future ECB President. It read: “The Governing Council has no objection to the proposed candidate, Christine Lagarde, who is a person of recognised standing and professional experience in monetary or banking matters.”
Wikimedia CommonsCourtesy photo. Michael Blank Joins a Canadian MFO, to Lead its US Expansion
Holdun Family Office, a 5th generation Canadian family with offices in Montreal, Bahamas and The Cayman Islands, has opened its first US Office. Located at 555 Washington Ave., in Miami Beach, and lead by industry veteran and former Managing Director of Andbank, Michael Blank, the new office is considered by the firm, “as a major expansion into the United States.”
Joining Holdun Family Office in Miami will be a team of professionals with over 100 years of banking experience. It includes: Giuseppe Mazzeo as Chief Investment Officer, Marc Bonorino as Head of Global Compliance, as well as Ileana Torruella and Adilia Lugo, as Senior Relationship Managers.
Global CEO Brendan Holt Dunn of Holdun Family Office commented: “Our extensive family history has served us well in managing our client relationships worldwide. We are looking forward to working in partnership with our new U.S. families and bringing our expertise to the domestic U.S. market.”
Stuart Dunn, Chairman of Holdun Family Office added: “The guiding principles of our family which comprise of honesty, integrity and accountability are never compromised. We pride ourselves on our ethics which is reflected in client loyalty.”
The Holdun vision and services includes: Family Office Services , Wealth Management, Trust and Corporate Services, Financial Services, Concierge Services and a full digital financial platform and ecosystem operating under the Holt brand.
