Foto cedidaJoseph A. Sullivan como nuevo CEO de Allspring Global Investments (anterior Wells Fargo AM).. Wells Fargo AM pasa a llamarse Allspring Global Investments bajo el liderazgo de Joseph A. Sullivan como nuevo CEO
Private equity firms GTCR LLC and Reverence Capital Partners, L.P. have announced that upon closing of their acquisition of Wells Fargo Asset Management,announced last February, the newly independent company will be rebranded as Allspring Global Investments. As part of the transition, Joseph A. Sullivan will become Chief Executive Officer, in addition to his previously announced role as Executive Chairman.
Sullivan will succeedNico Marais, WFAM’s current CEO, who will retire upon closing of the transaction and continue to serve Allspring as a senior advisor. With this new name, the asset manager seeks to reflect its “rich history” in investment leadership and its commitment to renewal, growth, and meaningful client outcomes as a newly independent firm.
“I am honored and energized to have the opportunity to lead Allspring, as we enter a new era for the firm. In spending time with Nico and the organization over the past few months, I have been incredibly impressed by the depth of investment expertise and quality of our people and leadership. Our new name truly embodies a renewed corporate culture and commitment to continue to invest thoughtfully and partner with our clients to navigate the future”, said Sullivan.
Collin Roche, Managing Director of GTCR, highlighted that these announcements mark “key milestones” in the transformation of WFAM intoa focused, independent, global asset management firm serving private wealth and institutional clients around the world. “We are excited about the possibilities of our new name and that Joe Sullivan will become Allspring’s CEO. He is recognized as one of the asset management industry’s most respected leaders, and he will be exceptionally valuable as we execute on our growth strategy. We would like to thank Nico Marais for his strong leadership of WFAM, and we are pleased that he will continue to serve as a senior advisor”, he added.
Meanwhile, Marais commented that his is “a tremendously exciting time” for the company, and as they make this transition, he believes it is the right time for him “personally and professionally” to step down from active leadership and assume a new advisory role: “I have cherished my time as CEO of WFAM and am very appreciative of the passion and professionalism of our people. We have accomplished a great deal, including the transition to independent ownership. I look forward to working with Joe and the team, and I am confident about what the future holds for the organization”.
Lastly, Milton Berlinski, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Reverence Capital, noted: “Today’s leadership and name announcements give us even stronger conviction that the partnership between WFAM, GTCR and Reverence puts us in a powerful position to execute on our strategic vision for Allspring. We are pleased to have a leader of Joe’s stature to take us forward as a newly independent company, and we are very grateful to Nico for his strong continued partnership during this time.”
Foto cedidaJoseph Pinto, director de distribución para Europa, América Latina, Oriente Medio y Asia-Pacífico de Natixis IM. . Natixis IM nombra a Joseph Pinto director de distribución para Europa, América Latina, Oriente Medio y Asia-Pacífico
Natixis Investment Managers has announced changes among its senior positions, with Joseph Pinto appointedHead of Distribution for Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Asia Pacific; and Christophe Lanne namedChief Administration Officer.
In a press release, the asset manager revealed that they will continue to report to Tim Ryan, member of the Natixis Senior Management Committee, Global CEO Asset & Wealth Management within Groupe BPCE’s Global Financial Services division, and to serve on the Management Committee of Natixis Investment Managers. They are also members of the Natixis Executive Committee.
Both professionals have a long track record in the asset management industry and will have a high level of responsibility in the company’s business after their promotions. Pinto, who was previously Chief Operating Officer,will oversee client-related activities and support functions for these regions.
Meanwhile, Lanne will oversee global operations and technology as well as human resources and corporate social responsibility strategy. He was previously Chief Talent & Transformation Officer at the firm.
“These appointments reinforce our ambition to progress among the top fifteen largest asset managers in the world and become the most client centric asset manager. With our affiliates’ distinctive investment capabilities: Active Management, Real Asset Liability Driven Investments, and Quantitative Management, and a more client-centric organization, we remain committed to delivering the best investment outcomes and the best experience for our clients”, said Tim Ryan.
Lastly, Nicolas Namias, CEO and Chairman of the board of directors commented that the appointments of Pinto and Lanne to these newly-created roles will support their pursuit of “the ambitious goals” they have set for Natixis Investment Managers under their strategic plan, BPCE 2024: “Notably the ongoing diversification of our activity as we bolster our commercial momentum and reinforce our position as a global leader in asset management”.
Pixabay CC0 Public Domain. La complacencia respecto a la inflación podría ser el mayor riesgo al que se enfrentan los inversores
The “Roaring Twenties” lived up to the hype in the first half of 2021 as most major indexes –S&P 500, FTSE 100 or Shanghai Composite- posted double-digit returns. Looking into the second half of the year, strategists of Natixis Investments Managers believe that along with rising returns, investors should especially watch two things: inflation and valuations.
These are the conclusions of a mid-year survey of 42 portfolio managers, strategists and economists representing Natixis IM, 16 of its affiliated asset managers, and Natixis Corporate and Investment Banking. It shows that even as the market considers the first real dose of inflation in 13 years, complacency may actually be the biggest risk facing investors.
More than a year into the pandemic, with light at the end of the tunnel, Natixis experts believe that long-term consequences of the last year will be slow to unfold. Still, the year-end outlook remains constructive with few risks on the horizon, suggesting investors best keep their eyes wide open as the long-term effects slowly begin to unfold.
“The Wall of Worry continues to keep sentiment in check. We hear many concerns about peak growth, and we remind investors not to confuse peak growth and peak momentum. We expect the pace of the recovery to ease, but ease to levels that are still very supportive for corporate earnings,” says Jack Janasiewicz, Portfolio Manager & Portfolio Strategist for Natixis Investment Managers Solutions.
Despite big returns from investment markets, the global economy has not yet fully reopened. More than half (57%) of strategists project it will take another six to nine months for the world to fully reopen. Others are similarly split between whether the economy is gearing up for the reopening towards the end of 2021 (21%) or whether it will be delayed until the second half of 2022 (19%).
Strong growth in the US
Regionally, sentiment runs most positive for the US economy. After watching it reopen sooner and faster than expected, with Q2 growth set to be 11% (annualized), two-thirds say they expect it to neither stall nor overheat in the second half, suggesting still strong growth ahead.
Looking at China, where economic growth has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, six in ten say the recovery has already peaked. Less than one-third (31%) think there’s more room for the Chinese economy to run in the second half of the year.
In Europe, where vaccination efforts are a few months behind the US and reopening is set to accelerate during the second half, 57% believe the economy will continue to lag the US, though 43% do believe it will catch up to the rest of the world through the end of the year.
Is complacency the real risk?
In this context, no single risk stood out for Natixis strategists in this annual survey, with no risk factor rated above an average of 7 on a scale of 10. Taken together, the views suggest that investors should monitor risks and investors be on the watch for potential headwinds.
“Indications are that inflation will prove transitory, driven by consumers fresh out of lockdown and flush with cash, coupled with supply chain bottlenecks. But the risks are clearly to the upside. Even the Fed had to acknowledge that inflation would run hot in 2021, though it is confident it will not spiral beyond that,” said Lynda Schweitzer, Co-Team Leader of Global Fixed Income at Loomis Sayles.
Value continues to lead in equities
One of the key market trends to come out of the pandemic has been the rotation to value investing. Looking into the second half of the year, 64% of those surveyed say value has at least a few more months to run, though only a quarter (26%) believe that outperformance could last for a few years. Only 10% believe the value run is already over, a sentiment that was strongest among the 21% of respondents who see markets stalling in the last two quarters of 2021.
Chris Wallis, Chief Investment Officer at Vaughan Nelson Investment Management points out that for value to continue to outperform, “we will need inflation to prove transitory and further fiscal spending by the federal government”.
It all comes down to the Fed
Of all factors that could impact market performance over the second half of 2021, strategists say that Fed moves matter most, rating them 7.2 out of 10. Similarly, they cite economic data releases (6.7), fiscal spending (6.1) and liquidity (6) as key leading market drivers, demonstrating just how much sway central banks continue to hold over markets. Valuations (5.2), vaccinations (5.1) and geopolitics (5) round out the pack, showing that respondents are looking past the pandemic and that, while valuations are high, they often do not lead to a correction on their own.
The outlook for emerging markets in the second half of the year is also dependent on the Fed, according to the survey. Indeed, 45% of respondents caveat their call for EM outperformance with the dollar and yields remaining contained, showing how far-reaching the Fed’s impact is. Only 10% of respondents gave an outright “yes” to EM outperforming into the end of the year, while 14% say EM needs Chinese growth to remain robust and nearly one in three (31%) said “no,” emerging markets will not outperform during the second half of 2021, regardless of any caveats.
ESG and crypto positioning
In considering two of the leading investment stories to come out of the pandemic, Natixis strategists have the strongest convictions about ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing. Throughout the pandemic, ESG strategies generated impressive results in terms of both returns and asset growth. Few think the success will be short-lived, as one in ten of those surveyed think of ESG as a fad. Instead, 48% say these investments are becoming mainstream and 26% call them a must-have investment.
When it comes to cryptocurrencies, the asset manager believes that while they have been grabbing headlines over the past year, two-thirds of those surveyed believe the market under-appreciates the risks, 17% say crypto is nothing more than a fad and 12% believe it is a disaster waiting to happen. “Not one of the 42 strategists surveyed believes cryptocurrencies are a bona fide alternative to traditional currencies”, the analysis adds.
Post-pandemic winners remain the same
As we start to look post-pandemic, respondents saw little change in the projected post-pandemic winners compared to last year’s survey. This year, strategists call for technology (88%), healthcare (83%), ESG investing (76%), and housing (74%) to be the winners from the crisis.
Given that nearly six in ten strategists (57%) put stay-at-home business in the winners’ column, it appears many think it will take time for the sector to mirror the return to the office. Convictions do not run as strong for energy (38% winner / 62% loser) and travel (52% winner, 48% loser), an outlook that aligns with a full reopening sometime in the first half of 2022 rather than the last half of 2021.
BlackRock and SpiderRock Advisors have entered into a strategic venture to expand access for wealth firms and financial advisors to professionally managed, options-based separately managed account (SMA) strategies. As part of the agreement, BlackRock will make a minority investment in SpiderRock Advisors.
This new venture builds on BlackRock’s position as a market leader in personalized SMAs, with its franchise managing over 190 billion dollars in SMAs as of March 31. This includes the acquisition of Aperio, a provider of personalized index solutions, which took place at the end of 2020.
SpiderRock Advisors will offer wealth management firms and financial advisors more tools to deliver tax-efficient, personalized portfolios and risk management solutions. This leading provider of customized options strategies in the U.S. wealth market manages approximately 2.5 billion dollars in client assets as of March 31, 2021.
The firm’s strategies are available through all of the major RIA custodians and are focused on risk management and yield enhancement for diversified portfolios as well as concentrated stock positions. BlackRock’s market leaders and consultants in U.S. Wealth Advisory will serve as the primary distribution and marketing team in introducing SpiderRock Advisors’ advisory services and strategies to wealth firms and financial advisors.
BlackRock is already an industry leader in SMAs for U.S. wealth management-focused intermediaries. The firm’s SMA franchise specializes in providing customized actively managed fixed income, equity, and multi-asset strategies. In its view, the venture with SpiderRock Advisors will expand the breadth of personalization capabilities available to wealth managers through this firm.
!We are excited to partner with BlackRock to introduce SpiderRock Advisors and our options management capabilities to a wider audience of firms and their clients,” said Eric Metz, President and Chief Investment Officer of SpiderRock Advisors. He believes that innovative advisors understand the value of managing risk “as we navigate a challenging capital markets landscape”.
“Between potential tax reform, historically low interest rates, and volatile equity markets, options-based strategies and solutions can often solve client objectives more efficiently than conventional allocations and techniques. With BlackRock’s breadth of industry relationships, SpiderRock Advisors will be able to partner with more advisors to deliver tailored portfolios and help investors achieve their investment goals“, he concluded.
Pixabay CC0 Public DomainWilliam de Gale, gestor del BlueBox Global Technology Fund. William de Gale, gestor del BlueBox Global Technology Fund
ACCI, asset management firm specialized in systematic strategies through its ACCI Dynamic fund family, has signed an exclusive agreement with Swiss fund manager BlueBox Asset Management to distribute its BlueBox Global Technology Fund in Latin America and Iberia (Spain, Portugal and Andorra).
In a press release, the firm has revealed that this 5-star Morningstar rated fund is managed by William de Gale, who was Portfolio Manager for 9 years for the BlackRock World Technology Fund. It was launched in March 2018 and has been backed by a broad range of institutional investors, which has allowed it to recently surpass 500 million dollars in assets under management.
In ACCI’s view, this is possible thanks to its differentiated approach among other strategies in the sector, largely avoiding mega-caps and focusing on enabler-type companies, with strong balance sheets, profitability and strong cash generation. It is a UCITS fund, available on the main trading platforms such as Allfunds, Inversis and Pershing, among others.
“This partnership with BlueBox will strengthen our product offering aimed at institutional clientele in Latam South and Iberia, adding a solid and consistent strategy such as BlueBox’s, with average annual returns of over 31% and 141% since its launch just over 3 years ago”, Antonio de la Oliva, Head of Distribution at ACCI, commented.
Gely Solis, Co-Founder of BlueBox Asset Management, said that this agreement with ACCI, “who have proven their impressive distribution capabilities in key regions” for us, will serve to broaden their investor base, consolidate their growth and “give access to a unique strategy such as BlueBox to a broad typology of investors in the region”.
ACCI continues its commitment to offer a wide range of high value-added strategies to institutional investors, complementing its own strategies with distribution agreements with outstanding alpha-generating asset management firms.
Pixabay CC0 Public Domain. Jupiter AM nombra seis nuevos analistas para sus equipos de estrategias de inversión
Jupiter AM has announced in a press release the hiring of six new analysts within its sustainable investing strategies, doubling the size of the existing resources and “adding fresh investment expertise to key portfolios”.
The asset manager has highlighted that its sustainability suite of funds offers clients a range of differentiated investment options with a shared goal of generating attractive returns through long-term sustainable investing. Following a strategy refresh earlier this year, Abbie Llewellyn-Waters was appointed as Head of Sustainable Investing, working with Rhys Petheram, Head of the Environmental Solutions team.
The firm is now strengthening its offering with the appointment of new analysts. Specifically, Maiken Anderberg joins the Global Sustainable Equity team as Equity Analyst. Having previously interned with Jupiter’s Sustainable Investing team in 2018, she is returning to the company in a new permanent role, working closely with Abbie Llewellyn-Waters and analyst Freddie Woolfe with a dedicated focus on the Jupiter Global Sustainable Equities strategy
The Jupiter Global Sustainable Equities strategy was launched in 2018 to offer clients an alternative to mainstream global equities by combining financial returns with positive environmental and social returns – enabling clients to participate in the transition to a more sustainable world.
Joining Jupiter in a newly created role, Noelle Guo has beenappointed Equity Analyst of Environmental Solutions. Supporting fund manager Jon Wallace and reporting into Petheram, she will work across the equity strand of Jupiter’s environmental solutions suite. Guo has eight years of equity research experience, joining from an Investment Analyst role at Pictet Asset Management before which she was at AB Bernstein as a Senior Research Associate.
Laura Conigliaro has been named Analyst of the Environmental Solutions team. Having joined Jupiter in 2019 as a member of Jupiter’s Governance and Sustainability team, she will now work directly with fixed income specialist Petheram with a particular focus on fixed income verification, also providing sustainability research into the desk’s environmental impact themes. Prior to joining Jupiter, Conigliaro has held roles at the Inter-American Development Bank and sustainability management consultancy Critical Resource.
Jupiter’s Environmental Solutions suite of funds boasts a 33-year track record and over 890 million pounds in AUM across the Jupiter Global Ecology Growth and Jupiter Global Ecology Diversified funds, and UK onshore vehicles. The strategy looks to invest in companies intentionally focused on providing solutions to sustainability challenges across key environmental themes.
In an internal move, Jenna Zegleman joins the teams as Investment Director. Having arrived at Jupiter in 2018 as a product specialist, she will provide client-facing support across the full range of portfolios in the Sustainable Investing suite.
In addition to these hires, Anisha Arora and James Kearns have joined Jupiter’s Governance and Sustainability team. An emerging markets economist and strategist with 10 years’ experience across sell side research and buy side asset management, Arora joins from Allianz Global Investors and has experience in applying ESG considerations to macroeconomic analysis, as well as to the sovereign debt investment process. Kearns joins Jupiter from BNP Paribas, where he worked initially in CSR within their Global Markets division before moving to become a Sustainable Finance Analyst.
“As we navigate through this global pandemic, the importance of confronting the climate crisis, bridging social inequality and ensuring a sustainable future is more important than ever. By investing in companies leading a sustainable transition across our Global Sustainable Equities and Environmental Solutions strategies we are able to offer our clients a range of attractive and truly innovative solutions that deliver positive outcomes for planet, people and profit”, Abbie Llewellyn-Waters, Head of Sustainable Investing, commented.
Meanwhile, Stephen Pearson, CIO, added: “We are pleased to make these appointments to the team as we continue to grow Jupiter’s sustainability suite, helping us continue to innovate and build on our long heritage of sustainable investing. We are delighted to be making these appointments at this important point in time, cementing support for these key strategies with the addition of specialist insight and investment expertise.”
Andrew Clifton, especialista de cartera de la estrategia T. Rowe Price Funds SICAV Global Value Equity Fund. Andrew Clifton, especialista de cartera de la estrategia T. Rowe Price Funds SICAV Global Value Equity Fund
Over the past ten to fifteen years, value stocks have fallen out of favor with the markets, dramatically underperforming the market. However, according to Andrew Clifton, Portfolio Specialist for the T. Rowe Price Funds SICAV Global Value Equity Fund strategy, from the last quarter of last year, the stars began to align for a recovery in value stocks following the announcement of vaccine developments and the hope of reopening economies and growth, against a backdrop of extremely accommodative monetary and fiscal policies.
The valuation discounts with which stocks have been penalized have been as extreme as those seen almost 20 years ago, with the technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) bubble in the late 1990s.
Furthermore, the market environment has been positive for value stocks. The strong sell-off experienced in the first quarter of 2020 created opportunities for value managers. Value stocks have clearly rallied over the past 8 – 9 months, particularly since early November. But at T. Rowe Price they still believe that allocations to value equities will continue to generate good returns thanks to the available opportunities and the fact that their fundamentals remain positive.
Examining the potential of value stocks requires taking a long-term perspective. Much of the market only looks at what has happened in the last 10 to 15 years, but if you look over a longer period, value stocks have been generating positive returns for many decades.
According to T. Rowe Price, the last decade, in which value investing has performed poorly, has been the anomaly. So rather than thinking that the value approach is a temporary affair which only works occasionally, many investors need to realize that value investing has a solid foundation and fundamentals. Basically, if you can buy a company for less than its fundamental value, you are talking about a sound investment foundation.
From a tactical point of view, stocks have rallied, but the environment remains quite positive for value. are still trading at a material discount to their longer term 15-year average levels. Also, if you assess the market’s valuation dispersion, it has narrowed from last year’s extremes but is still above normal levels.
In terms of valuation, the expected price earnings multiple over the next 12 months for the MSCI World Value is 16 times, compared to 30 times for the MSCI World Growth. Therefore, there is still a large gap in valuations across all markets globally. Value continues to trade at a discount to growth, which provides a good opportunity for value investors.
Looking at fundamentals and momentum, economies are showing signs of rising inflation over the next 12 to 18 months. The debate now centers on whether it will remain high or whether it will be only transitory. Interest rates will most likely start to rise over the next 2 years. The financial sector is a key player in the value universe and banks are the main beneficiaries of an improvement in interest rates as long as economic fundamentals remain positive.
The Importance of Interest Rates
Technically, if interest rates start to rise, it will reduce the future value of the more distant cash flows which are used to value companies. Many of the growth companies are not generating profits now but are banking on their potential long-term earnings. If interest rates rise, so will discount rates, but it should lessen the attraction of companies that have a long duration and instead favor those companies that are currently generating good levels of return, and this criterion applies to many value companies.
If interest rates cannot fall any further, the debate centers on whether they can either remain at their current levels or increase, the financial sector could benefit in both cases. In the case of banks, at T. Rowe Price they still believe that many banks, particularly in the U.S., will continue to have attractive valuations, as the economy improves, they can generate more capital and growth, and their valuations are already attractive at current levels. To some extent, there is a free option on the possible increase in interest rates at some point. According to the expert, it is not something that will happen overnight, but at some point, it will come to that because interest rates cannot fall below current levels.
Types of Value Stocks
Looking at the higher quality stocks, those that are referred to as “free cash flow” companies because of their ability to generate cash flows, are companies with good balance sheets that are going through a period of greater uncertainty or a problem that has raised concerns in the market. This provides an opportunity for T. Rowe Price’s managers who are looking for these types of opportunities in sectors such as pharmaceuticals or healthcare, where there may be some concern among some companies about losing patent protection or the possibility that drugs in development may not generate the expected profits in the future. At T. Rowe Price they work with analysts to understand the reality of a market and if they perceive that there has been an overreaction, new positions would be added to the portfolio.
Other examples of stocks with high cash flow generation are the utilities, which may have a more defensive bias, but may face uncertainty regarding regulation or capital allocation, and the consumer staples sector, where there may be concern about new market entrants.
On the “Deep Value” side are companies with lower balance sheet quality and higher levels of risk which, even if they have been bought at a significant discount, still have the potential to fall in price if the situation worsens beyond expectations – sometimes these are not just operational risks, they can also be financial or strategic risks, which is why at T. Rowe Price they strive to understand them better than the rest of the market. However, should the situation develop positively, they also have greater upside potential. When the strategy favors a greater weighting in “Deep value” stocks over cash flow generating stocks, they are trading a higher level of risk for greater upside potential.
Positioning by Country and Sector
Since the global economies began their reopening process, the T. Rowe Price Funds SICAV Global Value Equity Fund strategy has had greater exposure to emerging markets, Japan, and Europe and a lower weighting to the United States. The main reason behind this positioning is the greater efficiency of the US market in reflecting the recovery of the economy in share prices.
At approximately two-thirds, the US has a dominant position in the MSCI World Value index. However, at T. Rowe Price they prefer to include some exposure to emerging markets, with around a 10% weighting. The lower weighting of the US against the index funds their position in emerging markets.
By sector, they have maintained an overexposure in the financial sector since the launch of the strategy. T. Rowe Price believes that the market structure is particularly positive for US banks, in stark contrast to their counterparts in Japan and Europe.
The IT sector generally has a growth bias, but this does not imply that T. Rowe Price’s strategy does not have exposure to some segments. For example, the semiconductor industry has undergone structural changes that have not been appreciated by the market, which has continued to value them as cyclical companies. This is something that the management company has perceived as an opportunity. They have recently reduced their portfolio exposure from 10 to 6 names, the main reason being that valuations are already at their peak, with little upside left.
The Inclusion of ESG Factors
Value investing tends to have a higher ESG risk by its very nature, because it is more likely to have a higher carbon footprint, for the production of real assets, or to have a higher volume of fixed assets than a growth company, in which patents and software development have a greater weight. This increases the importance of integrating ESG criteria into the investment process. To this end, T. Rowe Price has an integrated team of ESG analysts.
When it comes to managing downside potential, there is always a risk of falling into a “value trap”. This risk is increased when investing based on valuations and ESG risk factors are one way to assess these value traps. In some cases, the market may overly penalize a security, presenting opportunities to invest. One example is Volkswagen, which a few years ago was embroiled in an environmental and ethical scandal over its vehicle emissions, but over the years its business model has undergone a transformation, and T. Rowe Price believes it will be one of the winners in the electric vehicle market.
M&G has announced that Fabiana Fedeli will lead its 57 billion-pound (78.4 billion-dollar) Equities division from the newly created role of Chief Investment Officer. She will report to M&G’s CIO, Jack Daniels.
In a press release, the asset manager has highlighted that the appointment follows its commitment a year ago to revitalize its active equity investment capabilities, “which has focused on delivering more consistent investment performance and developing strategies to meet evolving customer and client needs”.
M&G has a rich heritage in active equities investment; from launching the UK’s first mutual fund in 1931 and continuing to develop innovative strategies since then, including the recent launch of a range of impact investment strategies to tackle global challenges such as climate change and healthcare.
With over 20 years of experience in the investment management industry, Fedeli joins from Robeco Asset Management where she was Global Head of Fundamental Equities; leading an international investment team managing a range of active equity strategies. She had direct portfolio management responsibility for three of those strategies and has extensive experience of integrating sustainability and impact into investment processes. Prior to Robeco, Fedeli held a number of roles both in portfolio management and equity analysis in London, New York and Tokyo.
“Equities will always have an essential role to play in an investor’s portfolio and we believe that active equity management will deliver greater value for clients over the long-term. Fabiana’s appointment demonstrates our commitment to this vital asset class, bringing a wealth of investment experience in both equities and sustainability. Fabiana will be working with M&G’s talented team of investors, to promote greater collaboration, idea-generation and innovation across the Equities division”, Daniels, CIO of M&G, said.
Meanwhile, Fedeli pointed out that M&G has “a long heritage in active equity management, a strong culture and clear investment values”. In her view, as the industry continues to evolve, it remains imperative for asset managers to anticipate and respond to their clients’ needs. “I look forward to working with the talented and experienced investment team to continue to develop M&G’s equities proposition”, she concluded.
Foto cedidaZeno Staub, CEO de Vontobel. Vontobel AM completa la compra de TwentyFour AM tras adquirir el 40% restante de la boutique
Vontobel Asset Management has completed the purchase of TwentyFour Asset Management after securing the remaining 40% of its capital. After acquiring a 60% stake in the fixed income boutique in 2015, Vontobel had intended to buy the remaining 40% in two tranches in 2021 and 2023. However, it has beaten its own deadlines and has already accomplished the operation.
In a press release, Vontobel AM has explained that it has taken “targeted steps” in recent years to develop a diversified range of products for its clients, and one of the main pillars was the acquisition of a majority stake in TwentyFour Asset Management LLP (TwentyFour), now a 24.2 billion swiss francs specialist fixed income boutique. Both firms have now agreed that Vontobel will have acquired the remaining 40% in one tranche as of 30 June 2021.
TwentyFour and Vontobel are thus underscoring the very positive development of the partnership. “By bringing the transaction forward it gives clients and investors clarity and ensures focus remains on delivering outstanding performance and client service for the long term”, the statement said.
After the transaction, TwentyFour will remain operationally independent and will continue to service its clients from offices in London and New York, as well as via Vontobel’s international network. Since the acquisition of the majority stake of 60% in 2015, all TwentyFour Partners have continued to play an active role in the company’s day-to-day operations. Besides, the asset manager has highlighted that the partners and portfolio management teams “remain committed to serving the interests of clients and ensuring the investment boutique’s ongoing success, hence will continue to serve as a driver of growth for Vontobel”.
Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price but have revealed that the acquisition of this stake will be fully financed out of Vontobel’s own funds. Part of the transaction will be paid in the form of Vontobel shares, further underscoring the commitment of TwentyFour’s Partners.
“From the very beginning, we have been impressed by TwentyFour’s expertise and entrepreneurial culture, as well as its continuous growth. The acquisition of the remaining 40% stake is therefore the logical next step in our diversification and growth strategy. I look forward to our ongoing collaboration with our colleagues at TwentyFour, who are all supportive of this acquisition,” stated Zeno Staub, CEO of Vontobel.
Mark Holman, CEO of TwentyFour, claimed that after six years of working very closely together with Vontobel as a majority shareholder, the decision to move to full ownership was not a difficult one. “As a direct consequence of our partnership we have been able to spread our investment expertise to a far greater audience as we have moved from being a domestic player to genuinely global. Importantly though we have preserved the independence and entrepreneurial spirit of being a boutique, which I know is something that both our clients and staff really value and was at the core of our decision making for this transaction”, he added.
TwentyFour was founded in 2008 as a partnership, and has since grown to employ around 75 staff, responsible for providing a broad range of fixed income products to institutional investors. It is known for its disciplined investment philosophy and its proven investment process that generates sustained attractive risk-adjusted returns. The firm’s funds have been rated by Morningstar, which has assigned 99% of them (asset weighted) a four- or five-star rating. Furthermore, the quality of its products has been recognized by a variety of industry awards.
Foto cedidaWilliam Davies, CIO para EMEA y responsable global de renta variable, y próximo CIO global en enero de 2022.. William Davies asumirá el papel de CIO global de Columbia Threadneedle
Columbia Threadneedle Investments has put its Global Chief Investment Officer transition plan into action. The asset manager has announced the retirement of Colin Moore, who currently holds this position, after nearly 20 years at the firm. He will be replaced by William Davies, currently EMEA CIO and Global Head of Equities, in January 2022.
The firm has highlighted the “key role” that Moore has played in shaping its global investment capability, including its “well-established and highly successful investment process based on collaboration across asset classes, research intensity and independent oversight to foster continuous improvement.” Under his leadership, Columbia Threadneedle has generated consistently strong long-term investment performance for individual and institutional clients, and today has 103 four- and five-star Morningstar-rated funds globally.
“I would like to recognise and thank Colin for his numerous contributions, including establishing our global investment capability that has delivered an enviable track record of consistently strong investment performance for our clients. We have built an outstanding and experienced team of more than 450 investment professionals across our global footprint, and as we look forward, William is well positioned to assume the Global CIO role. He is both an exceptional investor and respected people leader with a deep understanding of our firm having joined us in 1993. I look forward to working with William and Colin to ensure a smooth transition”, said Ted Truscott, Chief Executive Officer of the firm.
Meanwhile, Mooreclaimed to be grateful for the opportunity he’s had to establish a broad and deep investment capability for their clients. “We have spent considerable time ensuring a thoughtful succession, and I am extremely pleased that William will assume the Global CIO role next year. It has been a privilege to lead our team of dedicated, experienced investors who will continue to focus on delivering consistent, competitive investment performance for our clients under William’s leadership”, he added.
Lastly, Davies commented that his focus is unchanged: “I will continue to work with my colleagues to consistently deliver the investment performance our clients expect. I am honoured to lead our talented global investment organisation and look forward to continuing our partnership with colleagues across the business to help our individual and institutional clients achieve their investment goals.”
