All Alternatives articles – Page 132
-
Features
Simplicity is the key
Commodities are Jim Rogers’ investment passion. As a measure of their neglect by other investors, he puts forward a simple observation: “There are 40,000 mutual funds for stocks and bonds, but you cannot find five mutual funds investing in commodities.” Rogers, a co-founder of the Quantum fund, and best-selling author ...
-
Features
A match made in heaven
Forwards, futures, swaps and options on a large variety of underlying indices have been around for more than 30 years. Despite their popularity with many investors and corporate users, most pension funds have always carefully managed to avoid the use of derivatives because they can be somewhat complicated. However, derivatives ...
-
Features
French take notice at last
Private equity is relatively undeveloped as an investment by French pension funds. Until now, the pressures against private equity have worked both against the sector itself and the investor. Jane Welsh, senior investment consultant at Watson Wyatt says: “Opportunities to invest in private equity in France have been limited. The ...
-
Features
Freeing up managers
Pension funds are increasingly considering investing in currency hedge funds instead of using a currency overlay programme. Emmanuel Acar, head of London Risk Management Advisory at Bank of America, says this is one of the trends emerging in the currency management sphere. “Pension funds are now considering allocating to currency ...
-
Features
Europe following US example
There has been huge growth in the demand for currency management over the last two years, managers report. Institutional investors are seeking both to reduce the risk of foreign exchange fluctuations while at the same time making the most of the opportunities for profit. Currency can be managed through a ...
-
Features
Diversification key strategy
Starting anything with a clean slate has an obvious appeal. On this principle, many pension funds choose to do away with the risk of currency fluctuations within their overall portfolio before attempting, separately, to add value through active currency management. Dutch pension fund PGGM says that from an asset liability ...
-
Features
Private equity on the cusp
Germany’s private equity (PE) market is showing dynamic growth again. The segment has digested the ups and downs of the ‘new economy’ exaggerations in both directions. The volume of capital invested is settling back onto its long-term growth path. A total of almost E3.8bn was invested in private equity in ...
-
Features
Who's for commodities
Well, what is an investment in commodities? Why does it seem to be flavour of the month? Certainly, if it is an investment in say the Goldman Sachs Commodities Index it is not necessarily an investment in commodity Prices. When looking at a commodity index investment one must look at ...
-
Features
Bandwagon begins to roll
Pension funds in Europe have been stepping up their use of external currency managers. Bill Muysken, global head of research at Mercer Investment Consulting in London, says there has been a rise in the number of pension funds seeking external currency managers. During 2004, he says, 28 of Mercer’s clients ...
-
News
SSGA names Duncombe as UK managing director
UK – State Street Global Advisors has named foreign exchange head Paul Duncombe as managing director of its UK business, taking the role vacated by Nigel Wightman in March.
-
News
AXA names hedge head
GLOBAL - AXA Investment Managers has Olympia Capital Management's Véronique Courlier as global head of hedge fund activities.
-
News
Netherlands: Interpolis to merge with Achmea
NETHERLANDS – Rabobank’s insurance subsidiary Interpolis is to merge with Eureko’s insurance group Achmea in a deal that builds on an existing agreement between the two firms.
-
News
Hedge funds ‘should be part of core portfolio’
SWITZERLAND - Hedge fund investments should be part of the core as well as satellite portfolio – according to a professor at the Edhec French business school.
-
News
SSGA names European consultant liaison director
EUROPE - State Street Global Advisors has named F&C's Valerie Nicholson as director of marketing and consultant liaison, with a Europe-wide brief.
-
News
Sainsbury’s scheme doubles hedge fund allocation
UK - The £3bn (€4.4bn) pension fund of retailer J Sainsbury has doubled its exposure to funds of hedge funds - investing new money and resources diverted from passively managed UK equities.
-
News
“We love hedge funds” - Deutsche Börse
GERMANY – A top executive at the Deutsche Börse has said how much the exchange values hedge funds due to the turnover they bring.
