IPE - Onno Steenbeek, director of ALM at Dutch asset manager APG, recently had the opportunity to open the Paris stock exchange after winning the IPE and NYSE Euronext Asset Allocation Fantasy Game.
The competition, conducted every year, is split between asset managers/consultants and pension fund executives, who are awarded a nominal amount of €100m to invest in as many as 30 products.
Participants are allowed to chose from a number of stocks, which in the past have included holdings in France Telecom, pharmaceutical company Pfizer and Fortis, prior to its bailout by the governments of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Steenbeek, who won the competition for the second year running, was last week invited to ring the bell alongside fellow winner Xavier Masy of Securex.
Also present was Yvonne Cooke, events director at IPE and responsible for the recent IPE Awards in Monaco, where the winners were announced.
"IPE congratulates the two winners of the Asset Allocation Fantasy Game we have run with NYSE Euronext for the past two years," Cooke said.
"It is no easy feat to put together a portfolio that can successfully weather all that the current climate throws at the equity investor, but this is exactly what our two winners have done!"
Jean-Bernard Ferrand-Eynard, NYSE Euronext European Cash Markets' head of sales and relationship management, complimented both winners on their victory.
"They both opted for the risky but ultimately profitable strategy of placing all their eggs in one basket," he said. "They both invested 100% of their funds in Alcatel-Lucent, which appreciated 28.3% in the period."
Ferrand-Eynard added that he looked forward to this year's asset allocation game.
A video of the event can be found on NYSE Euronext's website.
The photo (from left to right) includes: Xavier Masy, Securex; Onno Steenbeek, APG; Yvonne Cooke, IPE; Pedro Fernandes, NYSE Euronext; Elin Falted, NYSE Euronext; and Fabrice Peresse, NYSE Euronext.
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