Hedge fund returns recovered last calendar year after a troublesome 2015 which caused global outflows of an estimated $US83 billion. The aggregate return across hedge fund strategies for 2016 was 5.34 per cent, according to the annual performance report by eVestment. The best performing strategy globally was ‘distressed’, which had lagged most of the others…
by David Chaplin Mercer will take charge on March 1 of the NZ$270 million (A$256 million) New Plymouth District Council portfolio previously managed by in-house entity, Taranaki Investment Management Limited (TIML), after a competitive tender. In a statement, the New Plymouth Council has confirmed Mercer is the winner of New Zealand’s last major wholesale mandate…
More than 250 asset owners, managers and other alternatives industry participants are expected at this year’s AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum in Sydney in early March. The line up of asset owners to speak at the 14th annual event, March 1-3, includes: Steve Byrom, head of private equity at the Future Fund; Adrian Kerley,…
MainstreamBPO, the listed third-party fund administrator, has continued its global expansion through the opening of an office in the Cayman Islands following the receipt of regulatory approvals. The Cayman Islands represent a popular domicile for alternatives funds – both institutional and wholesale – which should expand the company’s potential client universe. The new office follows…
Implemented Investment Solutions (IIS), headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, has launched a new online investment platform aimed at the growing direct market in that country. IIS managing director, Anthony Edmonds, said the InvestNow service would start with a range of products in addition to the Russell Investments funds the firm already markets. “Initially, we were…
By Greg Bright Mercer will retrench up to 50 staff in Australia and New Zealand as part of a restructure which got underway before Christmas. Positions are being made redundant across a number of divisions, mostly in Melbourne and Sydney, including superannuation administration and sales. While the move follows similar head-count and other cost reductions…
Agecroft Partners, an influential global hedge fund advisory firm, is predicting more institutional outflows and fee pressure on the hedge fund industry for 2017. But total assets will grow due to non-institututional support and increased alpha. This is Agecroft’s eighth annual forecast for hedge funds. By Don Steinbrugge* Each year, Agecroft Partners predicts the top…
The global high-yield bond market’s recent growth, particularly outside the US, is presenting active managers with a wider opportunity set for potential alpha and diversification, according to a research paper by specialists at Eaton Vance Investment Management. The paper, entitled ‘Capitalising on the Growth of the Global High-Yield Market’, says that non-US issuers of high-yield bonds…
PIMCO, the big US-based global bond manager, is de-risking its credit portfolios following a re-assessment of potential macro-economic trends ahead of the inauguration of Donald Trump as president later this month. In a research note written by Mark Kiesel, PIMCO’s CIO for global credit, the manager says that the potential for both left tail (higher…
Fund managers and institutional investors which have been committed to impact investing in their portfolios lifted their exposures to the emerging asset class from US$25.4 billion to US$35.5 billion between 2013 and 2016. A report – ‘Impact Investing Trends: Evidence of a Growing Industry’ – published by the not-for-profit research and support group Global Impact…
