Brushing aside concerns about bird flu, 30,000 dead pigs floating down the Huangpu River, which feeds into the majestic Bund of Shanghai, and the possibility of nuclear war with DPRK, the Australian Government has progressed its China dialogue with a view to improving relationships over the long term. The Government last week published its “implementation…
Alexander Hughes, the Paris-based global recruitment firm specializing in financial services, has opened a Shanghai office. The office, which is being overseen from Alexander Hughes’ established Hong Kong business, is being established by the firm’s Asia Pacific head of research, Shirley Zu. Zu is a PRC national, born and educated in China, with work experience…
The proposed Asia Pacific version of Europe’s UCITS funds, an Asian Funds Passport, was given a positive airing last week at the annual ASIC Forum for industry participants. The regulator’s forum was addressed by Martin Codina, the Financial Services Council’s director of policy, and Catherine Simmons, State Street’s v.p.for regulation, industry and government affairs in…
The CIO of the $US6.5 billion Wyoming Retirement Sydney has been placed on “administrative review leave” after pleading guilty to four counts of insider trading, which took place prior to him joining the public sector fund. John Johnson, who became CIO of the fund in 2010, faces up to 20 years in prison. A report…
The voices among investment commentators who are concerned about Asian property are getting louder and more numerous ahead of three big property IPOs slated for the Hong Kong market and at least one in Singapore. The theory is: the smart money is getting out. The March 30 newsletter from James Gruber, former journalist, analyst and…
After signing up its first client – AustralianSuper – to its pre-trade Tax Analyser program, trading technology provider GBST is set to bring on board four to five fund managers by the end of this financial year and is already running back data analysis for other big funds like UniSuper. Cbus is another existing client…
A three-way collaboration between Northern Trust, MSCI and governance consultancy ISS will provide the first emerging markets ESG index for managers and big investors to track or measure themselves against. Northern Trust’s passive funds management arm has a corresponding fund for the new MSCI Emerging Markets Custom ESG Index, which was announced in London last…
Registrations for the Investment Operations & Custody Conference – World’s Best Practice – taking place in Shanghai, April 29-30, close on April 17. A total of 28 speakers and panelists are confirmed in the latest draft Agenda, available at: www.www.ioandc.com The conference, the first of its kind in the region, follows the new format of…
State Super of NSW, the biggest defined benefit fund in Australia, has upped the pace in building a professional investment team. Following the recruitment of Mark O’Brien, formerly the AMP Capital CIO, last month, the fund has now secured two new senior investment executives and has two more to be announced soon. The $A36 billion…
SuperRatings is looking to emulate its Australian success, including its established annual awards system for funds, with a Hong Kong ratings business for the nascent MPF Employee Choice Arrangement (ECA) pension funds, which came into force last November. MPF Ratings, the Hong Kong subsidiary run by former Australian fund management executive Francis Chung, will hold…
