ETFs: just another tool?
Despite great predictions for the ETF market, growth of the low-cost index-based investment vehicles has slowed among retail investors and still has not caught on in with institutions. The average monthly value of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) traded on the ASX fell below $500 million in the 12 months to May 31, and now stands at … Read more
IFM: Infrastructure-debt opportunities abound
Attractive spreads of more than 300 basis points above the bank-bill swap rate have seen increasing interest from investors in infrastructure debt, according to Industry Funds Management’s (IFM) head of debt investment, Robin Miller. Miller’s team recently finalised a $90-million debt investment in a senior secured-debt facility to refinance the debt of ConnectEast, owner and … Read more
Eaton Vance confirms stake in Hexavest
Investment management firm Eaton Vance has agreed to acquire 49 per cent of Montreal-based Hexavest in a move with implications for the local market. Canadian money manager Hexavest has $1.5bn in assets under management in Australia with some large local clients. On completion of the transaction, Eaton Vance will assume primary responsibility for Hexavest’s new … Read more
Pandit “runs concentrated money” at AMP
With 12 years at Deutsche Bank under his belt, a stint managing money for the Packer family and a successful term at ING Investment Management, Gian Pandit arrived at AMP Capital Investors last November with high hopes and high expectations. As senior portfolio manager in AMP’s Fundamental Equities team, and as manager of the $100-million … Read more
Dark pool breaks $1 billion
Liquidnet, the so-called dark-pool network provider, has set a new trading record in Australia during May, making more than $1 billion in member trades. The head of Liquidnet Australia, James Chatfield says the average size of trades has continued to increase, climbing beyond the $1.6 million mark in May. After four years of operation in … Read more
Mercury to headline Frontier research
Frontier Investment Consulting, which advises on $117 billion in assets, will sell its proprietary research of investment managers through an online database called Mercury. Melbourne-based Frontier will offer Mercury to clients and non-clients seeking information and ratings on 1600 managed funds run by 1467 investment managers. The subscription database, available from October, will also contain … Read more
Mercury to herald Frontier research
Frontier Investment Consulting, which advises on $117 billion in assets, will sell its proprietary research of investment managers through an online database called Mercury. Melbourne-based Frontier will offer Mercury to clients and non-clients seeking information and ratings on 1600 managed funds run by 1467 investment managers. The subscription database, available from October, will also contain … Read more
Investing in a nation for the good of the country
John Oliphant, head of actuarial and investments at South Africa’s $130-billion Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), says the fund considers high-impact investments that develop the domestic economy as being in the long-term interests of its members. “We [GEPF] are effectively a third of South Africa’s GDP so what we think is that if the country does … Read more
Cheques finally out
The super industry – one of the biggest generators of paper cheques in Australia – is about to get on board the e-commerce train. If all goes to plan, reforms are likely to require businesses to ditch their cheque books in favour of a new electronic superannuation payment system, named SuperStream. The reforms are part of … Read more
Ascalon unchanged as Landman departs
The imminent departure of Andrew Landman from Ascalon Capital Management is not expected to lead to any significant change in strategy by the Westpac-owned boutique-asset-manager holding company. Ascalon has stakes in nine boutique managers and remains a key component in Westpac’s asset management operations, sitting alongside Advance Asset Management (which offers multi-manager products), BT Investment … Read more
Link snaps up administrator PSI
Link Group has acquired PSI Superannuation Management in a private transaction that makes Nationwide Superannuation Fund a new client of its administration business, Australian Administration Services (AAS). The eight shareholders in PSI, which are based in New South Wales’ Hunter region and have owned the superannuation administrator since 1987, sold instead of improving the business … Read more
