Pixabay CC0 Public Domainpadrinan. What Can Investors Expect From China in Year of the Pig?
This month China started the year of the pig. In the Asian tradition, this is an animal directly related to fortune because of its nobility and fertility. Will this lunar new year bring fortune to investors or succulent returns to the Chinese stock market?
In the opinion of Michael Bourke, manager of the M&G (Lux) Global Emerging Markets fund, after a difficult year for stocks in 2018, “investors expect the new lunar year to generate better prospects for the Chinese stock market. The new year may typically be a time for optimism, but there remains a great uncertainty about the outlook for China. The country’s trade dispute with the United States dominates the headlines and the fear that US tariffs on Chinese products will begin to have a negative impact on the world’s second largest economy are worrying investors. Recent economic data has been weak, factory activity and exports are slowing, and last year the economy grew at 6.4%, its slowest pace since 1990.”
Hernando Lacave, manager at DIF Broker has the same concern: “In the year of the pig we will continue to talk about deceleration in China, where growth for 2019 is expected to fall to 6%. However, this is still much better than the 2.5% expected for the United States or 1.6% of the EMU, so bad macro data should not blind us since China will continue to be the engine of growth of the world economy.”
Investment experts warn that the commercial war is beginning to weigh on China, and although the slowdown started years ago, there are signs that this war is not only affecting the foreign sector but increasingly its internal economy. “Given the size of China, it is logical that it should no longer be treated as an emerging economy and be required to play with the same intellectual property rules than the rest of developed countries. In addition to the positives that an agreement would bring, bad macro data could be the catalyst needed for the Chinese Central Bank to launch incentives to keep growth for a long time, and they have margin to do so,” clarifies Lacave.
For managers, the important thing is that China continues to reorient its economic model from one based on investment in fixed assets to one driven by the growth of consumption, especially in the services sector. This transformation is being led by private companies that aim to generate profits and tend to be less capital intensive, unlike what happened during the boom of fixed assets, when state banks granted huge amounts of credit to other state entities and Real estate developers financed by the State. At Newton, part of BNY Mellon, when investing, they prefer to avoid those sectors. “Now that fixed assets have less weight in the Chinese economy, it is very likely that GDP growth will suffer. However, the growth registered will be of higher quality. We can expect the GDP to grow more slowly during this period of rebalancing, a change that, in our opinion, should not be detrimental to the more consumer-oriented areas of the economy, since the employment component of GDP will increase. The latest measures by the Chinese authorities have been aimed at making the lending more flexible and at supporting the middle classes through tax cuts,” explains Rob Marshall-Lee, Head of Asian and Emerging Equity at Newton.
Finally, Neil Dwane, global strategist at Allianz Global Investors, notes that “China’s high levels of debt and slower growth are likely to last beyond the New Year celebrations, but we believe that the Chinese government has the right tools to solve them. With China’s economy set to become the world’s largest, we believe that investors should think of China as an asset class.”
Pixabay CC0 Public Domain. China to Join Bloomberg Barclays' Global Aggregate Index
Bloomberg has confirmed that Chinese RMB-denominated government and policy bank securities will be added to the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index starting April 2019 and phased in over a 20 month period. The inclusion is a result of the completion of several planned operational enhancements that were implemented by the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), Ministry of Finance and State Taxation Administration.
When fully accounted for in the Global Aggregate Index, local currency Chinese bonds will be the fourth largest currency component following the US dollar, euro and Japanese yen. Using data as of January 24, 2019 the index would include 363 Chinese securities and represent 6.03% of a $54.07 trillion index upon completion of the phase-in.
“Today’s announcement represents an important milestone on China’s path towards more open and transparent capital markets, and underscores Bloomberg’s long-term commitment to connecting investors to China,” said Bloomberg Chairman Peter T. Grauer. “With the upcoming inclusion of China in the Global Aggregate Index, China’s bond market presents a growing opportunity for global investors.”
The PBoC, Ministry of Finance and State Taxation Administration have completed a number of enhancements that were required for inclusion in the Global Aggregate Index in order to increase investor confidence and improve market accessibility. These include the implementation of delivery v. payment settlement, ability to allocate block trades across portfolios, and clarification on tax collection policies.
“It’s a pivotal time in the development of China’s markets and inclusion in our Global Aggregate Index is significant for facilitating Chinese market access for global investors,” said Steve Berkley, Global Head of Bloomberg Indices. “Our phased approach to inclusion is designed to give investors ample time to prepare for what we believe will be a positive impact on the investment community.”
In addition to the Global Aggregate Index, Chinese RMB-denominated debt will be eligible for inclusion in the Global Treasury and EM Local Currency Government Indices starting April 2019.
Bloomberg will create ex-China versions of the Global Aggregate, Global Treasury and EM Local Currency Government Indices for index users who wish to track benchmarks that exclude China. Bloomberg can also create customized versions of the indices as requested by investors.
Pixabay CC0 Public DomainCourtesy photo. Return of the Fed Put
Birth of the Fed Put A put, is an option that increases in value when the underlying security’s price falls below a certain level. One of its most common usages is to protect a portfolio against a market decline.
The famous “Fed put” refers to the notion that the Federal Reserve will take action to support the equity market in times of increased risk and volatility. Since Alan Greenspan became chairman of the Fed during the 1980s, there has been a definitive pattern of the central bank increasing liquidity during times of crisis. This includes taking action to inject liquidity during major downturns in an effort to “fix” the stock market. Each successive time that the Fed does this, investors have become further reliant on this free put option. Eventually, the Fed put became priced in, pushing equity valuations higher and encouraging investors to take excessive risk. This has led to many criticisms of the Fed put for creating “moral hazard.”
Originally, the Fed put was known as the “Greenspan put.” When Mr. Greenspan finally retired in 2006 after leading the Fed for almost 2 decades, Ben Bernanke and then Janet Yellen both continued his policy of taking action to support the markets during times of crisis. This led to the Greenspan put morphing into what we now know as the Fed put.
When President Trump appointed Jerome Powell as the 16th Chairman of the Federal Reserve in early 2018, investors assumed he would continue the tradition of the Fed put. Investors were even willing to tolerate (albeit grudgingly) further interest rate increases by the Fed as long as they knew that the Fed put remained in place. With this understanding in place, Jerome Powell was able to increase the Fed’s target rate every quarter, which was a much faster pace than his predecessor Janet Yellen had done.
Death of the Fed Put
As the Fed raised rates throughout 2018 while imposing quantitative tightening through the reduction of its $4.5 trillion balance sheet, President Trump openly criticized both Powell and the Fed. The President warned that the higher rates were going to choke off economic growth. Of course, these criticisms went mainly unheeded by the Fed as it maintained its independence from the President and steadfastly kept on its course to raise rates.
In October of 2018, Jerome Powell shocked the markets with the “we’re a long way from neutral” interest rates comment. The market was already dealing with the lingering trade war with China, the threat of a global economic slowdown, and the waning economic tailwind of the tax cuts in the US. Powell’s comments shook many investors faith in the Fed put as many feared the Fed was not acknowledging the many issues while continuing on its path to raise rates. In December, Powell doubled down on his comments from October saying that the Fed would stay the course on increasing rates and would continue to shrink its balance sheet at the same pace. This sent an already struggling market into another tail-spin that culminated in the Christmas Eve decline that saw the Dow Jones plunge more than 650 points.
This prompted David Tepper, who manages $14 billion at Appaloosa Management, to say, “Powell basically told you the Fed put is dead.” The market agreed with this sentiment, as it appeared the Fed was prepared to let the market fall without even attempting to intervene.
Return of the Fed Put
“Feel the market, don’t just go by meaningless numbers.” President Donald Trump’s tweet to the Fed
However, the market had not been completely forsaken by Powell. In early January, Powell abruptly changed his tune (maybe he was finally convinced by Trump’s tweets to feel the market) and acknowledged that the Fed will be closely watching market signals and will be patient with its monetary policy approach.
Powell also indicated that the Fed would be willing to adjust its balance sheet reduction efforts if needed, which sounded a lot like he was willing to inject liquidity in the system if the markets took another downturn. Investors that had feared the Fed was being to hawkish and was going to kill the economy, shouted a collective hallelujah as the market rallied strongly on the recognition that the Fed put was back!
Wikimedia CommonsCourtesy photo. Juan San Pío Joins Amundi as ETF, Indexing & Smart Beta Sales Director
Amundi has appointed Juan San Pío as sales director of the firm’s ETF, Indexing & Smart Beta unit for Iberia and Latin America in an effort to strengthen the region.
San Pío will report to Marta Marín Romano, Amundi Iberia general director, and to Gaëtan Delculée, responsible for global sales of Amundi ETF, Indexing & Smart Beta.
Amundi’s latest appointment joins from Lyxor, where he was responsible for the ETFs and Indexed Funds unit in the same areas for which he has been now appointed. Previously, in 2008, he started working for Société Genérale responsible for Spain’s institutional sales. Prior to that, San Pío served at Santander Asset Management, where he was director of the firm’s external networks and institutional business.
Former roles include that of financial adviser at the private banking division of Morgan Stanley and head of the private banking unit at the Spanish Banco Guipuzcoano based in Madrid.
Foto cedidaEdouard Carmignac. Edouard Carmignac Leaves his Company's Day-to-Day Operations
Carmignac’s President and Founder, Edouard Carmignac, has decided to leave its Patrimoine fund management team as well as his company’s day-to-day operations. In a press conference in Paris today, he mentioned that the transition will be gradual and that he will try to work more efficiently but leaving the day-to-day to a very competent team. He will remain on the firm he founded as CIO and member of the Board.
Earlier this week, he announced that after almost 30 years running it, he has decided to pass on the stewardship of the 16 billion dollar fund to Rose Ouahba, Head of Fixed Income, and David Older, Head of Equities.
Accourding to the company: “30 years after the creation of Carmignac, the investment philosophy of Carmignac Patrimoine remains the same. David and Rose, as sole Fund Managers, have fully embraced their partnership and are focused on reinforcing alpha generation with specific attention to risk management in this challenging global environment.”
Last month he gave David Older the leadership of his 3 billion dollar Investissement fund.
David Older joined Carmignac in 2015 as Fund Manager and was later appointed Head of Equities in 2017. “Expert on global technology, telecoms and media, his considerable experience in alpha generation and long-short management is key in a challenging environment.”
Before joining Carmignac, David Older spent 2003-2015 at SAC Capital/Point72 Advisors in New York, as co-Sector Head of the Communications, Media, Internet and Technology team. Prior to this, David was an Investment Banking Associate in the Communications and Media group at Morgan Stanley. David received a Bachelor of Arts at McGill University and holds a MBA from Columbia University.
Rose Ouahba joined Carmignac in 2007 as Fund Manager to take over the bond component of Carmignac Patrimoine. She was appointed as Head of Fixed Income in 2011. “Rose has been reinforcing and reorganizing the team to strengthen our unique “unconstrained” investment philosophy.”
She started her career as Bond Fund Manager at Ecureuil Gestion in 1996 and joined IXIS Asset Management 3 years later, as Head of the “Bond diversification” team and, subsequently, Head of Structured Credit Allocation. Rose holds a Postgraduate DESS in Financial Engineering from the University of Paris XII.
Carmignac Patrimoine is the original fund of the Patrimoine strategy. In 2013, they launched Carmignac Portfolio Patrimoine, a sub-fund of the Luxembourg Carmignac Portfolio SICAV. Carmignac Patrimoine and Carmignac Portfolio Patrimoine share the same investment strategy, portfolio construction and the same management process.
Pixabay CC0 Public DomainPhoto: MichaelGaida. Worldwide M&A Activity Totaled 4 Trillion Dollars During 2018
Worldwide deal activity totaled $4.0 trillion during 2018, an increase of 19% compared to 2017, and only the third year on record M&A has passed the $4 trillion milestone. Global growth has been a theme of the current wave of M&A, and cross-border deal activity totaled $1.6 trillion during the year, a 32% increase over 2017 and the strongest year for cross-border M&A since 2007. Dealmaking in Europe was $1.0 trillion, the highest total in 11 years.
The merger arbitrage universe had a number of positive developments recently that met the headwinds of spreads widening. Specifically:
Tribune Media (TRCO-NYSE), a media company that owns television broadcast stations as well as other media assets, agreed to be acquired by Nexstar Media Group for $46.50 cash per share, or about $7 billion. Previously, in May 2017, Tribune agreed to be acquired by Sinclair Broadcast. Tribune’s deal with Nexstar is expected to close in the third quarter of 2019, and shareholders will receive a “ticking fee” consideration of approximately $0.30 per month if the transaction has not closed by August 31, 2019.
Shire plc (SHPG-NASDAQ) cleared its final hurdle in December when shareholders of acquirer Takeda voted to approve Takeda’s $80 billion acquisition of the company. The transaction is closed in January 2019.
Express Scripts (ESRX-NASDAQ) received all remaining state regulatory approvals in December and the acquisition by Cigna was subsequently completed on December 21. Express Scripts shareholders received $48.75 cash and 0.2434 shares of Cigna common stock per share of Express Scripts, which valued the transaction at about $70 billion.
In addition some notable deals announced in December included:
Tesaro, Inc. (TSRO-NASDAQ), an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company, agreed to be acquired by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline for $75 cash per share, or about $4.5 billion.
Belmond Ltd. (BEL-NYSE), an owner and operator of luxury hotels, tourist trains and restaurants, agreed to be acquired by luxury goods group LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton for $25 cash per share, or about $4 billion.
MINDBODY, Inc. (MB-NASDAQ), a cloud-based business management software and payments platform for the wellness services industry, agreed to be acquired by technology investment firm Vista Equity Partners for $36.50 cash per share, or about $2 billion.
We are excited about our prospects to generate returns uncorrelated to the market in 2019. Historically, periods of market volatility have been fertile ground for merger arbitrage investing, because we are able to purchase shares of target companies at cheaper prices.
Column by Gabelli Funds, written by Michael Gabelli
To access our proprietary value investment methodology, and dedicated merger arbitrage portfolio we offer the following UCITS Funds in each discipline:
GAMCO MERGER ARBITRAGE
GAMCO Merger Arbitrage UCITS Fund, launched in October 2011, is an open-end fund incorporated in Luxembourg and compliant with UCITS regulation. The team, dedicated strategy, and record dates back to 1985. The objective of the GAMCO Merger Arbitrage Fund is to achieve long-term capital growth by investing primarily in announced equity merger and acquisition transactions while maintaining a diversified portfolio. The Fund utilizes a highly specialized investment approach designed principally to profit from the successful completion of proposed mergers, takeovers, tender offers, leveraged buyouts and other types of corporate reorganizations. Analyzes and continuously monitors each pending transaction for potential risk, including: regulatory, terms, financing, and shareholder approval.
Merger investments are a highly liquid, non-market correlated, proven and consistent alternative to traditional fixed income and equity securities. Merger returns are dependent on deal spreads. Deal spreads are a function of time, deal risk premium, and interest rates. Returns are thus correlated to interest rate changes over the medium term and not the broader equity market. The prospect of rising rates would imply higher returns on mergers as spreads widen to compensate arbitrageurs. As bond markets decline (interest rates rise), merger returns should improve as capital allocation decisions adjust to the changes in the costs of capital.
Broad Market volatility can lead to widening of spreads in merger positions, coupled with our well-researched merger portfolios, offer the potential for enhanced IRRs through dynamic position sizing. Daily price volatility fluctuations coupled with less proprietary capital (the Volcker rule) in the U.S. have contributed to improving merger spreads and thus, overall returns. Thus our fund is well positioned as a cash substitute or fixed income alternative.
Our objectives are to compound and preserve wealth over time, while remaining non-correlated to the broad global markets. We created our first dedicated merger fund 32 years ago. Since then, our merger performance has grown client assets at an annualized rate of approximately 10.7% gross and 7.6% net since 1985. Today, we manage assets on behalf of institutional and high net worth clients globally in a variety of fund structures and mandates.
Class I USD – LU0687944552
Class I EUR – LU0687944396
Class A USD – LU0687943745
Class A EUR – LU0687943661
Class R USD – LU1453360825
Class R EUR – LU1453361476
GAMCO ALL CAP VALUE
The GAMCO All Cap Value UCITS Fund launched in May, 2015 utilizes Gabelli’s its proprietary PMV with a Catalyst™ investment methodology, which has been in place since 1977. The Fund seeks absolute returns through event driven value investing. Our methodology centers around fundamental, research-driven, value based investing with a focus on asset values, cash flows and identifiable catalysts to maximize returns independent of market direction. The fund draws on the experience of its global portfolio team and 35+ value research analysts.
GAMCO is an active, bottom-up, value investor, and seeks to achieve real capital appreciation (relative to inflation) over the long term regardless of market cycles. Our value-oriented stock selection process is based on the fundamental investment principles first articulated in 1934 by Graham and Dodd, the founders of modern security analysis, and further augmented by Mario Gabelli in 1977 with his introduction of the concepts of Private Market Value (PMV) with a Catalyst™ into equity analysis. PMV with a Catalyst™ is our unique research methodology that focuses on individual stock selection by identifying firms selling below intrinsic value with a reasonable probability of realizing their PMV’s which we define as the price a strategic or financial acquirer would be willing to pay for the entire enterprise. The fundamental valuation factors utilized to evaluate securities prior to inclusion/exclusion into the portfolio, our research driven approach views fundamental analysis as a three pronged approach: free cash flow (earnings before, interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, minus the capital expenditures necessary to grow/maintain the business); earnings per share trends; and private market value (PMV), which encompasses on and off balance sheet assets and liabilities. Our team arrives at a PMV valuation by a rigorous assessment of fundamentals from publicly available information and judgement gained from meeting management, covering all size companies globally and our comprehensive, accumulated knowledge of a variety of sectors. We then identify businesses for the portfolio possessing the proper margin of safety and research variables from our deep research universe.
Class I USD – LU1216601648
Class I EUR – LU1216601564
Class A USD – LU1216600913
Class A EUR – LU1216600673
Class R USD – LU1453359900
Class R EUR – LU1453360155
Disclaimer:
The information and any opinions have been obtained from or are based on sources believed to be reliable but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. No responsibility can be accepted for any consequential loss arising from the use of this information. The information is expressed at its date and is issued only to and directed only at those individuals who are permitted to receive such information in accordance with the applicable statutes. In some countries the distribution of this publication may be restricted. It is your responsibility to find out what those restrictions are and observe them.
Some of the statements in this presentation may contain or be based on forward looking statements, forecasts, estimates, projections, targets, or prognosis (“forward looking statements”), which reflect the manager’s current view of future events, economic developments and financial performance. Such forward looking statements are typically indicated by the use of words which express an estimate, expectation, belief, target or forecast. Such forward looking statements are based on an assessment of historical economic data, on the experience and current plans of the investment manager and/or certain advisors of the manager, and on the indicated sources. These forward looking statements contain no representation or warranty of whatever kind that such future events will occur or that they will occur as described herein, or that such results will be achieved by the fund or the investments of the fund, as the occurrence of these events and the results of the fund are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The actual portfolio, and thus results, of the fund may differ substantially from those assumed in the forward looking statements. The manager and its affiliates will not undertake to update or review the forward looking statements contained in this presentation, whether as result of new information or any future event or otherwise.
Foto cedidaCourtesy photo. Allfunds Hires Three Executives to Boost its International Expansion
European funds platform Allfunds has appointed three senior executives in a moved aimed at boosting its international expansion and further accelerate its development.
Luigi Lubelli, formerly Group Chief Financial Officer and member of the Group Management Committee of Assicurazioni Generali will become Allfunds’ new Chief Financial Officer. Having developed his management career at Mapfre, Morgan Stanley, Citibank and Banco Exterior de España (now BBVA), Lubelli will form part of the Allfunds Executive Committee and will focus on steering Allfunds towards its new value creation objectives, as well as on monitoring the achievement of its business goals.
George Yaryurais a strategic marketer with over 20 years’ experience in developing high impact product strategies, driving transformation and business growth for global tech brands. He joins as the new Chief Product Officer and will also serve on the Allfunds Executive Committee.
Jorge Calviño, appointed Chief People Officer, brings with him a wealth of experience in human resources having developed his career in different people roles with leading international businesses such as Gillette, Amadeus, L’Oréal, Microsoft, Beiersdorf and, most recently, Alain Afflelou. He will also be part of the Allfunds Executive Committee.
Allfunds’ CEO Juan Alcaraz said:”Allfunds is in the process of transformation, of constant change and expansion – enhancing our offering to both our distribution clients and the fund management industry. To maintain our focus and momentum, we must seek out the best people from around the world to ensure we continue on our path to become the leading wealth-tech company in the investment industry. I am therefore delighted to welcome Luigi, George and Jorge into these all-important roles.”
Foto cedida. Andrea Orcel Will Not Become Banco Santander 's CEO
Following a board meeting on January 15th, the Grupo Santander Board announced that Andrea Orcel’s appointment to the role of Group CEO will not proceed.
The Board of Santander made the decision to appoint Andrea Orcel in September 2018. In light of his seniority, along with regulatory, legal and contractual considerations, an early announcement of the appointment was necessary, subject to the usual conditions, including a six-month garden leave.
At that time, the Board of Santander had agreed the terms of his annual remuneration in his future role at Santander, which were in line with that of José Antonio Álvarez. It was not, however, possible, to determine in advance the final cost of the Group’s share of compensating Orcel for the remuneration awards, made to him by his previous employer, that would have been foregone. The Board therefore proceeded with the appointment on the basis of a considered estimate of the likely cost to Santander, based on advice, precedent and expectations of mitigation, due to the nature of the relationship between the two organizations and the different activities carried out by each institution.
In recent months, discussions have been taking place over the terms of Orcel’s departure from his previous employer. It has now become clear that the cost to Santander of compensating Orcel for the deferred awards he has earned over the past seven years, and other benefits previously awarded to him, would be a sum significantly above the Board’s original expectations at the time of the appointment.
The Board considers that for Santander to pay this amount to facilitate the hiring of one individual, even one of the calibre and background of Orcel, would be unacceptable for a retail and commercial bank such as Santander. This is particularly so in light of Santander’s values and its responsibilities to its wider stakeholders and the societies in which it operates. As such, it has been decided by the Board that it would not be right to proceed with the appointment.
José Antonio Álvarez, who has remained in the role since the announcement and his anticipated transition in March to Chairman of Santander Spain, will continue to serve in this role without change. He will also serve as Vice Chairman of the Board.
Rodrigo Echenique, who is due to retire from his current role as Chairman of Santander Spain in March, will remain until a successor is named.
Ana Botin, Executive Chairman of the Board said: “Santander is a retail and commercial bank with significant responsibilities to the societies in which it operates. In making this decision we have had to balance the respect we have for all of our stakeholders – the millions of people, customers and shareholders we serve – with the very significant cost of hiring one individual, even one as talented as Andrea, by compensating for the loss of a significant proportion of seven years of his past remuneration. The Board and I are certain that this decision, although difficult to take, is the right one. “On a personal note, my colleagues and I were looking forward to working with Andrea. We all wish him every success in the future. We, as a Group, are fortunate to have José Antonio who has agreed to continue as CEO. I know we will work together as well as we have over the past four years, delivering profitable growth as more and more customers trust us to help them prosper. We will present our strategic update to the market together later this year in what we both believe is an exciting opportunity ahead of Santander.”
Wikimedia CommonsPhoto: Vanguard. John Clifton Bogle, Father of Indexing and Founder of The Vanguard Group, Has Died
John Clifton Bogle, founder of The Vanguard Group, died on January 16, 2018 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He was 89.
Mr. Bogle had legendary status in the American investment community, largely because of two towering achievements: He introduced the first index mutual fund for investors and, in the face of skeptics, stood behind the concept until it gained widespread acceptance; and he drove down costs across the mutual fund industry by ceaselessly campaigning in the interests of investors. Vanguard, the company he founded to embody his philosophy, is now one of the largest investment management firms in the world.
“Jack Bogle made an impact on not only the entire investment industry, but more importantly, on the lives of countless individuals saving for their futures or their children’s futures,” said Vanguard CEO Tim Buckley. “He was a tremendously intelligent, driven, and talented visionary whose ideas completely changed the way we invest. We are honored to continue his legacy of giving every investor ‘a fair shake.’”
Mr. Bogle, a resident of Bryn Mawr, PA, began his career in 1951 after graduating magna cum laude in economics from Princeton University. His senior thesis on mutual funds had caught the eye of fellow Princeton alumnus Walter L. Morgan, who had founded Wellington Fund, the nation’s oldest balanced fund, in 1929 and was one of the deans of the mutual fund industry. Mr. Morgan hired the ambitious 22-year-old for his Philadelphia-based investment management firm, Wellington Management Company.
Mr. Bogle worked in several departments before becoming assistant to the president in 1955, the first in a series of executive positions he would hold at Wellington: 1962, administrative vice president; 1965, executive vice president; and 1967, president. Mr. Bogle became the driving force behind Wellington’s growth into a mutual fund family after he persuaded Mr. Morgan, in the late 1950s, to start an equity fund that would complement Wellington Fund. Windsor Fund, a value-oriented equity fund, debuted in 1958.
In 1967, Mr. Bogle led the merger of Wellington Management Company with the Boston investment firm Thorndike, Doran, Paine & Lewis (TDPL). Seven years later, a management dispute with the principals of TDPL led Mr. Bogle to form Vanguard in September 1974 to handle the administrative functions of Wellington’s funds, while TDPL/Wellington Management would retain the investment management and distribution duties. The Vanguard Group of Investment Companies commenced operations on May 1, 1975.
To describe his new venture, Mr. Bogle coined the term “The Vanguard Experiment.” It was an experiment in which mutual funds would operate at cost and independently, with their own directors, officers, and staff—a radical change from the traditional mutual fund corporate structure, whereby an external management company ran a fund’s affairs on a for-profit basis.
“Our challenge at the time,” Mr. Bogle recalled a decade later, “was to build, out of the ashes of major corporate conflict, a new and better way of running a mutual fund complex. The Vanguard Experiment was designed to prove that mutual funds could operate independently, and do so in a manner that would directly benefit their shareholders.”
In 1976, Vanguard introduced the first index mutual fund—First Index Investment Trust—for individual investors. Ridiculed by others in the industry as “un-American” and “a sure path to mediocrity,” the fund collected a mere $11 million during its initial underwriting. Now known as Vanguard 500 Index Fund, it has grown to be one of the industry’s largest, with more than $441 billion in assets (the sister fund, Vanguard Institutional Index Fund, has $221.5 billion in assets). Today, index funds account for more than 70% of Vanguard’s $4.9 trillion in assets under management; they are offered by many other fund companies as well and they make up most exchange-traded funds (ETFs). For his pioneering of the index concept for individual investors, Mr. Bogle was often called the “father of indexing.”
Mr. Bogle and Vanguard again broke from industry tradition in 1977, when Vanguard ceased to market its funds through brokers and instead offered them directly to investors. The company eliminated sales charges and became a pure no-load mutual fund complex—a move that would save shareholders hundreds of millions of dollars in sales commissions. This was a theme for Mr. Bogle and his successors: Vanguard is known today for maintaining investment costs among the lowest in the industry.
A champion of the individual investor, Mr. Bogle is widely credited with helping to bring increased disclosure about mutual fund costs and performance to the public. His commitment to safeguarding investors’ interests often prompted him to speak out against practices that were common among his peers in other mutual fund organizations. “We are more than a mere industry,” he insisted in a 1987 speech before the National Investment Company Services Association. “We must hold ourselves to higher standards, standards of trust and fiduciary duty. Change we must—in our communications, our pricing structure, our product, and our promotional techniques.”
Mr. Bogle spoke frequently before industry professionals and the public. He liked to write his own speeches. He also responded personally to many of the letters written to him by Vanguard shareholders, and he wrote many reports, sometimes as long as 25 pages, to Vanguard employees—whom he called “crew members” in light of Vanguard’s nautical theme. (Mr. Bogle named the company after Admiral Horatio Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of the Nile in 1798; he thought the name “Vanguard” resonated with the themes of leadership and progress.)
In January 1996, Mr. Bogle passed the reins of Vanguard to his hand-picked successor, John J. Brennan, who joined the company in 1982 as Mr. Bogle’s assistant. The following month, Mr. Bogle underwent heart transplant surgery. A few months later, he was back in the office, writing and speaking about issues of importance to mutual fund investors.
In December 1999, he stepped down from the Vanguard board of directors and created the Bogle Financial Markets Resource Center, a Vanguard-supported venture. Mr. Bogle worked as the center’s president—analyzing issues affecting the financial markets, mutual funds, and investors through books, articles, and public speeches—until his death. Mr. Bogle wrote 12 books, selling over 1.1 million copies worldwide.
Industry accomplishments
Mr. Bogle was active in the investment industry. Early on, he served as chairman of the board of governors of the Investment Company Institute from 1969 to 1970. He also served as chairman of the Investment Companies Committee of the National Association of Securities Dealers Inc. (now FINRA) from 1972 to 1974. In 1997, he was appointed by then-SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt to serve on the Independence Standards Board.
Awards
In 2004, Time magazine named Mr. Bogle one of “the world’s 100 most powerful and influential people” and Institutional Investor magazine presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2010, Forbes magazine described him as the person who “has done more good for investors than any other financier of the past century.” Fortune magazine designated him one of the investment industry’s four “Giants of the 20th Century” in 1999. In January 2012, some of the nation’s most respected financial leaders celebrated his career at the John C. Bogle Legacy Forum. Among his numerous other awards and honors were:
Pennsylvania Society Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement, 2016
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Lifetime Achievement Award, 2016
FUSE Research Network Award for Lifetime Impact and Commitment to Investors and Investment Management Consultants Association Richard J. Davis Ethics Award, 2010.
National Council on Economic Education Visionary Award, 2007.
Center for Corporate Excellence Exemplary Leader Award, 2006.
Yale School of Management, Legends of Leadership, 2003.
Barron’s Investment Hall of Fame, 1999.
Woodrow Wilson Award from Princeton University for “distinguished achievement in the nation’s service,” 1999.
Fixed Income Analysts Society’ Hall of Fame, 1999.
Award for Professional Excellence from the Association for Investment Management and Research, 1998.
No-Load Mutual Fund Association’s first Outstanding Achievement Award, 1986.
Civic work
An avid booster of Philadelphia and the surrounding area, Mr. Bogle was active in civic affairs. “I loved Philadelphia, my adopted city that had been so good to me. I established my roots there, finding even more unimaginable diamonds,” he wrote in one of his books.
His civic work extended to organizations involved in education, leadership, and public affairs. He served as the first chairman of the board of trustees and chairman emeritus for the National Constitution Center. He was a member of the American Philosophical Society, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, The Conference Board’s Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise, and the investment committee of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. He served as a trustee of the American Indian College Fund, The American College, and Blair Academy.
Corporate board memberships
Mr. Bogle was sought after in the corporate community. He served as a director of Instinet Corporation, Chris-Craft Industries, Mead Corporation, The General Accident Group of Insurance Companies, Meritor Financial Group, Inc., and Bryn Mawr Hospital. He was a trustee for the American Indian College Fund and The American College.
Academic recognition
The academic community recognized Mr. Bogle’s for his accomplishments. He received honorary doctorate degrees from Villanova University, Trinity College, Georgetown University, Princeton University, the University of Delaware, University of Rochester, New School University, Susquehanna University, Eastern University, Widener University, Albright College, The Pennsylvania State University, Drexel University, and Immaculata University.
Author and speaker
Mr. Bogle was a best-selling author, beginning with Bogle on Mutual Funds: New Perspectives for the Intelligent Investor in 1993. He followed that with Common Sense on Mutual Funds: New Imperatives for the Intelligent Investor (1999); John Bogle on Investing: The First 50 Years (2000); Character Counts: The Creation and Building of The Vanguard Group (2002); Battle for the Soul of Capitalism (2005); The Little Book of Common Sense Investing (2007); Enough. True Measures of Money, Business, and Life (2008); Common Sense on Mutual Funds: Fully Updated 10th Anniversary Edition (2009); Don’t Count on It! Reflections on Investment Illusions, Capitalism, “Mutual” Funds, Indexing, Entrepreneurship, Idealism, and Heroes (2011); The Clash of the Cultures: Investment vs. Speculation (2012); The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: 10th Anniversary Edition (2017), and, Stay the Course: The Story of Vanguard and the Index Revolution (2018).
Mr. Bogle also wrote numerous articles and commentaries for trade and business publications.
Personal information
Mr. Bogle was born May 8, 1929, in Montclair, New Jersey. He worked his way through Blair Academy and Princeton University as a waiter and also managed Princeton’s athletic ticket office.
A tall, athletic man who sported a crew cut for most of his life, Mr. Bogle played squash, tennis, and golf, and also enjoyed sailing. He was often described as a “fierce competitor” on the court and course, a demeanor he also maintained on the job. Reading was among his pleasures, as was The New York Times crossword puzzle, which he often completed in less than 20 minutes.
He married Eve Sherrerd in 1956. They had six children: daughters Barbara Bogle Renninger, Jean Bogle, Nancy Bogle St. John, and Sandra Bogle Marucci, and sons John C. Bogle Jr. and Andrew Armstrong Bogle. They had 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Pixabay CC0 Public Domain. 43% of Worldwide AUM Are Managed by 20 Companies
Total assets under management (AuM) of the world’s largest 500 managers grew to $93.8 trillion in 2017, representing a rise of 15.6% on the previous year, according to the latest Global 500 research from leading global advisory, broking and solutions company Willis Towers Watson’s Thinking Ahead Institute. In addition, the concentration of assets managed by the 20 largest managers reached the highest level since inception (in 2000) and now account for over 43% of the top 500 managers’ total AuM.
The research shows North America-based managers represent the majority of assets (58.1%), though their share fell slightly in 2017, the first fall since 2008. European managers represent 31.8% of assets managed (the U.K. being 7.4%), Japan 4.8% and the rest of the world 5.2%. Assets in each region grew in 2017. While the majority of assets (77.6%) are managed actively, the share of passive assets has grown from 19.5% to 22.4% in the last five years. In 2017 passive assets grew 25%.
BlackRock remains the largest asset manager in the rankings, a position it has held since 2008; Vanguard and State Street complete the top three for the fourth successive year.
“Once again, total assets have increased; the rate of growth in 2017 is the biggest since 2009,” said Bob Collie, head of Research at the Thinking Ahead Institute. “The names at the top of the ranking are familiar ones. There’s greater concentration in the biggest names. On the surface, the numbers might appear to tell a story of steady growth and stability. But when you look at broader developments within and beyond the industry, there are signs the industry is facing significant change.”
In an indication of future areas of focus, more than four out of five (81%) managers surveyed reported an increase in client interest in sustainable investing, including voting, while nearly three-quarters (74%) increased resources deployed to deal with technology and big data. Nearly two-thirds of firms surveyed had increased the number of product offerings during 2017, while 60% reported an increase in the level of regulatory oversight according to the research.
“It’s not just a focus on technology. There is a confluence of global trends — including demographic, economic, environmental and social pressures — that are combining to create a period of potentially massive disruption for the industry. The implications go well beyond the investment process. These changes affect business models, people models, operating models and distribution models. They will be felt in every corner of the organization.”
“Firms will choose to respond to these challenges in different ways. Successfully responding to these new industry realities may prove to be as much a test of character and culture as it is a test of traditional business and investment skills,” added Collie.
