Lázaro de Lázaro to Lead Santander AM’s European Hub, While Luis García Izquierdo Will be in Charge of LatAm

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Lázaro de Lázaro liderará el nuevo hub de Santander AM para Europa y Luis García Izquierdo el de Latinoamérica
Foto cedidaLázaro de Lázaro. Lázaro de Lázaro to Lead Santander AM's European Hub, While Luis García Izquierdo Will be in Charge of LatAm

Santander Asset Management is changing its organizational structure. As confirmed by Funds Society, the firm has created two hubs, with the aim of strengthening coordination efforts as well as relationships with banks and local customers.

In charge of the European hub will be Lázaro de Lázaro, and Luis García Izquierdo is to lead the Latin American one.

Lázaro de Lázaro was until now responsible for the Santander AM in Spain position that will go to Miguel Ángel Sánchez Lozano, until now responsible for Structured Products of Santander Spain.

Looking for a new CIO

Gonzalo Milans del Bosch, until now the global CIO, is leaving the firm for personal reasons and his position will be temporarily co-filled by Jacobo Ortega Vich, until now CIO of Santander Spain, and Eduardo Castro, CIO in Brazil, until a full time replacement is appointed.

All these changes come within Mariano Belinky‘s first year as head of the company.

Olivia Watson and Jess Willliams Bolster Columbia Threadneedle’s RI team

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Columbia Threadneedle refuerza su equipo de inversión responsable con la incorporación de Olivia Watson y de Jess Willliams
Foto cedidaOlivia Watson and Jess Williams. Courtesy photo. Olivia Watson and Jess Willliams Bolster Columbia Threadneedle's RI team

Columbia Threadneedle Investments appoints Olivia Watson and Jess Williams for its Responsible Investment team. With the appointments, they have 12 investment professionals in the unit. They will report to Chris Anker, lead analyst for the EMEA region.

Iain Richards, global head of Responsible Investment said: “Investors are increasingly seeking to capture the value of effective ESG integration and understand the wider consequences of their investment choices. Olivia and Jess both join with strong experience of sustainable finance and knowledge of social and ethical issues, and will help us to continue to meet our clients’ needs through providing valuable support to our portfolio managers.”

Olivia Watson, who has been hired as senior analyst, will be in charge of responsible investment research and engagement on environmental, social and governance issues, as part of the company’s stewardship activities in EMEA.

Jess Williams, hired as portfolio analyst, will be responsible for research and analysis on client portfolios from a responsible investment point of view. She previously worked at S&P Global Ratings, where she developed sustainable finance products. She also worked on the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance at the Climate Policy Initiative in Venice.

Watson joins Columbia Threadneedle from the Principles for Responsible Investment, where she was responsible for overseeing the development of collaborative investor initiatives and investor engagement on environmental and social issues. Prior to that, she worked in corporate sustainability consultancy and in corporate governance research.

Columbia Threadneedle’s responsible investment team supports portfolio manager through oversight of stewardship relating to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in their portfolios, as well as portfolio construction through the identification of investment opportunities aligned to eight thematic outcome areas.

 

 

Merger Arbitrage Update for November 2018

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Actualización sobre arbitraje de M&A para noviembre de 2018
Photo: William Wan . Merger Arbitrage Update for November 2018

Merger arbitrage performance in November was bolstered by deals that received key regulatory approvals, including “green lights” from the Chinese regulatory authority. Specifically:

  • Rockwell Collins (COL-NYSE) and United Technologies received antitrust approval from China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) for UTX’s acquisition of Collins. This was the last remaining hurdle for the deal after clearing U.S. antitrust in October. The deal was subsequently completed on November 27 and Collins shareholders received $93.33 cash and 0.37525 shares of United Technologies common stock for each share, or about $30 billion.
  • Aetna, Inc.’s (AET-NYSE) agreement to be acquired by CVS Health received a number of state regulatory approvals in November, culminating with New York Department of Financial Services on November 26. The U.S. DOJ approved the merger in October after the companies agreed to sell Aetna’s Medicare Part D business, the only area in which the two companies competed. The deal closed on November 28, and shareholders of Aetna received $145 cash and 0.8378 shares of CVS common stock for each share, or about $71 billion.
  • Twenty-First Century Fox (FOX-NASDAQ) shares traded higher after Disney received Chinese SAMR approval for its acquisition of Fox. The deal remains subject to Brazilian regulatory approvals which is expected early in the first quarter of 2019. Under terms of the agreement Fox shareholders will receive $38 in cash and Disney shares, as well as one share of New Fox, which will own Fox’s broadcast and cable assets.

 Some new deals announced in November included:

  • ARRIS International (ARRS-NASDAQ), a manufacturer of communications equipment and related products, agreed to be acquired by CommScope Holding for $31.75 cash per share, or about $7 billion. 
  • Athenahealth, Inc. (ATHN-NASDAQ), a provider of cloud-based software used to manage electronic health records and medical practices, agreed to be acquired by a consortium led by Veritas Capital for $135 cash per share, or about $6 billion.
  • BTG plc (BTG LN-London), a medical technology and pharmaceutical licensing company, agreed to be acquired by Boston Scientific for £8.40 cash per share, or about £3.3 billion.

 We continue to find attractive opportunities investing in announced mergers and expect future deal activity will provide further prospects to generate returns uncorrelated to the market.

Column written by Michael Gabelli from Gabelli Funds

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.
 

 

The US Dollar Should Weaken As Global Growth Converges Again In 2019

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El dólar estadounidense debería irse debilitando a medida que el crecimiento global vaya convergiendo de nuevo en 2019
CC-BY-SA-2.0, Flickr. The US Dollar Should Weaken As Global Growth Converges Again In 2019

The US dollar was a clear winner in 2018 as it was one of the very few assets to register gains. Exceptionally strong US economic growth, political upheavals in Europe and the emerging markets and escalating trade tensions have buoyed the greenback this year.

Softer data in Europe brought on fears of a slowdown in the region and distanced the possibility of seeing a rate hike by the European Central Bank. In Italy, the coalition government of the League and the 5-Star Movement brought forth a budget plan that defied the European Commission and riled investors who feared that an increase in Italian debt would send ripple effects across markets. The pound sterling also weakened against the dollar in the face of the never-ending negotiations to reach a Brexit agreement. Finally, higher interest rates and the trade war between US and China especially affected emerging market currencies, as a more severe slowdown in China would have a direct impact on their economies.

We thought the dollar would weaken in 2018 but we had not foreseen the protracted trade war negotiations nor the outcome of the Italian election. 2018 has been a year of diverging economies, with a striving US on one side and the rest of the world on the other. We think this should change in 2019 as the fiscal stimulus fades in the US and the rest of the world recovers.

The slowdown in Europe was partly due to the normalisation of unsustainable high growth rates in 2017 and temporary factors such as the decline in the auto sector. The implementation of the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure in September may well help to cut carbon emissions, but it also created problems in the production, distribution and storage of vehicles. Nevertheless, Europe is still growing above trend and these temporary factors should dissipate going forward. Furthermore, base effects will become easier and the improvement in the labour market should continue to support domestic demand.

With respect to political risks, Italy cannot go too far in its fiscal deviation as the markets will push yields higher, going against Italy’s own interests. It is precisely for this reason that they have already brought the deficit target down to 2.04%, almost in line with the requirements of the EC. As for the UK, there seems to be a multitude of possible outcomes, including an early general election or even another referendum. But whatever the outcome, eventually the UK will have to reach an agreement as a no-deal Brexit would be too disastrous for its economy.

Regarding emerging markets, we think China will resort to fiscal stimulus policies should the growth rate drop below 6% and, even though the ride could still be rocky, a trade agreement between the US and China should be reached in the best interest of all parties.

Market sentiment towards all these risks is already very negative and a gloomy scenario seems to be priced in. A positive outcome for any one of these issues, therefore, would probably see a downward movement in the dollar. Ultimately, the most important factor for currency movements is the shift in interest rate differentials. The market is only pricing in 40 bp of hikes by the ECB over the next two years, whereas the Fed is nearing the end of its hiking cycle. Consequently, there is ample room for a hawkish surprise on behalf of the ECB.

The main risk to this view is that the dollar may only start to depreciate during the second half of 2019, as political tensions may take time to resolve themselves and the European parliamentary elections in May could prove to be yet another hurdle. 

Column by Jadwiga Kitovitz, CFA, Head of Multi-Asset Management and Institutional Clients of Crèdit Andorrà Group. . Crèdit Andorrà Financial Group Research.

 

Emerging Markets: Have they Ceased to be Attractive for Investors?

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Mercados emergentes: ¿han dejado de ser atractivos para los inversores?
Pixabay CC0 Public DomainAlexas_Foto. Emerging Markets: Have they Ceased to be Attractive for Investors?

Following the volatility of the foreign exchange market in Turkey and Argentina, the uncertainty about future elections in Brazil, and trade tensions in China, which were motivated by the escalation of US protectionist measures, many investors have decided to limit their exposure to emerging markets. Is it time to exit emerging markets?

According to management companies, keeping emerging market assets in the portfolios remains a good option in order to diversify risks and to capture some more profitability with some types of assets, but they also emphasize that it must be done with caution after thoroughly analyzing both the countries and the assets.

For example, Luca Paoilini, Chief Strategist at Pictet AM, admits that they continue to overweight emerging markets. “In this state of affairs we maintain a neutral position in stocks and bonds. The world economy remains resilient, but caution is justified and it is too early to overweight. However, we continue to overweight emerging stocks, as the risks are compensated with attractive valuations and solid fundamental,” he says.

At Julius Baer they don’t rule out that in the short term there may be more sales in local debt from emerging markets, driven especially by the decisions that the Fed may take this week on interest rates. They are optimistic however, “Looking beyond the next Fed meeting, we note that fundamentals continue to support both local and strong currency emerging market debt on an equal basis. Valuations have returned from high risk levels to quite normal. Most importantly, global growth remains well supported by US consumer activity and housing resilience in China. Therefore, global growth is unlikely to decline to levels historically linked to emerging market bond crises,” explains Markus Allenspach, Head of Fixed Income Analysis at Julius Baer, and Eirini Tsekeridou, Fixed Income Analyst at Julius. Baer.

According to Legg Mason, despite asset management companies’ valuations, investors are beginning to show their fear of exposing themselves to the emerging universe. “Real yield spreads between emerging and developed markets are at 10-year highs, reflecting the backdrop of fear that continues to spread across the developing world, when one country after another is sold and then repurchased with yields high enough to tempt value and produce hungry investors,” say Legg Mason’s fixed income experts.

ESG: Will It Become A Competitive Advantage?

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ESG: ¿Se convertirá en una ventaja competitiva?
CC-BY-SA-2.0, FlickrCourtesy photo. ESG: Will It Become A Competitive Advantage?

A few months ago, a great manager and friend, a faithful follower of the philosophy of value investing, told me that he had introduced ESG criteria into his analysis, and that he considered them a source of competitive advantage for certain companies. He even gave an example. It is the typical comment that you interpret as a justification to support a new trend, but as it came from this person, it made me think. Not only for listed companies where to invest, but for the very business of asset management.

There is no self-respecting conference on investments that does not discuss ESG, no institutional investor that does not show interest in adopting these criteria in new investments and no slide in strategic presentations of companies that does not mention it. They have started to create certificates in “ESG investing” and, of course, the regulator is surely not far behind wanting to define and assign universal ratings…

Obviously, it would be an unsustainable competitive advantage as it does not create a lasting entry barrier, but the speed of implementation may condition the feasibility of the business in the short term.

From the asset management perspective, it should go from being a specific type of asset to be part of the corporate investment philosophy. It will be a new risk factor to control. However, and still being an unstoppable trend, in the short term it faces certain difficulties:

  • It is currently in direct conflict with passive management, where there is no type of ESG filter in most indexes, and therefore in the funds that replicate them.
  • Most capital allocation decisions are made within the companies themselves, which makes it especially difficult to analyse the decisions and the impact on different factors such as supply chains or trade policies.

It definitely means a great risk for asset managers, not being able to access a growing client base with clients who are looking for it, or ultimately, lose them (a great French institutional manager recently mentioned in a conference that 50% of its new business is coming with ESG criteria). And it is also a great risk for listed companies to see reduced access to capital markets, which may (it has not happened yet) increase their cost of capital. In certain cases, if a case of corruption by a senior executive of a company comes out, it could trigger a wave of indiscriminate sales from these funds. And if corporate governance does not work well, it may compromise its cost of financing in a much more aggressive way than we are seeing recently. And the client will eventually demand a report where their manager’s performance is analysed and the impact achieved in certain cases.

Column by Luis Buceta, CFA, CIO Banco Alcalá. Head of Equities at Crèdit Andorrà Financial Group. Crèdit Andorrà Financial Group Research.

October Spooked Market Participants Universally But The U.S. Economy is Still on a Roll

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Si bien octubre pareció asustar a los inversores, los mercados siguen en buena racha
Pixabay CC0 Public DomainPhoto: Alexas_Fotos. October Spooked Market Participants Universally But The U.S. Economy is Still on a Roll

October spooked market participants universally with US stocks enduring their worst month since the financial crisis. Issues at hand circle around concerns about peak earnings and growth, tighter financial conditions, fears of a Fed policy mistake, a potential credit bubble and selling pressure in crowded trades. Tensions have been further compounded by geopolitical worries, including ongoing trade tensions with China and deteriorating Chinese/US relations; Italy’s budget chaos and fears of a recession; uncertainty regarding the upcoming US congressional elections; and Brazil’s election of Jair Bolsonaro, joining the growing ranks of populists across the world.

The U.S. economy is still on a roll and this is reflected by the outperformance of U.S. equities versus foreign stock markets. More broadly, payrolls are increasing, wages are growing at the fastest rate since 2009, and unemployment is at a 49 year low. Consumer spending is doing well and should get a boost from falling oil prices while global investors continue to be attracted by America’s low tax rate, economic strength, corporate profit growth, and ongoing efforts to achieve less regulation.

There are undoubtedly countless factors that could go wrong with the equity market. With that in mind, much could still go right. Earnings growth rates may be peaking, but earnings are still strong; outcomes in the US midterm elections will be known November 6th, removing the angst over potential outcomes; and the world could be pleasantly surprised following a meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi at the upcoming G-20 summit, easing concerns over escalating challenges between two of the world’s superpowers. With no compass to turn to, we continue to orient ourselves by looking at valuations, which for global stocks look to be at attractive levels not seen for over two years.

One specific investment dynamic I would like to highlight is in regards to the music industry, which are changing fast with Sony continuing to strategically position itself to the benefit of shareholders.  After gaining European Commission approval in late October, Sony will acquire EMI Music Publishing in a $2.3 billion deal without conditions. The EMI acquisition will make Sony the global industry leader with a market share of about 26 percent. Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group are the major competitors in an industry that has now been revitalized by digital streaming services. As a copyright manager, Sony can earn revenues from direct deals with Spottily, Apple Music, Google Play, SoundCloud and YouTube. At the end of October, returning to the creative roots of its original Sony Walkman TPS-L2 in 1979 and as a logical extension of the music business, Sony audio announced that it aimed to regain its leadership position in headphones.

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.
 

 

High Yield: The End Of The American Dream?

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High yield: ¿el fin del sueño americano?
Wikimedia CommonsCourtesy photo. High Yield: The End Of The American Dream?

Traditional fixed income investors do not usually like interest rate hikes. As rates go up, the prices of their bonds go down and they reap negative returns in their portfolios. This is where the poorly advised investor learns that fixed income is far from fixed. Only those who maintained liquidity in a large portion of their portfolios will welcome the new opportunities arising from investing at higher rates. But is this anxiety surrounding the rate hikes shared across all asset classes in fixed income? In the case of high yield bonds the higher rates could be a positive thing (if the increases reflect an expanding economy) or a negative thing (if there is a fear that these rate hikes may end up causing a recession).

To date, despite episodes of volatility in the markets, high yield has generally benefitted from the strength of the US economy, the growth in corporate earnings and the low default rate. In spite of the downturn that we have seen so far in October, the high yield indices are still in the black since the beginning of the year, in contrast to the losses seen in the investment grade indices. Without indulging in a simplified generalisation that blurs the distinctions between the many subgroups and components that make up the high yield class, of all the sectors with a weighting of over 3% in the benchmarks, only Homebuilders are wider (note that at the beginning of the year, it was trading very tight).

The high internal cash-flow generation within this asset class has brought a slower rate of new issue origination, which has also been a determining factor in the good performance of high yield. Most new issues this year have been assigned to refinancing the existing debt. There has also been an improvement in credit ratings for new issues, leaning more towards BB bonds and with fewer CCC issues. Credit fundamentals remain strong. Rating upgrades surpass downgrades in the highest ratio since 2011. The rate of defaults within the high yield class is around 2%, compared with a historical average of 5%.

Furthermore, we must not underestimate the increasingly frequent demand from investors who were traditionally focused only on investment grade bonds, such as pension funds or wealth managers, who are incorporating BB tier issues into their portfolios. These investors are not merely “opportunistic tourists”, but rather they are investing in a systematic manner with a view to improving the diversification of their portfolios.

The NAFTA is no longer one of the risks weighing down this asset class. We are left with China, oil, a possible acceleration in inflation and the deficits. So, does this mean the end of the American dream enjoyed by high yield? Historically speaking, high yield bonds have had a negative correlation with Treasury bonds. History also teaches us that credit spreads can remain below average for long periods of time, particularly during periods of positive economic growth and low default rates.

Given the current outlook, in the short term, we do not believe the economic situation will take a turn for the worse towards a recession, which would create a negative credit environment. Although the credit spreads for high yield indices are at low levels from a historical perspective and, in our opinion, there is limited potential for capital appreciation, the coupon offered is sufficiently attractive relative to other assets to justify waiting patiently with a portion of the portfolio invested in high yield bonds. Of course, we cannot rule out a widening of spreads in the short term, caused by a defensive movement and the profit taking in a volatile market if stocks sell off. But this would not be the result of panic selling due to a continuous deterioration of fundamentals.

Column by Meritxell Pons, Director of Asset Management at Beta Capital Wealth Management, Crèdit Andorrà Financial Group Research.

Asset and Wealth Management Firms Join Forces With CASCAID Americas

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La industria de asset y wealth management se une en CASCAID Americas ¡Ayúdanos a ayudar!
CC-BY-SA-2.0, FlickrPhoto: CASCAID Americas. Asset and Wealth Management Firms Join Forces With CASCAID Americas

CASCAID Americas is another example of the industry turning its attention to supporting others. It’s an initiative set up in 2017 in UK that brings the asset and wealth management community together to raise money for charities.

What is CASCAID Americas all about?

It’s really about bringing people together to support great causes whilst enjoying networking. It’s led by 30-40  Ambassadors – people from around the industry. Ambassadors range from CEOs of asset and wealth management firms to new graduates and Investment 2020 trainees.

On a practical level, Funds Society, with the help of MiP in the UK, sits at the heart of it, helping to organize events and with all the logistics (on a pro bono basis of course).

How do you raise money?

In any way we can think of!  We will have one gala at the end of the fund raising period (June 2019), which is supported by investment firms. This can raise significant sums. Then we have other group events such as a darts evening, fun runs, wine tastings and sporting tournaments. And Ambassadors (and others) also do their own challenges – these are wide-ranging, from running marathons, to swimming lakes, to walking thousands of miles. Anything goes!

What charities do you support?

In 2017, CASCAID UK raised money for Cancer Research UK. The target was £1 million but it managed to exceed £2.35 million. For CASCAID Americas, based on the much smaller size of the offshore industry, we are setting an initial goal of US$150k, though we actually hope to beat our British counterparts, at least on a relative basis. For the 2018-2019 campaign CACSCAID Americas is raising funds for The SEED School of Miami. It’s important to remember that all monies go direct to SEED Miami – CASCAID Americas isn’t a charity itself, it’s just a brand name that acts as an “umbrella” to bring all our activities together.

Why The SEED School of Miami?

We want to help local charities with a strong social impact in our community. The SEED School of Miami definitely fits that bill – as South Florida’s only public, college-preparatory boarding school, it impacts on the lives of the 210 young under-resourced students that are currently enrolled in the program, who spend 24 hours a day in a safe, structured and predictable environment from Monday to Friday —three healthy meals a day; consistent relationships with excellent role models; daily academic challenge and support; and extensive programs in athletics, visual and performing arts, and service. The national results for the SEED schools program speak for themselves. 90% of the students enrolled in 9th grade graduate high school; 93% of these student attend college with full scholarships, and 80% of these students are first generation college-bound students in their families

Can anyone get involved?

Absolutely! Everyone is welcome. If you’d like to get involved with CASCAID Americas, just email alicia.jimenez@fundssociety.com and elena.santiso@fundssociety.com We’re always looking for new Ambassadors and new ideas to raise money.

Tim Stevenson, To Retire From Janus Henderson

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Tim Stevenson, gestor del Janus Henderson Horizon Pan European Equity Fund, se retira
Pixabay CC0 Public DomainPhoto: James Ross (right) Tim Stevenson (left) . Tim Stevenson, To Retire From Janus Henderson

After 32 years with Janus Henderson Investors, Tim Stevenson, Director of Pan European Equities, has decided to retire from the industry. According to the company, Tim will remain with the team on a transitional basis through the first quarter of 2019.

James Ross, his co-manager on the Janus Henderson Horizon Pan European Equity Fund will continue to manage the fund. “The fund will follow the proven strategy that has delivered success over the long term by investing in high quality European companies. The investment process and objective will not change.”

James has worked directly with Tim co-managing Pan European Equity portfolios since August 2016 and has worked alongside him as a member of the European Equity Team for many more years in an earlier role as a UK equity fund manager. James Ross has 11 years of financial industry experience and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Stevenson says: “James has impressive enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, the companies and the opportunities that exist from investing in Europe. The job of the European fund manager requires energy, brains, determination and skill. James has all of these and I am so pleased that he is taking on the full responsibility of looking after clients’ money in the complex but exciting area of Europe. I want to take this opportunity to wish him the very best of luck, and to thank clients for their support and patience over so many years. Finally, I would like to also thank all the great colleagues with whom I have worked in my career at Janus Henderson.”

Ross says: “I have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside Tim for the last few years; I am excited at the prospect of taking over sole responsibility for our mandates after his retirement. Tim will leave behind a legacy of consistent value-creation for clients; a record that I will seek to emulate.”

“We wish Tim well with his retirement and look to James and the wider European equity team to help build on his long-term success. If you have any questions about this announcement or any other investment-related queries please speak to your usual Janus Henderson representative.” The company concluded