The U.S. Economy is Doing Just Fine And There are Many Possibilities Globally

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The U.S. Economy is Doing Just Fine And There are Many Possibilities Globally
Wikimedia CommonsFoto: MaxPixel CC0. La economía de los EE.UU. está bien y hay muchas posibilidades a nivel mundial

U.S. stocks gained in February extending the best January rally since 1987, and the best first two month return since 1991. This strong start sets up 2019 with a high probability for a positive annual return based on historical data since 1928. U.S. stocks are near a 70 year high relative to Developed Market equities and March 6, 2019 is the tenth anniversary of the S&P 500’s intraday bear market low of 666 in 2009 that marked the end of the 2007-9 Global Financial Crises.

On February 28, Chairman Powell addressed the Fed’s dual mandate of maximum employment and stable prices: “I am pleased to say that, judged against these goals, the economy is in a good place. The current economic expansion has been under way for almost 10 years. This long period of growth has pushed the unemployment rate down near historic lows.”   We agree. In sum, the U.S. economy is doing just fine and the Fed will be “patient” with regard to future rate changes as well as review its balance sheet size target soon. With the ECB and the PBOC in monetary easing mode and some progress on the complex trade wars and Brexit fronts, stocks may continue to add to recent gains.

A burst of Merger and Acquisition activity kicked off on Merger Monday, February 25th with the following deals – General Electric said it would sell its biopharma business to Danaher Corp (DHR) for about $21.4 billion boosting DHR’s s drug development market capability and driving DHR’s stock higher – Swiss drug giant Roche Holding AG is buying Philadelphia based Spark Therapeutics (ONCE) in an all cash $4.3 billion gene therapy deal – Canadian miner Barrick Gold offered to buy U.S. rival Newmont Mining (NEM) in a hostile $18 billion all-stock deal creating a giant global gold miner – and Cincinnati based Multi-Color Corp (LABL)  announced a $2.5 billion merger to be acquired by private equity firm Platinum Equity LLC for $50 a share in cash.

Value investor Warren Buffett hinted in his 2018 letter to Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders that his next major acquisition may be overseas.  We see many potential merger possibilities ahead of us this year as a number of other catalysts materialize within businesses globally, couple that with the focus on the 2020 elections in the U.S., and companies will have to continue to strongly examine M&A as a viable option within the more comfortable confines of today’s corporate environment.

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.
 

Play at The Spain – US Chamber Golf Tournament in Miami

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Play at The Spain - US Chamber Golf Tournament in Miami
Pixabay CC0 Public DomainFoto cedida. Juega en el torneo de golf de la Cámara de Comercio en Miami

The Spain – US Chamber of Commerce in Miami, an organization whose main objective is to promote the internationalization of companies, as well as the investment and trade between Spain and the United States, is preparing its Golf Tournament at the Crandon Golf at Key Biscayne.

“Our Chamber of Commerce understands golf as a great generator of business, which encourages and improves relations between people who share a hobby that transcends the field of leisure. Therefore, the next May 2nd we will be celebrating a golf tournament in which more than 70 high-profile executives will enjoy a day of outdoor networking and sports. The goal of the tournament is to bring together professionals from different industries, to offer the opportunity to expand their network of contacts, their business relationships, and have a good time; all in an executive and relaxed environment.” Says the Chamber.

For more information or registration, follow this link.

Are You the Best at Fortnite?

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Are You the Best at Fortnite?
Pixabay CC0 Public DomainFoto: www.flickr.com/photos/whelsko. ¿Eres el mejor en Fortnite? Compite por hasta 50.000 dólares

Ultimate Gamer, the first open multi-game e-sports festival built to test gamers in different genres, announced that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite, Super Smash Bros.™ Ultimate and Rocket League are the four games featured at the upcoming event. Each game title requires players to utilize a range of game playing skills which will culminate in the crowing of the “Ultimate Gamer.” The individual winning player of each of the four games will also receive $5,000 and designation as “Game Champion.”

“This mix of games requires players to have a wide array of talents, everything from the strategy required in Fortnite to the quick thinking of Super Smash Bros.,” said Steve Suarez, president of ShowGlobe Entertainment. “We’re thrilled to have the biggest game in the world as part of the competition as well as Counter-Strike and the amazing Rocket League. And we aren’t just crowning a champion, but we’re providing the entire community with the first gaming festival ever. It’s a chance for experts, noobs, cosplayers and others in the culture to have a great time in Miami.”

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive expands upon the team-based first person shooter gameplay the original Counter-Strike pioneered when it launched in 1999. Ultimate Gamers can choose between three weapons, the AK-47, M4A1-S and M4A4 and will play two 10-minute rounds. Each single player will have a specific amount of time to eliminate other game players.

Global gaming phenomenon Fortnite pits players against each other within a shrinking island landscape. Ultimate Gamers will play rounds of Fortnite Battle Royale in a “100 Player PvP” mode, where single players compete against 99 others to come out victorious.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the fifth installment in the wildly popular Super Smash Bros. crossover series which features a range of Nintendo game universe characters competing in an arena. Players will join 4-person free-for-all matches progress until one remains.

In Rocket League, players will leverage rocket-powered vehicles to hit a ball and score points. It’s like soccer, but with rocket-powered cars.

Players can register to participate in the tournament here, and Ultimate Gamer tickets are available through Eventbrite. First place is awarded $50,000. The tournament will be held at the Mana Wynwood Convention Center in Miami from March 9-10.

Investment Diversification – Asset Management with a Chance of Success

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According to FlexFunds, trade wars, a slowdown in global economic growth, longevity or disruptive technological advances are some of the factors of greatest uncertainty in the market, which might eventually give rise to volatility episodes, such as those occurred in 2018. Fear of a new recession will set the 2019 market pace.

In this context, attention is increasingly addressed to alternative investments or assets – products that provide the appropriate flexibility to leverage market opportunities and, at the same time, seek risk protection in times of volatility. 

The alternative investment industry has become a significant part of the financial system and global economy. According to an Intralinks study, 66% of investors plan to increase alternative investment allocation in 2019. In a scenario where flexibility and dynamism will be key tools to attain positive results, asset securitization programs have the necessary resources to take a defensive position against market volatility and, at the same time, provide an opportunity to access investment projects that are uncorrelated to secondary markets.

According to an S&P study, in the US, the total volume of securitized assets issued in the first half of 2018 was USD 284 billion, an increase of 16% compared to the same period in 2017.

FlexFunds’ asset securitization program for financial institutions, hedge funds, real estate and a range of asset managers, facilitates distribution and access to investment opportunities. Securitization allows creating a listed security from any underlying asset, which is distributed to banking platforms through Euroclear. Therefore, these investment vehicles may be accessed by investors from all over the world through already existing brokerage and private banking accounts. Furthermore, asset securitization provides a flexible tool to raise capital in any sector, including alternative asset investments.

There is a wide range of alternative investment options, which may be a powerful tool to help investors achieve a greater diversification, minimize volatility impact on their portfolios and enhance performance.
 

iM Global Partners: “Pension Systems Around the World are Looking at Specialized Active Managers”

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iM Global Partners: "Pension Systems Around the World are Looking at Specialized Active Managers"
Foto cedidaJosé Castellano, CEO adjunto y director de desarrollo de Negocio Internacional de iM Global Partner.. iM Global Partner: "Los sistemas de pensiones alrededor del mundo rotan hacia gestoras especializadas"

2019 brings a world of opportunities to iM Global Partners, a multi-boutique platform with offices in Paris, London and Philadelphia. That is what José Castellano, Deputy CEO, and Head of International Business Development is tasked with.

In an interview with Funds Society, Castellano, who joined the firm earlier this year, mentions that considering there is a worldwide strong appetite for alpha products from the best asset management companies, they are currently developing a global distribution platform.

In his opinion, “pension systems around the world are looking at specialized active managers while keeping the passive side invested with large asset managers.”  And he believes their partners “have the quality to get strong appetite for alpha from investors”, so he is trying to take them to global portfolios while also looking to add on more partners. “We have clients almost everywhere not because we are active on the business perspective but because our partners are so good they have been already identified.”

iM Global Partners currently has strategic minority investments in four management companies – Polen Capital, Dolan McEniry Capital Management, Sirios Capital Management and Dynamic Beta investments but they have a big pipeline and ambitions.

“One of the reasons I got involved with the company, besides of how I see the industry, with big opportunities for alpha managers in the world, and that I also like that it is very entrepreneurial, flexible, effective, but also, because we have a huge level of ambition to grow the platform tremendously. I can tell you our intention is to invest in the next years up to 500 million, we have already deployed around 125 million so [we are looking to partner with] somewhere between 10-20 different asset managers with between 1-20 billion in AUM.”

Castellano mentions they have a very long pipeline and a number of ongoing conversations. Currently they are looking to close 1-3 transactions a year, and that they “are looking at liquid alternatives, US equities, European equities, Emerging Market Debt and US credit, as the asset classes where we are putting a lot of effort.”

Why partner with iM Global Partners?

According to the industry veteran, iM Global Partners is especially attractive to asset managers given that they have entrepreneurial DNA: “We are very flexible, we can talk to them every day, and we only buy minority stakes, between 20-49%. We do not want to manage the company, but we want to be very active on the business side. In that case we are very flexible and tackle it on a case by case base. We also offer permanent capital.” Castellano believes asset management is a long term game and so is its relationship with their partners. They provide a distribution platform but there is a full alignment of interests, since they are not only distributions but partners.

What are they looking for?

“When we buy stake in the AM we make sure we can accelerate their growth exponentially. For example if we buy someone with 3 Billion AUM is because we know they have the potential to go to 6, 10, 20 billion in AUM. Our idea is to help them grow exponentially by exposing them to other areas of the world.” Castellano mentions adding that their main consideration when building the pipeline is finding the right people, right talent and outstanding performance over time. “They have to be excellent in the long run but more with a difficult market because we believe that the best managers shine when they have a difficult market.”

Their mayor focus in the first half of 2019 is to launch Europe and expose their partners to the European market. They are having events in February in Paris, Zurich, Milan, Madrid, Lisbon and the UK.

For the second part of the year they are looking at Asia-Pacific since they are engaged with some Australian partners, and Latin America.

M&A Activity is Off to a Strong Start Thus Far in 2019

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M&A Activity is Off to a Strong Start Thus Far in 2019
Wikimedia CommonsFoto: Petar Milošević . La actividad de fusiones y adquisiciones ha tenido un fuerte comienzo en 2019

December’s market volatility created opportunities which contributed to January’s results, particularly on spreads that narrowed (including several which closed):

  • Shire plc (SHPG-NASDAQ), a pharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for rare diseases, was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceuticals on January 4. The deal received approval from shareholders of both companies in December, which was the final requirement. Shire shareholders received $90.99 cash and 5.034 new Takeda shares, valuing the transaction at approximately $80 billion.
  • TESARO Inc. (TSRO-NASDAQ), an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company that develops treatments for solid tumors, was acquired by GlaxoSmithKline plc for $75 cash per share, or about $5 billion.
  • Apptio Inc. (APTI-NASDAQ), a provider of cloud-based business management software, was acquired by Vista Equity Partners for $38 cash per share, or about $1.7 billion.
  • Imperva Inc. (IMPV-NASDAQ), a software development company focused on security applications and services, was acquired by Thoma Bravo for $55.75 cash per share, or about $2 billion.

 M&A activity is off to a strong start thus far in 2019, and we are finding attractive opportunities to deploy capital. New deals announced in January included:

  • Celgene Corp. (CELG-NASDAQ), a biopharmaceutical company that develops treatments for cancer and immune-inflammatory related diseases, agreed to be acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb for $50 cash and 1.0 share of Bristol-Myers common stock for each share of Celgene, or about $89 billion.
  • First Data Corp. (FDC-NYSE), a global provider of electronic payment solutions, agreed to be acquired by Fiserv, Inc. for 0.303 shares of Fiserv common stock for each share of First Data, or about $38 billion.
  • Loxo Oncology, Inc. (LOXO-NASDAQ), which develops drugs for the treatment of solid tumors, agreed to be acquired by Eli Lilly for $235 cash per share, or about $8 billion.

We expect ongoing deal activity will provide further prospects to generate returns uncorrelated to the market.

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.
 

Grant Peterson has Joined Black Salmon

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National commercial real estate investment firm Black Salmon announced that Grant Peterson has joined the company as senior associate of acquisitions. In this new role, he will focus on asset allocation strategies, researching venture and investment opportunities, as well as asset management of the firm’s investment portfolio.

Peterson brings to Black Salmon nearly a decade of experience in institutional acquisitions and asset management. His addition is a strategic next step in the company’s expansion plan, falling on the heels of the firm’s $28 million purchase of Bentley Commons at Keene, a high-performing senior housing asset in Keene, New Hampshire, in December 2018.

“We are thrilled to welcome Grant Peterson to the Black Salmon team, as he will bring added value to our acquisition model,” said Jorge Escobar, CEO and Managing Partner of Black Salmon. “Equipped with an impressive background, Grant’s expertise complements the firm’s bullish portfolio growth, which encompasses approximately $600 million in existing and planned assets throughout the U.S.” 

Peterson’s career most recently includes a tenure at Crocker Partners, a vertically-integrated real estate and management firm, where he was responsible for identifying, pursuing and executing investment grade opportunities throughout the southeast U.S. During this time, he worked with some of the world’s most sophisticated capital partners, accumulating a total transaction volume of more than $500 million and $5 billion in opportunities evaluated.

Prior to joining Crocker Partners, Peterson was involved in the asset management of LNR Partners’ southeastern portfolio, which consisted of Real Estate Owned (REO) properties valued in excess of $400 million. Additionally, he contributed to the underwriting of more than $1.6 billion in both performing and non-performing commercial real estate debt across all property types, deepening his knowledge and expertise in the industry.

Peterson is a graduate of the University of Florida, where he received a master’s degree in real estate and a bachelor’s degree in management.

 

Amundi Pioneer hires New Senior Managing Director and Head of Fixed Income, US

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Amundi Pioneer hires New Senior Managing Director and Head of Fixed Income, US
Christine Todd, foto cedida. Amundi Pioneer contrata una nueva directora administrativa senior y líder de renta fija US

Amundi Pioneer has announced the appointment of Christine Todd as Senior Managing Director and Head of Fixed Income, US.

Christine was previously President of Neighborly Investments in Boston, a technology-driven impact investment manager focused on customized municipal bond portfolios for institutional and high net worth investors. Prior to Neighborly, Christine was President of Standish Mellon Asset Management in Boston, a leading fixed income asset management firm. She headed Standish Mellon’s Tax Sensitive and Insurance investment platforms and managed portfolio management, credit research, trading, and client relations. Prior to joining Standish Mellon in 1995, she was a portfolio manager, trader and analyst at Gannett Welch & Kotler, a Boston investment firm.

Christine has a B.A. from Georgetown University and an M.B.A. from Boston University. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

After a Great January, the Small and Mid-Cap Space Continues to be Well Valued

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After a Great January, the Small and Mid-Cap Space Continues to be Well Valued
Pixabay CC0 Public DomainPhoto: Karthik Subramanian / Pexels CC0. Después de un gran enero, el segmento de pequeña y mediana capitalización sigue estando bien valorado

U.S. stocks started 2019 with the best January since 1987 and the best monthly gain since 2015. This sets up 2019 for a positive annual return based on historical data since 1936. The FOMC statement that the Fed would now be ‘patient’ on future rate changes and Chairman Powell’s statement that balance sheet ‘normalization’ would end sooner than expected, plus a robust employment report, all combined to spark investor sentiment to buy stocks.

Gabelli’s Private Market Value (PMV) with a Catalyst™ stock selection research ideas — Liberty Braves (BATRA), Energizer Holdings (ENR), 21st Century Fox (FOX), Herc Holdings (HRI), MGM Resorts International (MGM), Navistar International (NAV), Griffon (GFF) and updates on Textron (TXT) and GCP Applied Technologies (GCP) — were highlighted as seven ‘stock picks’ and two updates at BARRON’S 2019 Roundtable published in the January 21 issue.

Cambridge, MA based GCP Applied Technologies is a producer of cement, concrete additives, and weatherproofing for commercial construction and benefits from infrastructure spending. Swiss chemical company Sika AG is acquiring French rival Parex for $2.5 billion in the ongoing consolidation of the building materials industry. Sika recently fended off a hostile takeover from France’s Saint-Gobain.  As a niche player, GCP is an appealing potential target.
Providence, RI based Textron continues to take share with new models as the long cycle in business jets unfolds. NetJets, the shared jet ownership division of Berkshire Hathaway, recently announced a deal to buy up to 175 Cessna Citation Longitude and 150 Hemisphere jets. Textron has a top notch management team.                      

Global M&A announced deal volumes were $4.1 trillion in 2018 with a strong first half driven by ‘megadeals’ greater than $10 billion in size. Companies will continue to focus on unlocking value with deal activity in 2019 as spin-offs and split-offs, often catalyzed by increased pressure by activists, remain center stage.

We continue to scour the market for great companies to invest in and are focused on fundamental opportunities globally. The small and mid-cap space continues to be well valued and the long term upside, thanks to financial engineering, serves to be fruitful for investors. The consumer and a focus on global infrastructure and development are major themes to keep an eye on as we begin the year. Trump and Trade remain at the forefront in the U.S. and as the dust settles globally economic questions remain open ended throughout Europe and Asia, leading many to raise cash and reevaluate the markets as future volatility remains a key driver for both sentiment and relations both at the personal and macro levels.

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.
 

Andrea Frazzini, David Kabiller, and Lasse Heje Win CFA’s Graham and Dodd Award

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Andrea Frazzini, David Kabiller, and Lasse Heje Win CFA's Graham and Dodd Award
CC-BY-SA-2.0, FlickrFoto: freeimage4life. Andrea Frazzini, David Kabiller y Lasse Heje ganan el premio Graham and Dodd del CFA Institute

CFA Institute, the global association of investment management professionals, has named the winners of the 2018 Graham and Dodd Awards of Excellence. Every year, a research article published in the CFA Institute Financial Analysts Journal receives the prestigious Graham and Dodd (G&D) Award to recognize the contribution of the research to the practice of investment management. The article “Buffett’s Alpha” by Andrea Frazzini, David Kabiller, CFA, and Lasse Heje Pedersen of AQR Capital Management has won the Top Award for 2018.

Published in the Fourth Quarter 2018 issue of the Financial Analysts Journal, the article suggests that Warren Buffett’s returns are neither luck nor magic but instead a reward for leveraging cheap, safe, high-quality stocks. The piece attempts to explain the remarkable performance of Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway portfolio by analyzing and compiling stock returns, mutual fund data, holdings data, SEC reports, and even hand-collected comments from Berkshire Hathaway’s annual reports.

“It is fitting that an article about Buffett, Benjamin Graham’s most famous student and a strong advocate of his value investing approach, is this year’s Top Award winner, bringing the award back full circle to the well-respected principles of Graham and David Dodd,” said Heidi Raubenheimer, CFA, managing editor of the Financial Analysts Journal at CFA Institute. “Andrea Frazzini, David Kabiller, and Lasse Heje Pedersen did an outstanding job of thoroughly dissecting Buffett’s approach and analyzing what is truly at the heart of Berkshire Hathaway’s long-term success. Their findings confirm the ‘practical implementability of academic factor returns’: Berkshire Hathaway’s systematic exposure to value and quality factors can be mimicked and realized by others. Their analysis demonstrates the further improvement of the fund’s performance by its successful use of its unique access to high-quality, cheap leverage.”

In addition to the Top Award, the G&D Awards Committee honored “Hedge Funds and Stock Price Formation” by Charles Cao, Yong Chen, William N. Goetzmann, and Bing Liang with a Scroll Award. The article was originally published in the Third Quarter 2018 issue of the Financial Analysts Journal and concerns stock mispricing implied by both hedge fund ownership and trading.

The annual G&D Awards of Excellence include the Top Award to recognize the best research article and up to two Scroll Awards to acknowledge the runners-up. Winners are chosen through a two-stage selection process. First, all members of the Financial Analysts Journal Advisory Council and Editorial Board are invited to vote, producing a shortlist of practitioner-relevant research articles published in the Financial Analysts Journal throughout the year. Second, the G&D Awards Committee (six members selected from the CFA Institute Board of Governors, the CFA Institute Leadership Team, CFA Society leadership, and the Financial Analysts Journal editorial team) collectively decide the award winners from the shortlist.