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The credit crunch and ensuing economic downturn have coincided with significant changes in the alternative fund services industry, both in Guernsey and beyond.
Guernsey’s alternative fund sector has emerged from the crisis of the past couple of years in good shape, according to industry professionals – in part thanks to a new focus by service providers on delivering quality to their clients. But the ultimate endorsement is that some of the biggest names in the fund services industry are expanding their presence on the island or establishing a foothold there for the first time.
“On balance, we’ve come out of what has been a pretty dire situation reasonably well,” says Peter Niven, chief executive of promotional body Guernsey Finance. “Business flows are
Guernsey has weathered the financial storm and is now well placed to capitalise upon its reputation as a well-regulated jurisdiction of choice for the investment funds sector.
ClearBridge Energy MLP Fund has raised approximately USD1.268bn in its common stock offering, assuming full exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option.
Its shares have begun trading today on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CEM.
The fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of total return with an emphasis on cash distributions.
The fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in master limited partnerships in the energy sector. The fund considers MLPs to be in the energy sector if they derive at least 50 per cent of their revenues from the businesses of exploring,
The European Life Settlement Association has launched a retail market consultation into the practices and issues surrounding life settlements.
The consultation will help inform the content relating to retail investors in Elsa’s impending code of practice for the life settlement industry, which will be published later this summer.
While the code of practice will cover all areas of life settlement investing – across both the institutional and retail markets – Elsa has decided to engage specifically with the IFA community following the questions raised by the Financial Services Authority about the asset class earlier this year.
The Association
Institutional investors are reasonably comfortable with leveraged investing today, though investor opinion about hedge funds and leveraged investing remains mixed, according to a study by Pershing, a BNY Mellon company.
The study, Lending and Leverage: The New Securities Finance Model for Hedge Funds, examines the changing business model of securities financing for hedge funds in 2010 and beyond.
In a recent Finadium study of 92 US public pension plans, including 25 focused interviews, 56 per cent of pension funds reported having at least some investments in hedge funds or 130/30 vehicles.
This does not represent, however, a wholehearted acceptance of
Activity in UK financial services grew in the last three months at the fastest rate since September 2007.
But this growth was much lower than expected and firms still consider levels of business to be well below normal, the latest CBI/PwC Financial Services Survey shows.
The financial services sector saw its fourth consecutive quarter of improving profitability, though the survey shows firms expect this to level off in the coming three months.
Concern about the impact of regulation and legislation on future business remains high, with a large proportion of firms expecting to spend more on compliance in the
Symphony Asset Management has named Anne B. Popkin as president, effective 12 July.
Popkin brings nearly 20 years of institutional experience to the firm.
She will assume responsibility for all non-investment activities at the firm, including business development, client service, operations, trade support, technology and compliance, and will report directly to Symphony’s chief investment officer and chief executive Gunther Stein.
"We are excited to welcome Anne as president of Symphony. She is a proven leader with a strong track record of success in the hedge fund industry. In addition to overseeing all operational and marketing activities, Anne will be responsible
Cosmo founder to leave firm
Cosmo Investment Management, the South Korean arm of SPARX Group Co., Ltd., has confirmed that its founder, Kevin Choi, is to leave the firm. Choi has carved out a reputation as a leading Korea equity long/short specialist, turning Cosmo into one of South Korea’s largest independent advisory firms. Choi was unavailable to comment.
Boyer Allan launches UCITS Asian L/S fund
Boyer Allan, the London and Hong Kong-based Asian equity shop with USD800 million in assets, has rolled out its first UCITS-compliant fund on the Merrill Lynch platform. Hot on the heels of a long-only China-focused
Law firm Conyers Dill & Pearman has promoted five lawyers across its British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Hong Kong and Singapore offices and corporate, litigation and insurance practices to partner status.
Richard Evans (pictured) of Conyers’ BVI litigation department has over 15 years’ experience in commercial litigation and all contentious aspects of commercial and insolvency law. He has appeared as lead counsel in a number of leading decisions in BVI.
Evans specialises in obtaining and securing the enforcement of all forms of urgent interim relief, shareholders’ and connected disputes, and disputed debt/distressed funds matters.
Jeffrey Elkinson JP of Conyers’ Bermuda litigation
