The Fund Selection Blog

Brandes and Sparinvest Join Forces

Earlier this year, two of the world’s specialty value investment firms, Brandes Investment Partners, L.P. in the U.S., and Sparinvest  joined forces to establish corporate bonds funds.

The aim is to have to have to Corporate Value Bond fund to be managed by both Brandes Investment Partners and Sparinvest.

Michael Albrechtslund, Sparinvest's managing director, stated  the press release : “In recent years we have seen the corporate bond market in Europe expand massively, and at the same time, corporate bonds from Europe, the US and most recently the emerging markets have become an increasingly important asset class for investors seeking good portfolio diversification. We strongly believe that the value investment approach can deliver long-term outperformance for corporate bonds in the same way that it does for equities.”

The fund will be invested globally , with an intended 80 to 120 different bond, while using use the Barclays Capital Global Aggregate Corporate Index as its benchmark.

Albrechtslund continued by adding, “'This new fund is a global corporate bonds product that will tap into the experience of two leading exponents of value bonds investment. Investors therefore do not need to make allocation decisions between geographic regions or between investment grade or high yield. It is a one-stop shop for value within fixed income. However investors should be aware that a value strategy can deliver higher short-term volatility than other approaches.”

SPP Launches a New Sustainability Profile

SPP launches a new quality profile for their sustainable investments. The initiative aims to facilitate sustainable investments for the consumer so that they can make smarter more sustainable fund selections. This profile was developed in collaboration with SWESIF, an independent networking forum for organizations working for or with sustainable investment, large investors, as well as other Swedish fund management companies.

Liza Jonson, CEO of SPP Fonder, commented in the company press release: “For many, the concept of sustainable investment or SRI that we in the industry call it is not entirely clear, we therefore need to simplify and become more concrete. Explain what it is we actually do. Working hard to invest responsibly is a matter of course but also a challenge, especially in certain markets.”

She continued by adding,” Recently, we launched a fund that is unique in its kind, SPP Emerging Markets SRI, a fund that invests in emerging markets, but also requiring that the companies it invests in taking environmental and social responsibility."

SPP mentioned that the sustainability profile aims to raise awareness by describing the criteria for each investment. These include issues into account environmental, social responsibility, corporate governance and business ethics.

“We are proud to be one of the companies that are first to help our customers along the way when it comes to this type of information. It is hoped that more people jumping on the bandwagon. This issue needs to go higher up the agenda. We want to help our customers with a smart, long term and sustainable savings. We will deliver long-term, high yield while helping to maintain a favorable world where we can live both now and in the future, "said Jonson.

Storebrand's Delphi Funds Receive Distinctive Ratings

Storebrand’s Delphi Fund Management Team announced that they received ratings from Standard & Poor’s Fund Services. The Delphi fund team, is a part of Storebrand but operates as an autonomous unit, with Storebrand providing the necessary non-investment services.

The three Funds that received ratings were: AA rating to the Delphi Europa fund, an AA fund rating to the Delphi Verden fund and an A rating to the Delphi Norden fund.

Standard & Poor’s Fund Services mentioned that the Delphi team has, “its own unique style of investment to which its managers are clearly committed.”

Susan Sworn, fund analyst, S&P Fund Services, commented on the ratings, “Delphi's distinctive and defined investment process, applied by disciplined managers, is building a strong track record. This process and performance fully supports an AA rating for Delphi Europa and Verden and an A rating for Norden.”

The Delphi Fund Management team use price databases to receive stock pricing’s uptrend of at least three months. The stock selection for the fund team is up to the individual manager. The Europa fund targets calendar-year outperformance of the MSCI Europe benchmark, the Verden fund aims to beat the MSCI World benchmark and the Norden fund looks to outpace the VINX Benchmark Cap Net index. The latter fund may invest in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish names.

Stig Tønder, team leader and senior portfolio manager at Delphi Funds, also commented , “We are very pleased with these ratings for our three Delphi funds, which we believe reflects not only on the strong performance of the funds, but also the strength of our investment process which combines trend analysis with fundamentals analysis. We are very committed, and will work hard to maintain or improve our ratings going forward.”

ATP First Quarter Surplus

During the first quarter ATP experienced a profit of approximately DKK 3.8 billion, with reserves of up to DKK 73.8 billion. This result is driven by higher oil prices as well as rising inflation.

Director of ATP Lars Rohde, stated in the company press release :"The results for the first quarter is satisfactory. In a time of great volatility in financial markets, we see that the risk-spreading strategy is appropriate. This time draws especially our inflation secure investment and rising oil prices are the result up. "

For ATP’s investment portfolio the return was approximately 6.7 billion, before tax, equivalent to roughly 1.7%

ATP had a positive return in four out of their five risk classes, these were:

· Risk Klassen Inflation gave a return of 3.7 billion, equivalent to roughly 3.4 per cent. The largest contribution came from linkers primarily caused by an increase in expected inflation in Europe.

· Risk Class Commodities gave a return of 2.8 billion, equivalent to roughly 13.4 per cent. The portfolio consists entirely of oil-related risk and return due to rising oil prices during the quarter.

· Risk Class credit a return of 1.1 billion, equivalent to  roughly 2.2 percent

· Risk Class shares gave a return of 1.0 billion, corresponding to roughly 1.8 per cent.

· Risk Interest Klassen gave a negative return of 2.0 billion, equivalent to roughly -1.3 per cent.

Danish FSA More Inexpensive Investments

The Danish Financial Supervisory Authority has mentioned that all Danish funds must now explain their efforts in order to ensure that that their members have a high return.

Ulrik Nødgaard, the direct of the Danish FSA, stated:  "Approximately five percent of the listed departments are passively managed, which is a relatively low figure when we compare ourselves with other countries. This suggests that overall there is not enough focus on costs."

He continued by adding, "We know that costs are generally higher in the actively managed funds. The actively managed funds have the opportunity to beat the market but there is little evidence to suggest that there is someone who persistently do it. Therefore, the FSA ask the directors of the Danish mutual funds explain what efforts they have made to ensure a better return after expenses to members than if the client funds had been placed in passively managed funds. "

 Nødgaard, mentioned that FSA will also be looking into bank’s advice and mutual funds, but they need to keep in mind the dissemination of investment certificates, as well as the cost that banks will endure. Thus the aim for 2011 is to perform a study about costs that customers receive from banks and investment advice.

Fund Investors Choose Sweden and Korea

E24 Reported, that fund investors are selecting Swedish and Korean funds in April, mainly in mutual funds while many investors are selling fixed income and real-estate funds.

They reported that about 15 % if all purchases through Avanza in April was in Sweden Funds.

Many bought the Swedish small cap funds, about 15 percent of all purchases at Avanza in April was in Sweden funds.

Jan Dinkelspiel, Sweden Head of Nordnet, commented in their company press release about the transcations in Mutual funds, ‘’Net trade has grown by over 500% since March, when there was very little activity. It shows that investors have ventured into the market again, but that they choose to invest in proven cards delivered strong results in recent times. Therefore, we find niche funds to purchase open as small caps, Sweden and Korea funds. On sales list, seven out of ten low-risk funds.''

 

Best Selling Funds according to Nornet

 1.Brummer & Partners Nektar

 2.Tangent Fund

 3.Robur Eastern Europe Fund

 4.Öhman High Yield Fund

 5.Fidelity Korea Fund

 6.Nordnet Stock Index Sweden

 7.Skagen Kontiki

 8.Excalibur Fund

 9.Skagen Global

 10.Atlant Stability

 Best-selling funds

 1.Folksam Bond Fund

 2.FIM Russia Small Cap

 3.Nordea Real interest rate

 4.Carlson Sweden Micro Cap Fund

 5.Nordea-1 European High Yield Bond Fund

 6.Robur real interest fund

 7.Nordnet safe

 8.Spiltan Fixed Income Sweden

 9.Franklin U.S. Opportunities Fund

 10.Skagen Crown

 

 

Nordea Reorganizes

Nordea announced that they are taking steps towards the modernization and remoddling of their value chain-based organization. The main aim of the reorganization is to become more flexible and increase the focus on capital and cost efficiency. The reorganization is developed around the three main business areas: Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking and Wealth Management.

Moreover, with the retirement of Peter Schützem, Torsten Hagen Jørgensen and Peter Nyegaard are appointed to become new members of Group Executive Management. Schütze has been employeed at Nordea for the past 40 years, and throughout his time, Nordea mentioned that ‘’ He has played a key role for Nordea as Country Senior Executive in Denmark, both within the bank, towards customers and as a representative for Nordea in society.’’

The CEO of Nordea, Christian Clausen, commented in the company press release:’’ Peter has been instrumental in the formation and development of Nordea to the leading Nordic bank. His ambition and experience have been key in unifying our banking operations across the four Nordic countries.’’

The following organizational changes have been made to Nordeas Executive Management:

CEO: Christian Clausen: President and Chief Executive Officer.

Retail Banking: Michael Rasmussen: Head of Retail Banking and Country Senior Executive of Denmark.

Wholesale Banking: Casper von Koskull: Head of Wholesale Banking

Chief Operating Officer of Wholesale Banking:  Peter Nyegaard

Wealth Management: Gunn Wærsted: Head of Wealth Management and Country Senior Executive of Norway.

Group Operations and Other Lines of Business: Torsten Hagen Jørgensen: Head of Group Operations

and Other Lines of Business

Group Corporate Centre:  Fredrik Rystedt: Head of Group Corporate Centre, Chief Financial Officer and Country Senior Executive of Sweden.

Group Risk Management: Ari Kaperi: Head of Group Risk Management, Chief Risk Officer

and Country Senior Executive of Finland.

SKAGEN’s Kon-Tiki and the Equinox Acquisition

Barrick Gold Corporation announced an offer to acquire Equinox, which SKAGEN Kon-TIki has a stake in. SKAGEN Kon-Tiki Investors have about 3 % stake in Equinox, with a total benefit to investors in the fund ranging from DEK 444 million.

Portfolio manager Kristoffer Stensrud, commented in the company press release, "We've seen Equinox as one of the most likely takeover candidates in the ongoing consolidation in the commodities sector. Therefore, we are obviously pleased with recent developments."

He continued by adding,’’ The challenge for portfolio managers is when to reinvest the money and find equally attractive investment as the companies will disappear.’’

Moreover, Strensrud mentions that SKAGEN Kon-tiki portfolio still has twenty large companies at attractive prices, making investments in other existing portfolio companies feasible. The five largest companies under the SKAGEN Kon-Tiki portfolio are: Eletrobras, Samsung Electronics, Baker Hughes, Hyundai Motor and Sistema.

"Our core of the Fund consists of a number of companies that are low priced where we also have a powerful investment theme," says Kristoffer Stensrud.

AMF Returned 3.1% the First Quarter

AMF published their first quarter report, with a total return of 3.1%.

Peder Hasslev, vice president and asset manager, AMF: ’’ The financial markets are characterized essentially by a rather positive attitude towards economic activity, but disruption of major adverse events that disaster in Japan and unrest in North Africa. In view of the large imbalances in the world, I think that unfortunately we may get used to the continued turbulent environment."

Katrineholm Appoints KPA to Manage Pension Portfolio

Swedish Local Authority Katrineholm has appointed KPA pension to manager their (€620million) pension assets for a period of four years.