Reuters: Funds News

UK small business fund looks to fill bank gap

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:17:53 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - A fund set up to support small and medium-sized British businesses aims to make around 25 investments this year, its chief executive said, as it looks to fill a gap left by banks cutting funding for thousands of growth companies.

Vanguard brings low-cost ETFs to Britain

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:07:13 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. group Vanguard, the world's third-largest exchange-traded-funds provider, has launched its first products in Britain, hoping to steal business from rivals by pushing a low-cost model that has been successful in its home market.

Euro twilight zone beckons for Greece

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:44:51 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Speculation about an endgame in Greece's protracted crisis has flooded markets with euro exit scenarios this week, but investors reckon there's still every chance that uncertainty will simply drag on for months.

Hedge funds eye further profits from JPMorgan losses

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:41:51 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Hedge funds are positioned to squeeze more profits from JPMorgan & Co's losing position in U.S. credit derivatives, after racking up tidy gains from a lucrative trade that could end up costing the bank more than $3 billion.

EU's Barnier urges binding shareholder vote on pay

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:40:22 GMT

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Shareholders should have the power to curb bosses' pay and set caps on executive bonuses, the European Union's top regulatory official said on Wednesday, adding to pressure on banks and companies over excessive management pay deals.

JPMorgan investment unit played by different high-risk rules

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:39:51 GMT

LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The JPMorgan Chase unit that lost more than $2 billion through a failed hedging strategy had looser risk controls than the rest of the bank, according to people familiar with the situation.

Euro zone woes cool London office demand

Wed, 16 May 2012 07:40:36 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Land Securities, the biggest listed British property developer, said demand for office space in London was lower than expected due to the worsening turmoil in the euro zone.

Hedge funds eye further profits from JPMorgan losses

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:02:09 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Hedge funds are holding out for further gains from their bets against JPMorgan's massive position in U.S. credit derivatives, racking up tidy profits from a lucrative trade that could cost the U.S. bank more than $3 billion.

Allianz Energy targets cost-effective shale plays

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:15:25 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Allianz Energy is targeting oil companies developing cost-effective, repeatable processes in the shale industry rather than those investing in complex one-off projects that are vulnerable to cost inflation.

Hedge fund calls for Chesapeake Energy CEO exit

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:14:39 GMT

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Pressure on Chesapeake Energy's embattled chief executive increased on Monday as a small London hedge fund urged the company's board to terminate Aubrey McClendon, while a well-known activist investor was reported to be building a position in the company.

Hedge funds gain 0.5 percent in April as stocks fall

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:13:57 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Hedge funds made small profits in April, according to a new performance index, even as global shares sank amidst the market fears over Spain's deepening debt crisis and signs that the U.S. economy was slowing.

F&C plans investment trust push

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:13:21 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - F&C Asset Management said it plans to extend its range of investment trusts and has introduced a revised compensation scheme for senior managers, as the UK funds house reports long-awaited plans to shake-up its flagging retail businesses.

As funds flee, India's pain is Southeast Asia's gain

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:07:04 GMT

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Southeast Asian nations are swallowing an outflow of money from India, as foreign investors lose patience with its policy paralysis and slowing growth and aim instead for more promising emerging markets such as Indonesia.

UK Plc faces 100 bln stg pension bill - study

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:44:07 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - UK plc could face a 100 billion pound bill over the next three years to plug rising deficits in its pension schemes, new research shows, limiting cash available for dividends, stock buybacks and capital investment.

Over-complex Europe keeps making same mistakes

Mon, 14 May 2012 09:57:09 GMT

PARIS (Reuters) - Americans call it a Rube Goldberg machine, Britons a Heath Robinson contraption and the Danes a Storm P machine.

The core problems with JPMorgan's failed trades

Mon, 14 May 2012 09:55:44 GMT

(Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co lost at least $2 billion in its failed hedging strategy not only because it was sloppy, but because it grew too big in a rarified market of complex financial instruments that it had created.

Investors inject more cash into hedge funds

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:53:05 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Investors grappling with volatile financial markets upped their bets on hedge funds over the past month, data from hedge fund administrator GlobeOp shows, indicating renewed confidence in their abilities to cash in on turbulent asset pricing.

Africa PE funds face capital constraints - Citadel

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:52:29 GMT

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Raising capital is the biggest constraint facing private equity firms seeking to invest in potential projects in sub-Saharan Africa, the chairman of Egyptian private equity firm Citadel Capital said.

Equity fund outflows resume on Europe jitters

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:51:35 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors pulled cash from U.S.-domiciled equity mutual funds in the week ended May 9, reflecting market anxiety that Europe might reverse course from austerity measures after voters rejected politicians who pushed through spending cuts.

Investors losing faith in commodity hedge funds

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:45:30 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Investors in some of the best-known commodity hedge funds are getting increasingly frustrated by their performance, with some heading for the exit as managers rack up a second year of losses.

Aviva Investors appoints interim boss pending shake-up

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:36:40 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Aviva Investors, the fund management arm of Britain's second-biggest insurer, is appointing Paul Abberley as interim chief executive pending a management shake-up intended to streamline the company and boost profit.

Rathbones funds growth beats market

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:36:19 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Wealth manager Rathbone Brothers reported 6.1 percent growth in its funds under management for the first three months of the year, beating a small rise in financial markets as its affluent clients invested more money in its products.

F&C shows fresh outflows as strategic review nears

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:35:30 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - F&C Asset Management revealed further outflows in the first three months of 2012, underperforming its rivals and raising the stakes ahead of a turnaround plan expected this month.

London finance bonuses to halve again in 2012

Thu, 10 May 2012 06:18:20 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Bonuses for London's financial workers will be almost halved this year, falling to their lowest level in over a decade and nearly 10 billion pounds below a peak in 2007, according to a study.

Tesco to manage its 6 billion pound British pension scheme

Wed, 09 May 2012 09:02:28 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Tesco, the world's No.3 retailer, is to manage its British pension scheme, one of the largest in the country still offering defined benefits, to maximise returns and cut dependence on consultants.