Sunday, 5th July 2009

 

Portfolio

  1. Och-Ziff funds post gains in June but assets drop

    Publicly traded hedge fund manager Och-Ziff Capital Management saw gains in all its main funds during June, but investor withdrawals led to an $800m (€571m) decrease in assets under management for the month compared to May.

  2. Independent UK asset manager eyes acquisitions

    F&C Asset Management is eyeing potential acquisitions after becoming a completely independent quoted fund manager for the first time in its 140-year history, according to a report in the Financial Times.

  3. TCI profits hit record £555m on ABN Amro gain

    UK hedge fund manager The Children's Investment Fund Management, better known as activist shareholder TCI, lifted its revenue and profit by more than 70% last year in its fourth consecutive year of double-digit increases.

  4. 'Glass is half full' for IPOs in second half

    A rise in the number of initial public offerings during the second quarter has led to optimistic forecasts for the rest of this year, as a steep increase in US flotations shows the “glass is half full” for companies coming to market.

  5. Private equity nose-dives in first half of 2009

    The moribund state of private equity has been depicted in half-year reports on the troubled sector, which showed how activity tumbled in the first six months of the year. Global buyouts hit a 12-year low with an 82% drop on the same period last year, while fundraising also generated its smallest amount in five years.

  6. Hedge fund body toughens governance stance

    A global body representing hedge funds is putting pressure on the industry to raise its corporate governance standards and employ independent administrators after apparent lax efforts led to many firms and their investors being duped by convicted fraudster Bernard Madoff.

  7. Green Deals go into the Red

    Last year’s green deals have gone into the red, leaving the weight of frustrated ambition resting uneasily over the sector.

  8. European junk bond market tested by jumbo sale

    The European high-yield bond market is undergoing its biggest test since it was forced into lock-down by the crisis two years ago, as junk-rated companies queue up to sell new bonds, led by the largest sale since 2006 from Italian telecoms group, Wind.

  9. The funds that private banks prefer

    Just when wealthy individuals thought it was safe to emerge from their bunkers, they are being inundated with ideas on where to put their hard-earned cash.

  10. TCI alumnus eyes equities-focused start-up

    Patrick Degorce, who recently parted ways with Christopher Hohn, is preparing to launch a fund focused on global equities in the coming months and expects to raise up to $1bn (€712m) over time, sources said, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Brummel

Relocation, relocation, relocation

Banks have never been shy of firing staff at the merest whiff of a downturn. First the fat, then the muscle and finally the bone. In the past, cuts have been so deep that firms have found it hard to benefit when the markets rebounded, paying over the odds to restaff at speed. Such wild oscillations in staffing numbers are known as “doing a Merrill”.

Rich Monitor

$95 Million Trump House Could Be Sold–Again

Donald Trump set a record when he sold a house for $95 million last year. It was, he proudly pointed out, the largest amount paid in the U.S. for a single-family home.

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