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Reuters – The value of Japanese retail-targeted mutual funds rose to a 10-month high of 58.8 trillion yen ($613 billion) in July, lifted by inflows into international equities funds and strength in share prices, an industry body said on Thursday.
It was the sixth straight month of increases in the value of publicly placed investment trust funds, or "toshins", as signs of a global economic recovery boost investor confidence. The value was also helped by rises in share prices, with the benchmark Nikkei share average .N225 gaining 4 percent in July.
The overall value of publicly placed investment trust funds rose by 1.7 trillion yen or 3 percent from the previous month to 58.8 trillion yen in July, the highest since September, Japan’s Investment Trusts Association said.
Hedge fund Fortelus and other investors are preparing to oust the management of a publicly listed investment trust because they disagree with its investment decisions, the Guardian has learned. The growing row provides a rare insight into the way hedge funds operate.
Fortelus owns 14% of the shares of Strategic Equity Capital (SEC), a trust managed by London-based asset manager SVG Investment Managers. Along with shareholders representing another 20% of the company’s capital, the rebel group will request management to step down at an extraordinary general meeting to be held in London on 14 August. "We’re launching an EGM to remove the board of this underperforming fund," said one of the investors.
Birmingham Business Journal – The hedge fund created by activist investor William Ackman to buy up shares of Target Corp. lost 40.1 percent of its value in January, according to a Bloomberg News report.
Since creating the fund, called Pershing Square IV, Ackman has acquired a 9.7 percent stake in Target. He recently attempted to convince Target to spin off its real estate holdings into an investment trust. However, company officials decided not to pursue the strategy. Ackman also urged Minneapolis-based Target to sell off its credit-card receivables. It completed the sale of half of its receivables last year.
