Each business day HedgeCo.Net keeps you informed with the top hedge fund industry news, opinion and insight from around the globe. From the latest hedge fund launches, to the impact of regulation, competition, and investor activism - we track the topics and people that make a difference to you.
Earthtimes – Julius Baer, one of Switzerland’s largest wealth managers, reported Monday a net profit of 324 million Swiss francs (303 million dollars) in the first half of the year, down 37 per cent compared to the same period in 2008.
The private bank said it had 299 billion Swiss francs of assets under management at the end of June, 25 per cent less, year-on-year. Compared however, to the end of last year, when the financial markets were in turmoil, the bank said its position had improved and was experiencing inflows of new capital.
The bank dropped 2 per cent of its workforce, which now stands at 4,255 staff, and personnel expenses fell by 13 per cent to 587 million francs, reflecting a lowering of performance-related bonuses.
Bloomberg – Banque Safdie SA, the Geneva-based wealth manager that withdrew money invested with Bernard Madoff three years before his alleged Ponzi scheme unraveled, said the scandal will mean more hedge fund regulation.
“What Madoff has done is highlight the lack of regulation,” Safdie Chief Executive Officer Claude Le Ber said in an interview from Geneva this week. “There’s going to be a shake out. Even before Madoff, the hedge fund industry was seeing redemptions and wasn’t producing absolute returns.”
Reuters UK – Credit Suisse clients may have lost up to 1 billion Swiss francs (627.3 million pounds) ($195.18 mln) on investments connected to accused swindler Bernard Madoff, newspaper Sonntag reported on Sunday.
Without giving details of its sources, Sonntag reported that internal forecasts at Credit Suisse showed that customers of Switzerland’s second-largest bank could have lost 0.9-1.0 billion francs in the Madoff case.
Credit Suisse spokesman Jan Vonder Muehll said: "Credit Suisse did not actively recommend or sell products invested with Bernard Madoff.
"Furthermore, none of the funds of hedge funds offered by Credit Suisse contained holdings in Madoff funds."
London Stock Exchange- Allianz Global Investors is mulling the launch of a listed hedge of hedge funds to be aimed at retail investors.
The launch of the multi-strategy Peletier Absolute fund would mark the first time that small investors have been permitted access to a European hedge fund manager.
Once operational the fund is targeting a return comparable to Allianz’ KGH Licorne fund and will target investments in between 40 and 50 hedge funds.
