4amBuzz

Grow your asset management business by acquisition - a new White Paper

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2012-04-16T18:28:52+02:00

Asset management is a scalable business that can work very well when it is managed carefully and when market conditions allow growth. Asset managers often want to scale their business by expanding into new markets or by targeting new groups. One important option for growing your asset management business is the takeover of an existing operation. This can be the case if you would like to expand in a neighbouring country. We also have seen takeovers that went across continents and tied two organisations from different areas of the world.

With more than 21,000 funds, managed by more than 3,100 fund companies with an average of 4 bn. EUR Assets under Management (AuM) between then, the European market requires a consolidation. The challenging year 2011 saw outflows of more than 260 bn. EUR assets under management.

In the White Paper we describe how you can manage the strategic and financial challenges that lay ahead when you consider a takeover of a one or more companies.

The White paper can be downloaded from our website.

Van Eck takes over Market Vectors<SUP>®</SUP> Indices from 4asset-management

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2011-11-30T21:41:36+01:00

We are happy that we can announce that our former licensee, Van Eck, will take over the index family of the Market Vectors^® from 4asset-management.

The new Frankfurt-based subsidiary of Van Eck, the Market Vectors Index Solutions GmbH (MVIS) will develop, market and license the Market Vectors Indices, which currently underlie many of Van Eck Global’s exchange-traded funds.

The take over is effective as of November 30, 2011. 4asset-management is moving all related activities like index maintenance, support and the website to the new venture.

We are looking back on building an index business over three years: Yesterday more than 3,6 bn. USD were benchmarked against the 13 indices we were providing for the Market vectors^®. Business development is one of our core competencies.

Please click here for more details.

New White Paper on what Exchange Traded Funds mean for smaller exchange organisations

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2011-11-17T11:31:49+01:00

Exchange Traded Funds are on a worldwide discovery tour. Many exchange organisations have introduced ETF trading. Launching ETFs in a smaller market can pay well for an exchange organisation: it can create new trading activity, new relationships between the exchange and market participants, and it can attract a lot of public interest inside and outside the market. Read more in a new White Paper prepared by 4asset-management.

Indexing Inflation

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2011-09-15T10:00:00+02:00

In the lastest issue the Journal of Indexes Europe brings four different approaches to you how to hedge inflation with intelligent index strategies (we read them all!).

Jan Altmann from 4asset-management is member of the editorial board of the Journal of Indexes.

IMN European Cup of ETFs and Investment Management Chair

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2011-09-19T08:00:00+02:00

Today we chair the European Cup of ETFs and Investment Management organised by IMN. The agenda includes a keynote by Britain’s most heard economist, Roger Bootle.

We also moderate a panel featuring a look on the European ETF landscape.

The agenda can be found here.

ETF bashing continues - investors ignore media phenomenon

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2011-09-22T10:08:00+02:00

Yesterday at the IMN conference I was asking the audience if they have heard of the rogue trading incident at UBS. All hands went up. The audience was consisting mainly of investment professionals.

Next question was if the audience thinks that ETFs have been used for this transactions: Not one participant raised his or her hand!

At the same time media kept bashing ETFs and reported that the 2.3 Bn. USD loss at UBS’s delta-one-desk was caused by the misuse of ETFs even after UBS had released a statement that they were not.

New contact details

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2011-07-31T16:02:01+02:00

4asset-management has a new phone number. We can now be reached at

4asset-management GmbH
Emil-von-Behring-Str.57
60439 Frankfurt
Germany

Tel: +49 (0) 69 4300 820-99
Fax: +49 (0) 69 4300 820-93

Mail info@4asset-management.com
Web www.4asset-management.com

We are looking forward to our next contact.

Jan Altmann back at 4asset-management

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2011-08-01T10:00:00+02:00

After successfully building up the office for the German CFA Society Jan Altmann has switched back to his role as senior consultant and executive director for 4asset-management!

Record volume in MV-indeces by 4asset-management

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2010-07-04T10:00:00+02:00

July 4, 2010, Frankfurt

ETF volume benchmarked at the 4asset-management index family for emerging markets and special sectors has hit new records: More than 1.8 bn. USD of assets under management in Van Eck's Market Vectors^® ETF family are now benchmarked at the MV Index-family of 4asset-management.

Market Vectors^® Junior Gold Miners Index (MVGDXJ)
Market Vectors^® Indonesia Index (MVINDO)
Market Vectors^® Brazil Small-Cap Index (MVRIO)
Market Vectors^® Latin America Small-Cap Index (MVLATM)
Market Vectors^® Vietnam Index (MVVNM)
Market Vectors^® Egypt Index (MVEGPT)
Market Vectors^® India Small-Cap Index (MVSCIF)
Market Vectors^® Kuwait Index (MVKUWT)
Market Vectors^® Poland Index (MVPLND)

*** Index news ***

German Institutional Investors Survey

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2010-03-01T10:00:00+01:00

The latest study has been evaluated among German institutional investors in its fourth year. More than120 investors have participated which makes the survey representative for its target groups.

The study is available at the online shop of our strategic partner IPE Institutional Investment. It is the best and most affordable survey among institutional investors in the German speaking market.

Jan Altmann appointed as new executive director of the German CFA Society e.V.

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2010-01-01T10:00:00+01:00

Jan Altmann, so far executive director and founder of the investment industry consultant 4asset-management, has been appointed as the first executive director of the German CFA Society e.V..

He is going to bring in all his experiences and knowledge that he has built up with 4asset-management and its predecessors over nearly ten years.

The CFA is the leading standard for qualification and ethics for financial experts worldwide.

The German CFA Society is the local society of members of the CFA-Institute. Its more than 1500 members make it the largest professional association in the financial industry in Germany. Half of its members work as portfolio managers, others as M&A consultants or institutional investors. More than the half of all members work in buy-side positions. To become a member candidates have to at least successfully pass level one of the CFA qualification and become members of the CFA-Instute first.

At 4asset-management, Petra Janjua will continue her work as executive director. Jan Altmann will continue to advise teh company. The company will maintain its popular Market Vectors index family, and services will be provided by its network of consultants.

Jan Altmann: "We have been working on standardisation, transparency issues and business development practices for such a long time and we are proud that our work has now resulted in my appointment for the German CFA Society."

Links:

New ETF-competitors in Europe

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2009-06-26T08:51:39+02:00

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European ETFs

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2009-03-23T11:45:05+01:00

The Financial Times has again analysed the European ETF market with special regard on Swap-based ETFs. 4asset-management, whos founder has laid the groundwork for Deutsche Boerse’s successful ETF-platform, was quoted on the recent developments:

Swap-based ETF providers have cost advantages
Flexibility with Swap-based ETFs is higher
Issuer risk has to be considered properly

Please read the full article.

Cominvest and AGI

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2008-09-03T09:00:00+02:00

Handelsblatt has analysed the impact of the acquisition of Dresdner Bank by Commerzbank. In exchange, Commerzbank hands over the asset manager Cominvest for an estimate of only 700 Mn. EUR.

Our main arguments:

Consolidation will concentrate on multiple functions and backoffice
Institutional business might be set to grow due to larger client network and sales resources

The article can be read here (in German)

Islamic Trackers

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2008-09-10T09:00:33+02:00

The Financial Times Deutschland wrote about the new ETFs on Islamic indices. 4asset-management was asked for an opinion.
Our main arguments:

Although the trackers might contain Swaps to better track the index, they are Sharia approved by a respected comittee
Investors will have a good performance in relation to the recent market turmoil but might lose performance when banks recover
The product is Sharia approved but market making under strict Sharia rules can be tricky - the necessary hedge is hard to achieve

The article can be read here (in German)

Sustainable investing

Jan.Altmann@4asset-management.com — 2008-09-13T10:00:00+02:00

Portfolio International quoted Jan Altmann who is involved in research about sustainable investing due to several projects he has led for clients. Main arguments:

Sustainable investing in investment products is no guarantee for performance
The performanc eplus that many providers claim for their ethical, Islamic or sustainable portfolios are results of coincidence
No systematic coherence found yet between sustainable management of a company and share prices although sustainable management can be successful
Investors need to make their own decision on their own norms for investing
Sustainable investments only make up a minority of investments and don’t put pressure on anyone - though shareholder activism and vote pooling makes sense

The article (in German) can be read here.