Curtain closes for draper at Lyxor

Former iShares employee Dan Draper has left his role as global head of ETFs at Lyxor, the Société Générale asset management unit.

Denmark’s DKr219bn (€29.4bn) pension and insurance company PFA could expand its asset management operations abroad, according to its chief executive officer Henrik Heideby.

Disparity in countries’ recoveries leave many markets vulnerable, says Marcus Svedberg.

Investors are still in a risk reduction mentality despite growing confidence in markets, according to Kathleen Hughes, head of global liquidity EMEA at JPMorgan Asset Management.

For now, lower growth and higher prices are the order of the day, which will boost real assets, says Don Ross.

CIOs are keen to improve risk management and compliance systems as IT budgets are likely to increase following a year of technology cost-cutting measures.

Chile looks set to flourish in 2010, the overconfident Brazilian market offers opportunities in some stocks, while Peru makes a V-shaped recovery, says Urban Larson.

Proposals announced by US president Barack Obama banning banks from proprietary trading, owning hedge funds and private equity firms, will be impossible to implement and could be detrimental to asset classes relying on high levels of gearing to generate positive investment returns, according to industry observers.

China’s yuan peg has received criticism for its impact on trade and beyond, writes Greg Meier.

Hedge funds rebounded strongly in 2009 by posting the highest returns since 1999, according to Hedge Fund Research (HFR).

Asset managers are showing a seeming reluctance to embrace the opportunities offered by DC, writes Henry Smith.

The combined power of consultants and asset managers can only lead to investors’ gaining a better service, writes Julian Lyne.

Following its relative hiatus in new activity, independent private equity firms are staging a comeback, but some pension funds remain reserved.

The total AUM of pension funds is on the rise again, and the ones who came out of the crisis the least injured will look to consolidate to create larger funds.

The trend for large firms to rebrand each of their specialisms to achieve a more personal touch shows no sign of abating, writes Yuri Bender.

If recent events in the markets have taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected – however unlikely it seems, writes Tim Hodgson.

F&C Investment’s CEO Alain Grisay is confident that following the demerger from Friends Provident, the fiduciary manager will be able to make serious headway in the UK investment market.

Denmark’s PFA knows first hand what it’s like to be on the brink of abject failure. But unlike many others, it managed to turn its fortunes around with a restructure of its risk management and investment framework.

Chinese sovereign wealth funds have largely sidestepped the doom and gloom suffered by other global markets, leaving them more appealing than ever to foreign asset managers. But winning mandates from these funds isn’t easy.

Supply and demand for bonds skyrocketed last year as cash crashed and equity see-sawed, but what will 2010 have in store for the asset class as deficits widen and inflationary pressures surface.

It has been hotly debated whether high-frequency trading helps or hinders institutions, but the current question is whether it should be regulated.

Have price-squeezed multilateral trading facilities made any money recently, and what is the likelihood of them turning a profit in 2010?

A suspected lack of understanding about OTC derivatives by those seeking to regulate them is threatening the stability of the market.

Opportunities in initial public offerings will resurface in 2010, with private equity firms acting as the main driving force fuelling the market.

The success illustrated by the growth of ETFs globally has been dampened by a report that claims they are too costly and risky.

Opinions are divided as to whether active exchange traded funds have enough to offer a cautious global market, but the fund management industry is geared up to bring its products to a wider audience.

The breadth and nature of the ETF market continues to widen, with new players jostling to break into this growing scene.

To reflect the growing popularity of ETFs, many providers have been hurrying to launch experimental products just to be the first on the market, only to have them shelved shortly afterwards due to lack of investment.

The danger warnings issued with inverse and leveraged ETFs have not left the sector with the PR problem one might expect.

The hedge fund industry contracted by around 40 per cent in 2008, and that continues to have repercussions for administrators who face service and price pressures.