asset managers News

Catastrophe Bonds Are Luring Retail Investors to High-Risk Debt

There was a time when investing in catastrophe bonds was the preserve of hedge funds and other sophisticated alternative asset managers. But after underpinning the best hedge fund strategy of 2023, the bonds are finding a wider audience. Catastrophe-bond funds …

Highlighting Exxon Suit, Investors Urge Firms to Keep Shareholder Spats Out of Court

A group of around 40 large European and American institutional investors on Tuesday urged companies to refrain from taking shareholders to court over disagreements relating to their proposals. The group, which represents $4.8 trillion in assets under management, highlighted the …

Asset-Backed Securities Face New Risks From US Court Decision

A federal court decision has raised new legal risks for a corner of Wall Street that bundles consumer loans into asset-backed securities. A US appeals court last week for the first time upheld the power of the Consumer Financial Protection …

Anti-ESG Movement in U.S. Feeds Anxiety Among UK Investors

Investors in the UK are starting to worry that the anti-ESG movement may spread from the US and get a foothold on the other side of the Atlantic. The UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF), whose members oversee more …

EU Plans Tough ‘Value for Money’ Rules for Investment Products: Draft Proposals

Banks, insurers and asset managers in the European Union would only be allowed to sell funds and other products across the bloc if they could prove to regulators they offer value for money, draft proposals seen by Reuters showed. The …

ESG Backlash Overshadows Power to Drive Better Returns: UK’s Biggest Fund Manager

The politicization of the acronym ESG risks overshadowing its power to drive returns for shareholders, according to the head of investment stewardship at the UK’s biggest asset manager, Legal & General Investment Management. Taking environmental, social and corporate governance issues …

Japanese Insurer’s Plan to Sell Foreign Debt Flashes Market Warning

A Japanese insurer with $65 billion of assets plans to offload all its currency-hedged foreign debt holdings, foreshadowing what may become a renewed wave of selling by some of the biggest investors in global bond markets. Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance …

EU Vote on Human Rights ‘Due Diligence’ Looms for Financial Services Firms

Financial services companies would be required to take action if their clients were failing to protect human rights and the environment, a preliminary deal due to be voted on later this month by a panel of European Union lawmakers showed. …

Generali Weighs Deal With U.S. Asset Manager Guggenheim Partners

Assicurazioni Generali SpA is exploring a deal with US investment firm Guggenheim Partners to bolster its asset management business, according to people familiar with the matter. Italy’s biggest insurer has held informal talks on options ranging from a full acquisition …

Europe Asset Managers Eye Halting Non-ESG Products to Meet Net-Zero Goals: Survey

Over two-thirds of European asset managers and distributors are considering halting the launch or distribution of products that do not comply with environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, a survey by PwC Luxembourg showed on Monday. Flows into ESG funds …