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☆ Oasis launches a campaign at Kao Corp, but this battle is likely to be a difficult one
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Activist Commentary: Oasis Management is a global hedge fund management firm headquartered in Hong Kong with additional offices in Tokyo, Austin and the Cayman Islands. The hygiene and living care segment provides fabric, kitchen, home, sanitary and pet care products. Kao Corp is a global fast-moving consumer goods company with a diversified portfolio of products spanning from hair and skin care to cosmetics and chemicals. Oasis has proven to be a value-creating activist in many situations and would likely be a valuable board member here, but this is not a typical Oasis activist campaign. On the contrary, the day after Oasis launched its campaign, Kao stated that the firm lacked sufficient understanding of its portfolio management and restructuring plans.

Persons: Seth Fischer, Molton Brown, Kao, Kao's ROE, Beiersdorf, Aoki, Tsuruha, Oasis, ROE, Ken Squire Organizations: Oasis Management, Oasis, Business, Kao Corp, Tokyo Stock Exchange, onboarding, Kao, 13D Locations: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Austin, Cayman Islands, Asia, Europe, Japan

☆ Activist Oasis may turn to a preferred playbook to help build value at Greencore
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Business: Greencore Group is an Ireland-based manufacturer of convenience foods. Premier Foods has generated a total return of nearly 300%, while Greencore is down 41.5% in that time. It is hard to believe there is another investor more qualified to create shareholder value at Greencore than Oasis. In addition, at The Restaurant Group and Premier, Oasis pushed for the sale of non-core assets, which is consistent with streamlining operations and creating shareholder value. One Greencore director who Oasis knows well is Alastair Murray, the former CFO and once-interim CEO of Premier Foods.

Persons: Seth Fischer, Greencore, Daniel Wosner, Oasis, Gavin Darby, Darby, Wosner, Wosner's reappointment, Dalton Philips, Catherine Gubbins, Alastair Murray, Murray, Ken Squire Organizations: Greencore, Convenience Foods, Ireland, Oasis Management, Oasis, Premier Foods, Apollo, Premier, Group, 13D Locations: Ireland, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Austin, Cayman Islands, Asia, Europe

☆ This Big Tech stock has an 'absolutely compelling' valuation, top fund manager says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

However, the company's revenues and profits have surged since then, and one outperforming fund manager sees the current valuation as a buying opportunity. Alibaba shares are traded in the U.S., Hong Kong and Germany. BABA 1Y line The slump in the company's share price came amid concerns of an economic slowdown in China and increased regulation of the internet sector by authorities in Beijing. Alibaba's cheap share buyback Lapping also pointed to the impact of Alibaba's share buyback program as distinct compared to many richly valued U.S. tech darlings. However, with its share price now 65% off its peak, Alibaba's compensation costs have dwindled dramatically.

Persons: Sean Peche, BABA, It's, Andrew Organizations: Ranmore Fund Management, Wall Street, Tech, Ranmore Global Equity Fund Locations: China, U.S, Hong Kong, Germany, Beijing

☆ Buy or avoid China? The pros share their take — and stock picks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But this week, China embarked on monetary easing as it pledged to reduce the amount of liquidity that its banks are required to hold as reserves. Earlier this week, Bloomberg News, citing sources, reported that China is considering a $278 billion package to rescue its stock markets. Andrew Lapping, chief investment officer at Ranmore Fund Management , says the sharp decline in China markets is an "opportunity." "So the stock market is certainly putting much higher equity risk premium ... there are also concerns about policy direction, policy clarity ... Renewable energy: China Longyuan Power Group, China Resources Power.

Persons: Brendan Ahern, CNBC's, Andrew, Winnie Wu, Guy Spier, CNBC's Tanvir Gill, —, Wu, what's, Ahern, Amundi, It's, Morgan Stanley, Michael Bloom, Evelyn Cheng Organizations: Bloomberg, Investors, Ranmore Fund Management, BofA Securities, CCP, JPMorgan, EV, UBS, Baidu, China Communications, China Construction Bank, Ping An Insurance, China Longyuan Power Group, China Resources Power Locations: China, United States, Industrials

☆ World's largest hedge funds record bumper year of profits, research shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Signage for Citadel Investment Group LLC hangs outside their office in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. The world's top hedge funds raked in record profits last year amid a resurgence in stock markets, new analysis showed. The 20 leading fund managers made $67 billion in investor profits in 2023, up from the $65 billion recorded during the pandemic-era rally of 2021, according research Monday from LCH Investments, a fund of hedge funds. Overall, the fund management industry recorded gains of $218 billion after fees, according to LCH Investments estimates. Included among the best performers were Christopher Hohn's TCI, Ken Griffin's Citadel and Andreas Halvorsen's Viking.

Persons: Christopher Hohn's, Ken Griffin's, Andreas Halvorsen's Viking Organizations: Citadel Investment Group, LCH Investments, Christopher Hohn's TCI, Ken Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S

☆ The 'Korea discount': Value stock or value trap?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A cameraman takes video footage of a stock index board showing South Korea's benchmark stock index (L) after a ceremony celebrating the New Year's opening of the South Korea stock market at the Korea Exchange in Seoul on January 2, 2023. Chaebol challengeIn South Korea, most market heavyweights are corporations called "chaebols," large family-owned global conglomerates that are usually controlled by the founder's family. However, IHS Markit highlighted in June last year that in South Korea, the ex-dividend date comes before the companies' dividend announcement dates. With such challenges, should investors be putting their money into South Korea stocks — or should they stay away? "If authorities continue to improve the investment environment further, the chances for the South Korean stock index to be included in the [MSCI World Index] will grow," he said.

Persons: Jung Yeon, JUNG YEON, Vikas Pershad, Jiang Zhang, Jeremy Tan, Zhang, Hebe Chen, Chen, Ryota Abe Organizations: South, Korea Exchange, Getty, Management, North, CNBC, Samsung Electronics, LG, SK, Hyundai, Samsung, Tiger Fund Management, IHS, South Korea's Financial Services Commission, IG International, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Locations: South Korea, Korea, Seoul, North Korea, Korea's, Southeast Asia

☆ CNBC Pro Talks goes on the road to find out how to invest for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Cnbc.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

For the first time, CNBC Pro Talks is heading to a business school. Arcese is a portfolio manager on the Foord Global Equity fund and Foord SICAV - Foord International Fund, and has 20 years of experience in both developed and emerging markets, as well as long-only and long/short products. Sullivan joined JPMorgan in 2010 and has held hedge fund management and research roles in Asia since 1998. Learn more from our previous Pro Talks: Looking to invest long-term in Nvidia? Here's how to invest, say the prosFor the first time, CNBC Pro Talks is heading to a business school.

Persons: Tanvir Gill, Brian Arcese, James Sullivan, Jenny Zeng, Foord, Sullivan, Zeng, Morgan Stanley's Slimmon Organizations: CNBC, Foord Asset Management, Asia, JPMorgan, Allianz Global Investors, Foord Global Equity, Foord, Fund, Nvidia, Big Tech Locations: Asia, Singapore, Arcese

☆ UniCredit CEO Orcel's 'bank of Europe' ambition tough to realise
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Valentina Za | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

However, his aspirations to make UniCredit the "bank of Europe" are proving trickier to realise with the CEO setting a high bar for mergers and acquisitions in the euro zone's fractured capital markets, despite having what he describes as the biggest war chest among European lenders. UniCredit bought Greece's 9% stake in Alpha Bank (ACBr.AT) and struck a commercial partnership with the Athens-based lender, also acquiring most of its Romanian operations. The CEO works closely with a small M&A team he set up within UniCredit which constantly reviews potential deals in the markets and businesses where the bank operates, people with knowledge of the matter said. But uneven regulation across the euro zone, where progress towards a single banking market has stalled, complicates cross-border deals. Calling on Europe to follow his lead, Orcel says he has unlocked UniCredit's potential by giving it a unified strategy across its 13 markets.

Persons: Andrea Orcel, Merrill Lynch, Orcel, He's, Cole Smead, ALPHA Orcel, Siena, UniCredit, Smead, Jean, Pierre Mustier's, Mustier, it's, Carlo Franchini, Danilo Masoni, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Discount, MILAN, UBS, Smead Capital Management, Fund, ALPHA, Banco, Alpha Bank, Alpha, Banca Ifigest, Thomson Locations: buybacks, Europe, Arizona, Ukraine, Athens, HVB, Berlin, Milan

☆ Bill Ackman went on a crusade to publicly out Harvard's anti-Israel students. He's having second thoughts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bill Ackman seems to be reconsidering his earlier calls to out anti-Israel Harvard students. AdvertisementAdvertisementAfter calling on Harvard University to reveal the names of students who signed an anti-Israel letter last month, billionaire Bill Ackman isn't so sure anymore. Compare the generational differences on support for Hamas," Ackman wrote. The poll also found that 48% of those between the ages of 25 and 34 felt Hamas' attacks were justified. AdvertisementAdvertisementFollowing Ackman's tweets, scrutiny on the Harvard letter prompted some co-signees groups to publicly withdraw their support for the statement.

Persons: Bill Ackman, Ackman, —, Bill Ackman isn't, Israel, Claudine Gay Organizations: Israel Harvard, Harvard, Service, Harvard University, Google, Social, Hamas, Harvard's Center, American Political Studies, Harris Locations: Israel, Hamas

☆ Larry Fink’s next M&A may go in surprise direction
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Reuters GraphicsTIPPING THE SCALESThe shift to low-fee products helped BlackRock’s assets under management swell to more than $9 trillion at the end of September. BlackRock’s history with Blackstone means a reunion with Stephen Schwarzman’s $110 billion firm is a persistent Wall Street rumor. BlackRock’s funds operate under a single name, so uniting with Carlyle (CG.O) or Apollo Global Management (APO.N) would pose a branding challenge. Fink might covet MSCI (MSCI.N), the $38 billion firm which aggregates many of the benchmarks tracked by BlackRock’s ETFs. Given Fink’s long record of pulling off opportunistic and transformational deals, it would be foolish to bet against him springing one last surprise.

Persons: Larry Fink, Fink, Merrill, Rowe Price, Janus Henderson, Blackstone, Stephen Schwarzman’s, Carlyle, covet, MSCI, Michael Bloomberg, doesn’t, LSEG –, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum, Streisand Neto Organizations: CNBC, New York Stock Exchange, Reuters, BlackRock, Blackstone, Barclays Global Investors, Credit Suisse, UBS, nab, Graphics, Apollo Global Management, London Stock Exchange, Thomson Reuters, New, Bloomberg, Wall Street, New York Times, LSEG – Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, BlackRock, Boston, Swiss, New York, United States

☆ More China companies buyback shares as Beijing seeks to stabilise market
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Oct 30 (Reuters) - More than 30 Chinese listed companies unveiled share buyback and purchase plans over the weekend while major mutual fund house E Fund Management Co said it would invest in its own product as Beijing steps up efforts to put a floor under a sliding stock market. China has already announced a slew of measures, including share purchases by state fund Central Huijin, to stem declines in a stock market (.CSI300) that last week hit the lowest level since 2019. Amid government calls to revive the market, more than 20 listed companies, including Hainan Mining Co (601969.SS), Vatti Corp (002035.SZ) and Zhejiang Sanmei Chemical (603379.SS), unveiled share buyback plans or proposals late on Sunday. In addition, companies such as CRRC Corp (601766.SS) and Wuxi Lead Intelligent Equipment (300450.SZ) disclosed share purchase plans by their controlling shareholders. ($1 = 7.3145 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Samuel Shen and Tom Westbrook; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Samuel Shen, Tom Westbrook, Lincoln Organizations: E Fund Management, Central, Hainan Mining Co, Vatti Corp, Chemical, CRRC, E, CSI, Huijin, Shanghai Securities, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, Beijing, China, Hainan, Zhejiang, Wuxi

Star fund manager Zhang Kun, who manages nearly 90 billion yuan for Guangzhou-based E Fund Management, has seen his flagship 56 billion yuan Blue Chip Selected Mixed Fund lose 8% so far this year. The fund soared 95% in 2020 which attracted significant subscriptions and helped Zhang become China's first so-called "100 billion fund manager". Another high profile fund manager, Ge Lan at Lombarda China Fund Management, saw her flagship 28 billion yuan healthcare fund retreat 7% in 2021 and 23% in 2022, after a nearly 100% gain in 2020. "Not just mutual funds, the overall fund issuance is difficult, as this is closely connected with the economic situation," Steve Chen, partner of Shanghai-based hedge fund manager MX Capital. To boost market sentiment, some mutual funds announced fee cuts or started to purchase their own fund shares recently.

Persons: Thomas Peter HONG, Jiao Jinyuan, Zhang Kun, Zhang, Ge Lan, Emily Gao, Steve Chen, Debbie Dai, Dai, China Asset’s Jiao, Summer Zhen, Sumeet Chatterjee, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Z, Ben Advisors, CSI, China Asset Management, Star, E Fund Management, China Fund Management, MX Capital, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Thomas Peter HONG KONG, Guangzhou, Shanghai

Shares of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have risen sharply since November, when top securities regulator Yi Huiman called for a new model to price them. Mainland-listed state telecom operators China Mobile and China Telecom have jumped more than 50% each this year and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp (600028.SS) has soared 44%, compared with a 5% gain in the benchmark index (.CSI300). More than 10 mutual fund companies have applied to launch nearly a score of SOE-dedicated funds since March, state media reported. E Fund Management Co this week launched a mutual fund, aiming to raise up to 8 billion yuan ($1.16 billion) to be ploughed into shares of strategically important SOEs. State companies' shares have so far outperformed the broader market, delivering what investors term a rare "SOE alpha".

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls of the day: Apple, Amazon, UPS, Netflix, WW, Disney & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Morgan Stanley names UnitedHealth a top pick Morgan Stanley says the healthcare company is best positioned in a recession. Morgan Stanley reiterates Netflix as equal weight Morgan Stanley said Netflix is the "streaming winner" but that it's "priced as such." Morgan Stanley downgrades Nasdaq to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley said that it has growth concerns for the exchange operator. JPMorgan upgrades Federated Hermes to overweight from underweight JPMorgan said the rate environment makes the capital market company's stock more attractive. Morgan Stanley upgrades AstraZeneca to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said the pharmaceutical company is "leading the race" to outsmart cancer.

☆ M&G would be a tricky hop for kangaroo raider
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Neil Unmack | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, March 2 (Reuters Breakingviews) - M&G (MNG.L) would be a tricky hop for Macquarie (MQG.AX). The $48 billion Australian financial powerhouse may bid for the $6 billion UK insurer. The appeal is likely to be in the fund management group. Macquarie’s own asset management arm accounted for over 30% of net profit in the first half of its current financial year. Follow @Unmack1 on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSAustralian banking group Macquarie is considering a bid for UK insurance and asset management group M&G, Sky News reported on March 1.

☆ Here are the most shocking details of how FTX misused funds and treated customer money as its own private ATM, according to CFTC findings
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

FTX customer funds were comingled with Alameda since the beginning of the exchange's inception, according to a recent CFTC complaint. When Alameda's external loans were called in, FTX customer funds were used to cover the debts. The complaint also alleges Bankman-Fried, his parents, and some employees used customer funds for personal purchases and loans. Under the direction of Bankman-Fried, FTX customer funds were further used to cover the debt. It has also become clear that the flashy ad and sports campaigns were funded by customer deposits.

☆ This little-known firm with a weird website was central to the misappropriation of FTX customers' money, regulators say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Gretchen Morgenson | Gretchen Morgenson Is The Senior Financial Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. A Former Stockbroker | She Won The Pulitzer Prize In For Her | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Still, North Dimension had a crucial role in the FTX mess, regulators now say. In fact, they contend, the little-known company was central to the furtive misappropriation of FTX customers’ funds. But North Dimension Inc. also appears to have been a fake online electronics retailer, an NBC News investigation found. The second North Dimension website is sparse, with just two pages superimposed on a photo of a mountain range. An analysis by DomainTools shows this North Dimension site was created on Oct. 3, 2022, and registered in Ontario, Canada.

☆ Asia's hedge fund seeders go for 'uncorrelated' strategies
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Summer Zhen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The equity funds HS Group invests in also have active short positions. There were only 24 new hedge funds launched in Asia in the first half of 2022, raising just $1.8 billion, according to data from With Intelligence. That compares with 44 new hedge funds launched in the first half of 2021 and 78 for the full year. A Goldman Sachs Prime Services November survey of allocators, largely Asia-Pacific investors, showed "uncorrelated" strategies were the most popular, selected by 31% and exceeding conventional long-short equity strategies. China-based wealth managers and other institutional clients at SHK Capital Partners are diversifying away from strategies relying on the home market.

☆ Asian hedge funds amassed China's Pinduoduo, ditched JD.com in Q3
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Summer Zhen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Some of Asia’s largest hedge funds scooped up large stakes in Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo in the third quarter while cutting holdings in its rival JD.com, according to their latest regulatory filings. Pinduoduo, the e-commerce platform known for selling inexpensive goods, in September launched its first overseas site in the United States. JD.com ADRs and Hong Kong shares (9618.HK) fell more than 20% each in the third quarter. As for JD.com, it is a pure domestic play with a higher correlation to overall trends in Chinese markets, analysts say. They also say investors could be moving their holdings in JD.com ADRs to Hong Kong-listed ones to hedge U.S. delisting risks.

For the second time in less than three years, the Bank of England has made an emergency intervention in the market for UK government bonds. Investors rushed to liquidate assets, including money market funds which held UK government bonds. The latest intervention was triggered by excessive leverage in UK pension funds, which had borrowed to boost returns using a strategy known as liability-driven investing (LDI). To prevent future blow-ups, regulators could cap money market funds’ exposure to less liquid assets, reducing the risk of a run by investors. Financial market regulators in European fund centres like Ireland and Luxembourg have stepped up surveillance of LDI strategies used by UK pension funds, the Financial Times reported on Oct. 28.

☆ Hasan Minhaj takes down hedge funds, doing business with Saudi Arabia and 'retail investors'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHasan Minhaj takes down hedge funds, doing business with Saudi Arabia and 'retail investors'Comedian Hasan Minhaj's joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the moral considerations around Davos in the Desert, hedge fund management, and Bitcoin.

☆ As Xi opens congress, China's state hands keep markets steady
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SHANGHAI, Oct 17 (Reuters) - As Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the landmark Communist Party Congress, the country's vast financial bureaucracy has been busily tamping down ripples of turmoil across its currency and stock markets. Scores of companies have announced share buybacks or executive share purchase plans since Friday, when regulators unveiled plans to ease share buyback rules. Investors and analysts believe government pressure on China's largely state-controlled fund sector may have played a role in the stock market rebound. Xia Chun, chief economist at wealth manager Yintech Investment Holdings, said this follows a pattern of China stocks typically rising before a party congress and then likely falling afterwards. On Monday, several state-controlled asset managers including E Fund Management Co, China Southern Asset Management Co and Zhongtai Securities Asset Management said they were investing their own money to buy products, echoing an identical refrain of confidence in China's capital markets.

☆ Chinese regulator gives greenlight to fund targeting Korean chipmakers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, Oct 10 (Reuters) - China's securities regulator has given the greenlight to the country's first mutual fund targeting top Chinese and South Korean chipmakers, an official at Huatai-PineBridge Fund Management Co said, amid an escalating Sino-U.S. tech war. The China Securities Regulatory Commission's approval comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions between the world's two largest economies. The exchange-traded fund (ETF) will invest in top Korean semiconductor firms including Samsung Electronics Co (005930.KS) and SK Hynix Inc (000660.KS), as well as Chinese chipmaking giants such as Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp and Montage Technology Co (688008.SS). In 2021, South Korea was China's second-biggest exporting country in equipments, including chipmaking tools, and Chinese exports to South Korea have also been rising, the fund manager said. South Korea said on Saturday there would be no significant disruption to equipment supply for Samsung and SK Hynix's existing chip production in China from the U.S. move.

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