Investment News: Top 10 Investment Ideas in 2016 from Mercer, and news from Vestra
INVESTMENT NEWS
See below new articles from Mercer and Vestra Wealth
Top 10 investment ideas for Insurers, Mutuals and Friendly Societies in 2016
To help insurers prepare for the sea change in investment and risk management this year, the Mercer Insurance Investment Team (MIIT) in Europe, an Associate member of AFM, presents 10 ideas for successfully managing investments in 2016 and beyond.
Vestra Wealth partners with international private banking and asset management group LGT
14 March 2016. LGT, the leading international private banking and asset management group owned by the Princely House of Liechtenstein, today announced that it has agreed to acquire a majority stake in the UK-focused Vestra Wealth LLP, primarily from external investors in the firm. The remaining stake will continue to be held by the firm’s executive partners. Vestra Wealth is a London-based wealth management partnership with GBP 5.6 billion in managed assets. Vestra looks after a number of clients from the mutuals sector through a dedicated experienced team committed to its long term strategy. The transaction allows Vestra Wealth to enhance its services to clients though the current partnership setup, and ensures future stability for its clients through continuity of service. Vestra will maintain its independence and as such will continue with the policy of not offering in house investments.
Vestra Wealth has 234 staff and offices in London, Bristol and Jersey and provides investment management and wealth planning services to the mutuals sector as well as to pension funds, trustees, charities and high-net-worth individuals.
LGT is the largest private banking and asset management group in the world that is wholly owned by a single family. As at 31 December 2015, LGT had £80billion in assets under management and benefits from a well-diversified revenue base and economies of scale. LGT Bank is rated Aa2 by Moody’s and A+ by Standard & Poor’s. Clients of the group include international organisations and large pension funds. LGT’s culture is built on the alignment of interests between clients, employees and owners, emphasising entrepreneurship and long-term orientation and this sits well alongside Vestra’s ethos and investment philosophy.
Continuity for clients and staff
After completion of the transaction, Vestra Wealth will be renamed LGT Vestra and will remain a partnership between LGT and the original partners. David Scott will be Chairman of the Management Board which will continue to have responsibility for strategy and investment process. Ben Snee remains as CEO. Thomas Piske, CEO LGT Private Banking, will Chair the entity’s Governing Board which will meet quarterly.
Vestra will maintain its entrepreneurial approach by continuing to provide high quality impartial advice, free from conflicts of interest. Its partnership with LGT will allow Vestra to access for its clients the specialist capabilities of the wider group, including enhanced reporting services and wider research coverage.
A winning solution for LGT and Vestra Wealth
David Scott, Senior Partner, Vestra Wealth: “We are proud to have LGT as our main investor partner. The group and its owner, one of the most long-standing families in Europe, share our philosophy and can support us in enhancing and strengthening our offering to clients. The family’s long-term approach was a key aspect in our decision to partner with the group, as it means we can continue our focus on building sustainable success for our clients.
Jacqueline Crawley, Head of Financial Mutuals at Vestra Wealth: “Our focus remains on continuity for Vestra Wealth’s financial mutual and friendly society clients, ensuring we retain our independent approach. Through LGT Group, we hope to enhance our tailored service in areas where Vestra can benefit from LGT’s long-standing investment expertise and reporting capability”.