A strategic partnership with Natixis Asset Management
H₂O Asset Management is a London-based entrepreneurial venture⁽²⁾ created by Bruno Castes, CEO, and Vincent Chailley, CIO. Each has more than 15 years of experience in global bond management and global macro alternative management. With a team of thirteen professionals with a strong and long-dated reputation in asset management, including six asset managers and one analyst, H₂O Asset Management has formed a partnership with Natixis Asset Management and leverages the support of its sales teams in France and of its support functions, such as middle office, IS, reporting, risks, etc. For international distribution, it relies on the teams of Natixis Global Associates.

Optimized performance with a controlled risk and liquidity approach
Because performance depends as much on market anticipation as on the quality of the portfolio, the policy of H₂O Asset Management is based on three main points:

• The search for constant diversification, in all its dimensions: in terms of asset classes (sovereign bonds, loans, currencies and equities), of markets (developed and emerging), as well as strategy (directional, relative value, etc.) and investment horizons within the portfolio.
•  Permanent control of consistency between anticipations, positions and results, which guarantee long-lasting performance and transparency for the investor thanks to the optimization and analysis tools developed by the team.
• Controlled risk management throughout the investment process, via dynamic market and liquidity risk allocation. The management has developed specific management tools to quantify, allocate and manage the active risk for each strategy in real time. A separate risk control has also been set up for the H₂O funds carried out by the risks department of Natixis Asset Management (market, liquidity counterparty and regulatory risks).

According to Bruno Crastes, CEO of H₂O: “One cannot have long-lasting performance without transparency or liquidity”.

A privileged access to global macro management within UCIT funds
The H₂O range of funds provides institutional, corporate and private investors with privileged access to global macro type strategies within UCIT funds and comprises four funds:

• H₂O Patrimoine: flexible diversified management, with a three-year goal of maximizing performance beyond its reference indicator⁽³⁾ while promoting wealth growth.
•  H₂O Multibonds: multi-currency global bond management with a three-year goal of outperforming the JPM Government Bond Index Broad by 2% per year (Part I).
• H₂O Adagio and H₂O Moderato: non-benchmarked management with an annualized performance goal over 1 year and 2 years: capitalized Eonia rate +1% per year and capitalized Eonia + 2% per year (parts I), while maintaining the lowest possible correlation with markets.

⁽¹⁾ Source H2O Asset Management
⁽²⁾ Approuved by the UK Financial Services Authority on 20 december 2010
⁽³⁾ 30 % MSCI World All Countries DNR in € + 70 % JP Morgan Government Bond index Broad in €
 

/// Contacts :

H₂O Asset Management / Natixis Asset Management
Stéphanie Mallet
+ 33 1 78 40 81 85 / + 33 6 23 94 60 61
stephanie.mallet@am.natixis.com

Natixis
Victoria Eideliman
+33 1 58 19 47 05
victoria.eideliman@natixis.com
 

H₂O Asset Management is a London-based entrepreneurial venture created by Bruno Crastes, CEO, and Vincent Chailley, CIO. Specialized in global bond management and “global macro” multi-strategy type management, H₂O Asset Management’s objective is to meet the needs and expectations of institutional, corporate and private clients in France and worldwide for transparent and liquid performance asset management. With a team of 13 professionals, including 6 senior asset managers and 1 senior analyst, H₂O Asset Management provides a management philosophy based both on optimizing value diversification and very stringent risk and liquidity management. As a result of its partnership with Natixis Asset Management, H₂O Asset Management leverages the support of its sales teams in France and those of Natixis Global Associates for international distribution. H₂O AM LLP has been certified by the FSA (Financial Services Authority) since 17/12/2010 with the number OC356207.

Natixis Asset Management is the European expert of Natixis Global Asset Management. Based in Paris, it is among the top European asset managers with €304 billion AuM and around 670 employees at September 30, 2010. Natixis Asset Management provides a full range of products and investment solutions in all asset classes for institutional investors, companies, distributors and banking networks. A recognized pionner with 25 years of experience, Natixis Asset Management is also, in terms of assets, one of the leading SRI managers in France and in Europe. Natixis Asset Management is a portfolio asset management company regulated by AMF under GP 90-009.

Natixis Global Asset Management, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Natixis, comprises management and distribution firms based in Europe, in the United States and in Asia. Assets under management totalled more than €526.5 billion worldwide. It employed some 2,800 staff as of September 30, 2010.
Natixis is the corporate, investment and financial services arm of BPCE, the 2nd-largest banking group in France with 22% of total bank deposits and 37 million clients spread over two networks, Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne. With around 22,000 employees, Natixis has a number of areas of expertise which are organized in three core businesses: Corporate and Investment Banking, Investment Solutions (asset management, private banking, insurance) and Specialized Financial Services. Natixis has its own client base of companies, financial institutions and institutional investors as well as the client base of individuals, professionals and small- and medium-size businesses of BPCE’s two networks.