The world’s big government owned investors went on a spending spree in the first half of the year, with the total value of transactions by sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) nearly back at levels recorded in late 2008, just before the global economic crisis hit in earnest.
According to research by the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute, a US-based think tank, direct deals and transactions by SWFs reached $50.02bn in the first six months of the year, up 23 per cent on the same period in 2013.
The record level previously recorded by the SWFI was $51.05bn for the first six months of 2008. The institute points out, however, that the first half 2008 figure included some of the early measures taken by governments to mitigate the effects of the credit crunch through state spending.
“A significant proportion of that amount [the $51.05bn recorded in early 2008] was attributable to the bailouts,” the institute said.
The new figure represents a vote of confidence by the SWFs in the global economic recovery, which has gradually gathered momentum since the crisis. Many of the world’s equity markets showed record performances in the early part of this year, with some getting back to pre-crisis levels.
The rush to business by SWFs was led by Singapore, which led the pack with $21.21bn worth of deals in the first six months of the year. The UAE, which has some of the world’s biggest state-owned investors thanks to its energy revenues, came second, followed by China, on its way to becoming the biggest economy in the world.
Among the biggest deals in the half was Singapore’s $5.7bn acquisition of a 25 per cent stake in the Hong Kong-based health and beauty products retailer AS Watson.
The institute also highlighted the joint purchase of Royal Dutch Shell’s assets in southern Australia by the Dutch oil company Vitol and the Abu Dhabi Investment Council.
The financial sector remained the biggest single target for investments via SWFs, with deals in banks and other financial institutions totalling $9.03bn in the six-month period.
The leading advisers to SWFs (and other public investors such as state pension funds) in their transactions were Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Deutschebank, HSBC, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, the institute said.
Many of the biggest state-owned investors have targeted Asian and other emerging markets in their recent investment strategies.
In its annual review, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the world’s biggest funds, reaffirmed its commitment to emerging markets.
“Global economic growth will increasingly be sourced from emerging economies,” said Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, Adia’s managing director. “The developed world will gradually repair the damage wrought by the financial crisis, and fears of a relapse into crisis will give way to an understanding of the likely contours of a new economic expansion.”
fkane@thenational.ae
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4pm Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m
5.10pm Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections:
4pm Zabardast
4.35pm Ibn Malik
5.10pm Space Blues
5.45pm Kimbear
6.20pm Barney Roy
6.55pm Matterhorn
7.30pm Defoe
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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