Asset Servicing

Apex Group, a global financial services provider with a significant presence in Luxembourg, on Monday said it agreed to acquire Axess Accounting Office, a provider of corporate tax services for real estate and private equity firms in Japan. Financial details were not disclosed. 

Apex Group on Thursday said it has been appointed by BTC Investment Group to deliver fund services to its Argento Energy Fund LP, launched by the Mexican family office BTC in 2022, to manage investments in the US onshore oil and gas industry, with a target size of 100 million dollars. Apex will provide the services via its Miami office.

Fewer new reserved alternative investment funds are being registered in Luxembourg this year as investment managers are more cautious and VC fundraising has declined. Investor appetite appears reduced but has not disappeared. Dry powder is said to remain available among institutional investors in the alternatives market. 

In Europe’s two largest ETF hubs, Luxembourg and Ireland, different rules govern the naming of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). While European rules for ETF naming conventions are determined by Paris-based authority ESMA, the implementation by national supervisors CSSF in Luxembourg and CBI in Ireland diverges, presenting both opportunities and risks for ETF providers.

FundRock Management Company, a unit of Apex Group, has been appointed by Partners Capital to provide ManCo services for their flagship fund.  FundRock will provide ManCo services for Partners Capital’s flagship fund, the Master Portfolio C fund, following their support during the fund’s re-domiciliation to Luxembourg last October.

Apex Group said it has appointed Samir Pandiri to the newly created role of Group President and Member of the Executive Committee, to support and drive the business’ sustained growth.

Michael Reinhard has decided to step down as chief executive officer at Frankfurt-headquartered Universal Investment Group, a leading management company in Luxembourg. Until a successor is appointed he will be replaced by David Blumer, who joined UI as non-executive chair last year.

Market consolidation, pressure on cost and the weight of regulation have reduced the total number of Management Companies in Luxembourg by four last year. The latest edition of PwC’s annual Manco Observatory nevertheless sees this industry as “very dynamic”, with 11 new Manco’s having been set up in the last year.

Fund management companies in Luxembourg registered some 22 new reserved alternative investment funds (Raifs) in April 2023, according to publicly-released data updated on 15 May. This development brings the total for this year so far to 128. Considering only the first four months of the year, the total number was down 20 per cent from last year during the same period.