​Italy Roundup: Allianz GI Wins €220m Mandate From Fondo Telemaco

Italian telecoms sector pension fund Fondo Telemaco has awarded a €220m mandate for active fixed income to Allianz Global Investors, as part of the fund’s ‘prudent’ investment line.

Allianz GI, which was awarded the mandate following a tender process originally launched in November 2018, said the mandate would be managed by its London-based global fixed income team.

Irshaad Ahmad, Allianz GI’s managing director and head of institutional for Europe, and Anna Vigliotti, director and head of institutional business development for Italy, said: “We are honoured that Telemaco, one of the most well-known pension funds in Italy, has awarded us the important mandate.”

The decision confirmed AllianzGI’s capacity to respond to client demands with distinctive and innovative investments and customised solutions, the pair said.

Crédit Agricole tenders 10 mandates

Crédit Agricole’s Italian pension fund – Fondo Pensione Gruppo Bancario Crédit Agricole Italia – has launched a search for 10 managers to take on a range of five-year mandates.

The fund said it was looking for three firms to manage each of three investment compartments – Horizon 10, Horizon 20 and Horizon 30 – and a manager to run a fourth investment compartment, Ethical.

The Horizon 10 line (Linea Orizzonte 10) is a balanced 90/10 bond/equity portfolio, which had €106m in assets at the end of April, and an annual inflow of around €9m.

Horizon 20, meanwhile, has a 70/30 bond/equity split and €102m of assets, while Horizon 30 has a 50/50 bond/equity profile and €162m of assets.

The Ethical line is to be a new compartment, with a bond/equity split of 40/60.

The deadline for tenders is 1pm on 17 June.

Banking fund hunts €6m asset manager

Multi-employer bank sector pension fund Fondo Pensione Nazionale BCC/CRA has put out a search for a manager for assets of its newly-established “TFR tacito” compartment.

The deadline for applications is noon on 10 June.

The fund, which had total net assets of €2.3bn at the end of 2018, said the mandate would be for around five years and involve an estimated €6m of assets initially, with a recurring gross annual contribution flow currently equal to about €700,000.

Fondo BCC/CRA said that, for this type of fund, candidates were required to draw up an appropriate proposal for how they would achieve the return according to the terms of the agreement, indicating a benchmark or a maximum volatility target level.

Fondo Cometa wants risk manager

Italian industry-wide pension fund Fondo Cometa has announced it is looking for a risk manager.

The fund said its board had resolved to select a consultant to help the fund meet its risk management obligations under the domestic legislation implementing the EU’s IORP II directive.

Interested candidates are to notify the fund via email by 6pm on 7 June.