THEAM, BNP Paribas (EPA:BNP) Investment Partners’ specialist in capital-protected, indexed and model-driven management, has unveiled a new strategic plan for its indexed fund activities, confirming its intention to double assets under management in indexed funds and triple those of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by 2020.
Denis Panel, CEO of THEAM
Denis Panel, CEO of THEAM, comments:
Our expertise in indexed management will be a strategic focus for THEAM’s growth in the coming years. Recent regulatory and technological changes have created an excellent environment in which to grow our ETFs and indexed funds. Our priority is to maintain close links with end-investors by using our financial engineering knowledge to offer simple and efficient solutions at competitive prices.”
THEAM’s assets under management in indexed funds totalled EUR 14.7 billion at the end of July 2016, of which EUR 4.2 billion was in ETFs.
Isabelle Bourcier, Head of ETF and Indexed Fund Activities at THEAM, adds:
We intend to actively continue to expand our strategy in indexed management and to help us do this, we will draw on the knowledge of our various teams of experts who specialise in indexed management and are in direct contact with the markets and our customers. We also plan to recruit new talent to help us meet our targets.”
THEAM aims to step up the growth of its indexed fund activity in Europe, particularly in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy.
THEAM has significantly strengthened its indexed fund team this year, including most notably the appointment of Isabelle Bourcier in June to lead the activity. THEAM now has a sales team dedicated to marketing its indexed fund offering and intends to strengthen it via further recruitment.
Under this new strategic plan, THEAM has expanded its range with the launch of new products in recent months, in particular with the creation of around 20 ETFs that track smart beta and thematic indices. This range, renamed BNP Paribas Easy currently includes 50 ETFs focused on three categories:
- Core portfolio ETFs, providing exposure to the major traditional indices
- Theme-based ETFs, offering exposure to specific indices such as listed real estate and low carbon
- Smart beta ETFs, providing exposure to specific performance/risk factors: value, momentum, quality and low volatility.