Despite the summer vacation hitting the Nordic countries, news flows about the asset management industry kept flowing. In this article, AMWatch brings an overview of some of the most significant stories on the site this summer.

Some mandates were agreed upon. One of the more significant was a EUR 2.16bn global equity mandate from Pensam, which has decided to continue with Nordea Asset Management.

NAM lands EUR 2.16bn sustainable mandate with long-standing client 

The Nordics' largest asset manager wants to rival Europe's elite, and Nordea AM's CEO Nils Bolmstrand told AMWatch about the next steps in this conquest.

Nordea AM's CEO takes stock of historic H1 and sets sights on Europe's elite 

Summer is also the season for half-year reports. After nine prominent Nordic asset managers had reported their half-year results, a review conducted by AMWatch showed that only two of them managed to increase their assets under management.

Swedbank Robur managed to increase its asset under management by 6.6 percent – or EUR 6.4bn – to EUR 102.9bn after dropping 4.7 percent or EUR 4.5bn in Q1.

The second-best performer was Norwegian asset manager Storebrand, which managed to increase its asset by EUR 4.6bn or 5.9 percent compared to the year-end 2019. 

Most Nordic asset managers' AUM still below year-end 2019 after H1 

Bankinvest is expected to have a report later this week. In a strategy interview, CEO Lars Bo Bertram told AMWatch how the Danish Bank-owned asset manager plans to keep increasing its market share after three years of a massive tailwind.

After three years of momentum, this is how Bankinvest plans to keep its peers at bay 

One of its fierce competitors is Nykredit Wealth Management, which bought domestic asset manager Sparinvest from a range of regional banks last year. Scale and an extensive product range are essential for future growth, CEO Peter Kjærgaard told AMWatch earlier this month.

Nykredit WM on Sparinvest acquisition: Scale and an extensive product range are future essentials 

Nykredit WM aims to spur growth through partner banks with solutions in Sparinvest wrapping

At Danske Bank AM, the newly developed data tool mDASH aims to improve the risk-adjusted returns. It also highlights ESG risks and opportunities that portfolio managers may not have previously been aware of, the AM's newly appointed head of Fundamental Equities Kasper Brix-Andersen, told AMWatch.

Danske Bank AM develops data tool to improve risk-adjusted returns: "Highlights ESG risks and opportunities that we previously may not have been aware of" 

Strategy interviews with Swedish asset managers also led to talks about the second part of the reform of the Swedish premium pension system (PPM).

In an interview with AMWatch, Lannebo's Co-Founder Göran Espelund warns that too harsh measures could be harmful to Swedish business and counteract the efforts by the Swedish government to support local businesses during the covid-19 pandemic.

The baby should not be thrown out with the bathwater, says Lannebo's Co-Founder on Sweden's pension reform  

AMWatch has also talked to Christoffer Folkebo, CEO of the Nordic independent asset management group Carneo. In his opinion, the PPM system is unique and valuable, and instead of scraping the system, premiums to the PPM should be doubled.

Carneo CEO wants to double premiums for Swedish PPM system 

Folkebo also told AMWatch that the group's plans to gather smaller asset managers under the Carneo umbrella are still intact.

AM market is becoming increasingly challenging for smaller players, says Carneo's CEO

At Öhman Fonder CEO Jamal Abida Norling told AMWatch that although the Swedish asset manager is looking for domestic acquisition targets Öhman might also be looking towards the other Nordic countries in order to meet its ambitions to grow its assets under management.

Öhman Fonder floats idea of acquisitions outside home market to meet growth ambitions 

At Evli Fund Mangement, Managing Director Tero Tuominen, told AMWatch that even though the Finish asset manager aims to grow organically, add-on  acquisitions are also an option.

Evli may consider an add-on acquisition if "suitable target" appears  

English Edit: Nielsine Nielsen