Russian investment bank Renaissance Capital is axing its annual investment forum showcase in Moscow following a turbulent nine months when it has been forced to cut 50% of its staff and sell half of the company to billionaire oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov. The three-day forum has in the past attracted thousands of investors and fund managers… Continue Reading
Hires/Fires: Nomura boosts Russian research effort/ VTB Capital carry on hiring
Japanese investment bank Nomura has boosted its Russian research effort with the appointment of Ivan Tchakarov as an economist and Vladimir Zhukov as an equity analyst. Tchakarov, a Russian economist, is to be based in London while Zhukov will cover steel and raw materials from Nomura’s Moscow base. Zhukov had previously worked at Lehman Brothers… Continue Reading
VTB Capital hires equity sales gunslinger Capone/ ING's Wood hits the road
Exclusive: Hires/Fires Russian investment bank VTB Capital has recruited sales gunslinger Michael Capone from Goldman Sachs in Moscow for its own growing equity sales team. The VTB press office declined to comment whether the recruitment of Capone represented an end to its hiring freeze. American Capone, an executive director at Goldman Sachs in Russia, joined… Continue Reading
Troika Dialog taps Nazarov from Credit Suisse for IB
Alexander Nazarov has defected to Troika Dialog from Credit Suisse, where he worked as director of the investment banking. Nazarov will join Troika as managing director in investment banking and will report to Jacques Der Megreditchian, Managing Director, Head of Investment Banking and Global Markets at the Troika Dialog Group. Prior to Credit Suisse, Mr.… Continue Reading
Emerging Markets: Russian International Reserves Decline
Russia’s international reserves declined for the second straight week as the strengthening dollar caused a currency revaluation. The world’s third-largest stockpile declined $1.1bn in the week to April 10 to $383.9bn, the Moscow-based central bank said yesterday. Reserves dropped $3bn in the previous week for the first fall in three weeks. “We put the fall… Continue Reading
Blog: Investors shy away from Russia's bubbling equity market
Investors fishing for emerging markets prefer to cast their line for commodities in Brazil rather than cast into Russia’s waters. The latest data last week from Emerging Portfolio Fund Research indicate new inflows into funds covering Brazil worth $462m while Russia funds reported a measly intake of $18m. While capital flows into Russia-dedicated funds dipped… Continue Reading
BRIC banks being built to last
Banks in the BRIC world of emerging markets are in better nick than their counterparts in the US and Europe, according to Allianz Global Investors, one of the world’s largest active fund managers. Allianz, a investment subsidiary of the German insurer with £850bn under management, said the lack of exposure to the toxic assets plaguing… Continue Reading
Blog: The Revolution is dead, long live the USSR
The respective orange, rose and tulip revolutions of Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan have wilted less than six years since they first blossomed. The 2005 Tulip Revolution, which overthrew the government of President Askar Akayev in Kyrgyzstan, did not transform this Central Asian republic into a blooming garden. The same is true of Georgia and Ukraine,… Continue Reading
Renaissance Capital wins first mandate from Prokhorov
Renaissance Capital has come up with an M&A authorization for major shareholder Mikhail Prokhorov since he holds a 50%-minus one share in the bank. RenCap is advising Onexim, (Prokhorov’s investment vehicle); the same company that helped Prokhorov acquire a share in the bank last September on the purchase of 65% share in RBC Information Systems… Continue Reading
Troika Dialog appoints Boris Todorov as Director of Risk Management
In challenging times for global credit markets, Troika Dialog – leading Russian emerging markets investment bank is strengthening its Risk and Capital Management Division. As Troika Dialog’s Director of Risk Management, Boris Todorov will oversee market and credit risk within Troika Dialog’s Broker, Asset Management and Private Equity divisions. Mr. Todorov will report to Richard… Continue Reading
VTB Capital appoints Wiktor Bielski as Global Head of Commodities Research
VTB Capital, Investment Business of VTB Group, strengthens its Research Team by hiring Wiktor Bielski as Global Head of Commodities Research. Wiktor is based in London and reports to Alexander Pukhaev, Head of Commodities, Oil & Gas and Metals & Mining, VTB Capital. Wiktor will be responsible for the development of a market-leading commodity research… Continue Reading
Standard Bank aquires stake in Troika Dialog
STANDARD BANK has appointed Peter Ghavami (former head of capital markets in Russia at Lehman Brothers & prior to that with UBS where he was the global head of commodities to partner Nick Jordan in building its Russian business) to control its investment in Moscow brokerage Troika Dialog. The South African bank acquired a third… Continue Reading
Institutional Investor ranks Russian research teams
Renaissance Capital, the emerging markets investment bank, has placed first in Institutional Investor’s 2009 Emerging Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) research poll. The authoritative survey of buy-side investment professionals found that Renaissance Capital analysts are considered best-in-field in ten categories, with the next-best house securing two first-place rankings. Renaissance Capital’s team placed first in… Continue Reading
Senior bankers leave Merrill
BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH has laid off Dmitri Rozanov one of the most productive dealmakers who led the Russian M&A business while based in London. He was previously with JP Morgan & was ranked number one in Thomson Reuters’ league table for the Russian region last year with 14 deals worth $24bn (€18.8bn). His… Continue Reading
JP Morgan establishes local office in Kazakhstan
J.P. Morgan announced today that it has opened a representative office in Almaty, the country’s financial capital, further enhancing the reach and capabilities of its successful investment banking franchise. The office is supported by J.P. Morgan’s industry and product teams worldwide, providing local Kazakhstan-based clients with a diversified line of investment banking products, including debt… Continue Reading
Renaissance Capital appoints new head of Private Equity business
RENAISSANCE CAPITAL has appointed Chris Baxter, the former chairman of investment banking as the chief executive of Renaissance Partners, to lead its private equity business. His appointment is subsequent to the loss of two seniors (Richard Olphert and Rory Cullinan, chairman and deputy chairman) from the division ever since the start of the year. The… Continue Reading