Varengold

VARENGOLD Wertpapierhandelsbank
(Minority interest)

There has been heightened interest by institutional and private investors in managed futures strategies, particularly in view of the recent economic and financial crisis. The performance development of this asset class over the past two years has clearly underscored its stabilising and risk-limiting effect on the portfolios. This asset class is now also being taken into account by Altira Group, which will be cooperating closely in future with Varengold Wertpapierhandelsbank AG, the leading provider of managed futures strategies in Germany. To underpin this cooperation, Altira Group has taken the initial step of acquiring a 9.9% stake in Varengold.

The core business areas of Varengold Wertpapierhandelsbank, an owner-managed, exchange-listed company, are Asset Management with Managed Futures and Capital Markets-Brokerage. Varengold has more than 14 years of sustained expertise and performance in asset management utilising managed futures and is the only German investment bank focusing exclusively on this area. With customers in more than 85 countries and 50 partners (banks, brokers, hedge funds, and asset managers), the Hamburg-based company has a worldwide presence.

In Germany, for example, Varengold paved the way by launching the first pure managed futures fund of hedge funds called “HI Varengold CTA Hedge” and, through a managed futures platform, it also offers its institutional customers direct secure access to an international network of managed futures managers. Varengold Wertpapierhandelsbank currently has around EUR 500 million in assets under management or for which consultancy is provided.