Societe Generale: a case to $ 1.25 billion

After the affair in 2008 Jerome Kerviel, Societe Generale will she once again in turmoil? A dispute is ongoing between TCW, the U.S. subsidiary to 100% of the bank specializing in asset management, bond, and his former chief investment officer, Jeffrey Gundlach, fired for "theft, dishonesty and conspiracy, December 4 2009. "This case is completely different from the Kerviel affair," explains Jacques Ripoll, director of asset management business and services to investors in Societe Generale.

Jeffrey Gundlach, former chief investment officer at Trust Company of the West (TCW), claiming 1.25 billion dollars (about 940 million euros) to the 100% subsidiary of Soci?t? G?n?rale, it is stated in the document Reference Societe Generale on page 204.This corresponds to 1.4 times the net profit recorded in 2009 – or 678 million euros – the bank chaired by Fr?d?ric Oudea! "This amount is totally surreal, the goal is to impress," said Jacques Ripoll. "Do you realize, this is equivalent to 30 pay by Jeffrey Gundlach. Over the past five years, Jeffrey Gundlach won $ 134 million and 40 million for 2009 alone.

"A very marginal impact on Societe Generale"

It all started last December 4 when TCW, which manages $ 115 billion in assets, bought one of its competitors, MetWest. But it is his manager, Tad Rivella, which takes the place of Jeffrey Gundlach, dismissed. A transition that is grinding his teeth. And that degenerates in litigation before the courts.

Last January, WCA filed a complaint against Jeffrey Gundlach to whom she seeks 200 million dollars in damages. A month later, the American manager responds with a cons-complaint in which he stated that TCW would not honor a verbal agreement on his employment contract, his salary and that of his collaborators. For Societe Generale, there is no question of compromise. "Today, more than in the past, we no longer want to be taken hostage by managers or traders who, by their deviant behavior, put their interests before those of the group. Frederick Oud?a has made his war-horse, "said Jacques Ripoll.

After a difficult 2009, Societe Generale was slow to emerge from the crisis. "The case Jeffrey Gundlach have a very marginal impact on the accounts of Soci?t? G?n?rale and its shareholders.In the long term, our ethical and responsible decision (to have dismissed Jeffrey Gundlach, Ed) will be very positive for our shareholders. " "The worst is behind us," concludes Jacques Ripoll.

TCW: an IPO, no surrender

In a context where Societe Generale seeks to distance himself with the business of asset management, this case does not fall more, especially since the bank is considering introducing its subsidiary American Stock Exchange. "The IPO of TCW is not on the agenda today. We will consider that once the full potential of TCW implemented. In this regard a doubling of assets under management is a worthy goal for our team. In the two years ahead, our goal is clearly to help TCW to develop. Moreover, the IPO of TCW does not mean we want to cede control.

The bank hopes to delay an end to this matter before scheduling the operation, which could be followed by another IPO: that of Amund. Last December, Soci?t? G?n?rale merged most of its activities in the sector with those of Cr?dit Agricole to create Amund, the number three European asset management after Allianz and AXA, and prompted to enter the stock market " within five years. " An operation that TCW has been kept out, only 20% of capital has been brought to the joint venture.

Between 700 million and 1 billion of additional losses

At a conference with investors organized by Morgan Stanley, Frederick Oud?a, President and CEO of Societe Generale, confirmed Wednesday, according to Les Echos, the bank may suffer in 2010, additional losses of 700 million to 1 billion euros related to its portfolio of toxic assets. This portfolio contained at December 31, 2009 to 35.5 billion euros of risk weighted assets.

In addition to his 2009 results, published last January, Societe Generale had announced that its portfolio of illiquid assets, whose value reached 37 billion euros at end December 2009, generated a net loss of 2.8 billion over the year, including $ 1 billion in the fourth quarter alone.

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