Astor Looking to Acquire ZZ Capital and Convoy Asset Management
The Californer/10068448

HONG KONG - Californer -- In the wake of recent Covid-19 geo-financial and political uncertainty, most banks have put at least a tepid hold on any moves forward. But Astor Capital has been more aggressive of late, at least in Hong Kong, in the European markets, and in Singapore. Astor's head of Public Relations, Daniel Forbes, states that fund executives in Asia and in New York's financial center, are at beginning of heavy negotiations for continued global acquisitions.

Astor Capital is intending to acquire several Hong Kong and Singaporean banks as well as several broker-dealer firms throughout Europe and Asia. Astor Capital has expressed interest in purchasing ZZ Capital and Convoy Asset Management, to name a few, and both in Hong Kong.

Whether it's a good move in light of investor fears amid the virus outbreak, is simply speculative and pure judgment at this point. Still, Astor Capital's presence as a deeply global investment entity which helps companies attain their financial objectives across borders, simply may not allow them to fit into any "current downward trend" box or to ride the present wave of fear.

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Astor Capital's CEO, Thomas Mellon, has led the firm into the next decade with an image of promise. To move the dial away from growth toward fear seems antithetical to the brand philosophy. When asked at acquisition meetings by directors about which banks in Hong Kong, or at least for a tease into the number of broker dealer acquisitions in play presently, Oliver Hawthorne, Director of Marketing smiled and said, "If I told you, none of this would be considered confidential negotiations. Sit tight. We are only at the beginning of talks and as good as the ink on the signature line. As soon as I know, I will release a statement faster than you can say, 'sealed'."  He made no further comments and said nothing about the impact the virus panic may be having on the bank's own global expansion strategy. But at least in the present scale of things, and outwardly in its public face, Astor has maintained a consistent steely image of never being swayed by fears or by "fear-driven" market drivers.

Mellon did add, "The world is no longer spilt into them and us, the United States and Europe or Asia and the U.S., right? As the globe becomes more integrated, we maintain a solid stance on the matter, and it's this. It will never be in our clients' best interest, to isolate as a global investment giant. So, we aren't going to do it – it's just that simple."

More at Astor Capital Fund.