Asset Managers

Jean-Marc Goy, recently appointed as chairperson of Alfi, the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry, speaks to Investment Officer’s Raymond Frenken about his priorities for the association and about Luxembourg’s role as a leading European and global centre for investment funds.

In what appears to be the final stage of bidding for Belgian private bank Degroof Petercam, two foreign banks are set to battle it out, Flemish daily De Standaard reported on Thursday, citing ‘several observers’.  The bidding process for Degroof Petercam is expected to be completed this month.

With a clear vision in mind, Jean-Marc Goy, chairperson at the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry, Alfi, is determined to foster the growth of the Grand Duchy’s asset management sector by encouraging effective collaborations with diverse stakeholders, including regulators. “The common goal is to strike the right balance between investor protection, and not putting in the way of the industry too many hurdles and obstacles that would stifle innovation”, Goy said in an IO Talks podcast interview.

Global managed assets decreased by four percent to $255 trillion in 2022, marking the first decline in fifteen years, according to the new Global Wealth report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). However, global savings increased by over 6 percent during the same period.

Luxembourg’s financial sector has faced a wave of tax avoidance legislation in recent years. But the impact of the earlier measures is likely to pale in comparison to the EU’s latest – the third Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive, known as the “Unshell directive”. Luxembourg tax specialists are anxious about its potential impact on the widespread use of shell companies, often known as ‘special purpose vehicles’, in Luxembourg company structures. 

The association representing Luxembourg’s banking industry has claimed success in its lobbying effort to persuade the EU to amend the rules governing the prudential requirements and the supervision of third-country branches to its satisfaction. The association said Thursday that a series of subsequent amendments preserve the attractiveness of the EU as a financial centre towards the rest of the world.

Through various legislative acts over the past 10-15 years, the EU’s push to democratise private markets has transformed how private equity does business, with a heavy helping of technology and fund management tools allowing for what could be a massive influx of smaller-denominated investors. Market participants are feeling their way forward into the new paradigm, some being quite certain that change has now come in the impending form of the new European Long-term Investment Fund.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. This applies also for well-intended regulations on environmental, social and governance. Because of the growth of ESG-focused investments in recent years, a new problem pops up: the risk of greenwashing. 

Fewer new reserved alternative investment funds are being registered in Luxembourg this year as investment managers are more cautious and VC fundraising has declined. Investor appetite appears reduced but has not disappeared. Dry powder is said to remain available among institutional investors in the alternatives market. 

In Europe’s two largest ETF hubs, Luxembourg and Ireland, different rules govern the naming of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). While European rules for ETF naming conventions are determined by Paris-based authority ESMA, the implementation by national supervisors CSSF in Luxembourg and CBI in Ireland diverges, presenting both opportunities and risks for ETF providers.