Asset Managers

Despite constant new regulations and sophisticated technology, one of the main reasons why money-launderers and terrorism financiers continue to succeed is a simple lack of qualified personnel able to make effective use of such tools, according to a recent survey carried out in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region by global accounting firm PwC.

Equity investors cling excessively to certainties and undervalue innovations, leading to particularly strong return prospects for certain growth stocks, asserts Tim Garratt, an investment specialist at Baillie Gifford.

Schroders plc, one of Europe’s leading asset managers, has announced that its CEO, Peter Harrison, intends to retire next year after a decade on its board.

The firm, headquartered in London, has initiated a search for his successor and anticipates an orderly transition throughout 2025. Harrison will remain a director of the company during this period.

Among the recently registered AIFs in the CSSF’s AIF Identifiers dataset is “Yeldo Varedo S.C. SP”, a fund registered on behalf of Yeldo, an Italian/Swiss investment manager focusing on originating real estate deals. The firm has made use of Luxembourg structures such as the reserved alternative investment fund (Raif) since its inception. 

Sentiment around defence stocks appears to be on the upswing. Numerous investors previously avoided such investments, yet deglobalisation and geopolitical unrest have made the case for investing in defence more tenable.

The amended EU proposals for a retail investment strategy have spurred asset managers to reflect on the value the offer for the money that they take, it beame clear at a Luxembourg discussion at the ALFI conference.

Waystone Luxembourg on Tuesday said it will provide single-umbrella ManCo and related services to US-based Fred Alger Management’s SICAV range.

The partnership will add 600 million US dollars to Waystone’s AuM, raising it to 2,000 million US dollars and is part of the firm’s international expansion effort in recent years.

Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm, on Tuesday addressed investors in his annual letter, focusing on three main issues: the need to reshape the pension and retirement system, the national debt crisis, and the imperative for sustainable investments.

Despite explicitly avoiding the term “ESG”, Fink emphasised the need for investments that consider the environmental impact, albeit through a pragmatic lens that balances decarbonisation with energy security.

Vanguard has edged past BlackRock to secure the top position in Broadridge Financial Solutions’ 2024 Fund Brand 50 (FB50) rankings for the United States. Vanguard also has emerged as the biggest riser among the FB50 rankings in Europe, where it now is a top-10 fund brand.

From Paris, Natixis Investment Managers champions active management against passive giants like BlackRock and Vanguard, despite criticism over missed passive investing opportunities.