News

French assets came under renewed pressure on Monday after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned just hours after unveiling his cabinet. The selloff in equities and widening OAT–Bund spreads reinforced what economists and strategists describe as a new normal: a volatile, fragmented France where politics, not policy, drives market sentiment.

Open defiance from Stephen Miran underscores political tensions at the Fed, though markets still expect gradual easing.

Van Lanschot Kempen is preparing to enter the active ETF market through a new partnership with State Street Investment Management. The Amsterdam-based boutique, known for its smallcap and euro credit strategies, will rely on State Street’s infrastructure and distribution networks to launch its first exchange-traded funds within six to nine months.

ING Luxembourg has signed a referral agreement with Post Luxembourg to provide an alternative for its 4,500 business banking clients as the Dutch lender accelerates its exit from services for local SMEs, self-employed professionals and entrepreneurs.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a multibillion-dollar deal last week with the US for the construction of a series of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Although the so-called “nuclear renaissance” is also taking shape in Europe according to investors, they see American companies as the main beneficiaries.

With inflation still running close to 3 percent, investors warn the Federal Reserve may be cutting into a “stagflation-lite” backdrop: weaker growth alongside stubborn price pressures.

Europe’s pensions supervisor is relaunching the failed Pan-European Personal Pension Product under a new label, EuroPension. Critics warn the project risks repeating past mistakes: too complex to compete with low-cost ETFs, too weak to rival national schemes, and too focused on capital markets at the expense of statutory pensions.

ING has brought all its investment expertise together in a newly established Global Investment Centre, effective 1 September. The unit is headed by Chris van Schuppen, who until this summer held senior roles at ABN Amro.

France’s government is adrift after Bayrou’s resignation, yet its bonds still draw buyers. Investors point to global tailwinds and deep liquidity, but warn that if sentiment turns, France could be hit harder than its peers.

Markets are shrugging off Donald Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook. Economists warn the strain is nonetheless showing in long-term U.S. rates and the dollar, raising questions over how long investors can keep ignoring political lawlessness.