IO Talks podcast: ALFI’s Lamesch on alternatives, ESG
This IO Talks Luxembourg podcast episode with Corrine Lamesch, chair of the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry (ALFI), sheds light on the growing popularity of alternative investments in Luxembourg, addresses the complexity of ESG and sustainable finance regulation, and hears about the role of the grand duchy as a global distribution centre for financial products.
‘Gold remains an insurance policy against chaos’
Gold prices have been struggling since the beginning of the year, quoting below $1,700 per ounce, definitely indicating a downward trend. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve raised rates by 75 basis points in another move to a range of 3 to 3.25 percent.
Position of women in funds falls consistently short
The position of women in the asset management industry has barely improved in the last seven years. Citywire’s Alpha Female Report 2022 shows that a mere 5.5 percent of all actively managed funds - or one out of 18 - are led by women. “Progress towards gender parity in portfolio management looks to have come to a grinding halt.”
A Luxembourg Raif helps finance Bill Gates’ Rome hotel
A reserved alternative investment fund registered in Luxembourg turns out to have played a central role in the 165 million euro financing of the Palazzo Marini, Bill Gates’ new six-star hotel in the centre of Rome, close to the Trevi fountain. The team that supported the deal from Luxembourg was at law firm Dentons, with European Capital Partners SA as AIFM.
‘ECB puts its credibility on the line’ with record rate hike
The European Central Bank announced its biggest ever interest rate hike on Thursday. Its three key interest rates will be raised by 75 basis points in an attempt to control rapidly rising inflation in the eurozone. “The ECB has put its credibility on the line today.”
ECB to raise eurozone rates, but should it really?
Most economists, fixed income analysts and investment strategists agree that the European Central Bank on Thursday will raise interest rates. The key question is: will the hawks get their 75 basis point hike? Or will doves be heard with a 50 point increase? Some still question if hiking rates into a recession is the right thing to do.
Investor confidence at highest level since January 2021
Investor confidence in Europe jumped in August and reached its highest level since January last year, according to the latest State Street Investor Confidence Index.
The investor confidence index, or ICI, for Europe jumped 20.4 points to 106 in August. Investor confidence in North America also increased, although merely 2.1 points to 106.5. The global investor confidence index rose to 107.3 in August, up from 102.2 in July.
Luxempart acquires stake in hospital software firm Nexus
Luxempart, a Luxembourg-based investment and private equity company, on Wednesday said it has acquired a 8.4 percent stake in Nexus AG, a German-based publicly listed hospital software provider in Europe through a capital increase of 72.5 million euro.
Dividend payouts surge to record 545 billion in Q2
Dividends worldwide rose by 11.3 percent in nominal terms in the second quarter of 2022 to a historic quarterly record of 544.8 billion dollars, the latest Global Dividend Index report by Janus Henderson shows.
If the strong US dollar and other underlying factors are taken into account, underlying growth is even stronger at 19.1 percent. Some 94 percent of companies surveyed either paid out more in the second quarter or kept payouts stable.
‘Cheap money at ECB makes fighting inflation difficult’
The European Central Bank needs to review its special programmes that make available cheap money to banks in Europe in order to become more effective in fighting inflation, Banque de France governor François Villeroy de Galhau told central bankers at their meeting in Jackson Hole.