Cees van Lotringen

The seventh and final part of the Investment Officer series on geopolitics and investing focuses on China. Few countries elicit such mixed analyses in the West as the People’s Republic.

Technological dominance is the new geopolitical battleground. Companies and countries alike must embrace artificial intelligence if they don’t want to be left behind. This is part six in Investment Officer’s seven-part special series on geopolitics and investing.

In a time when the world is facing unprecedented changes in the energy landscape, geopolitical forces are crucial for understanding the current and future energy markets.

High valuations and geopolitical risks indicate potential overheating and future uncertainties. Europe, with its heavy dependence on third-party suppliers for essential goods and raw materials, finds itself particularly vulnerable. The pressing question: Can Europe sustain its economic power and prosperity while effectively merging ambitious climate policies with a resilient industrial sector?

China’s rapid emergence as a market leader in electric vehicles (EVs) has sparked significant concerns throughout the European Union. Are the expansions of Chinese automakers into Europe a modern-day Trojan horse?

Caution is required when selecting stocks of European listed companies as the European Union works on a policy to promote strategic autonomy in response to a rapidly changing geopolitical environment. Part 2 in our special series on geopolitics and investing.

The data science revolution is sweeping the investment industry. Some firms are looking to create an in-house solution combining artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science. Picking the right data set, and separating the wheat from the chaff, is critical. 

While Europe is survival-mode as a result of a war and an energy crisis, the rest of the world is working diligently and purposefully for the future. A notable news item in this context received limited attention: Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia. During that visit, a straw fire was lit up that could eventually blow up the petrodollar’s omnipotence. 

Europe should not count on a traditional economic recovery. Due to second-round effects, inflation will widen further by 2023. And, ING chief economist Carsten Brzeski says, don’t count on gas prices coming down either. Nay, on the contrary, the real energy crisis will come next year. 

For at least 15 years, risk profiles, used by banks or independent risk managers to assign each client an investment portfolio, have been the subject of discussion. The current trend change from falling to rising interest rates further complicates client communication. The reason: a static risk profile and dynamic markets are hardly compatible. An analysis.