Investment Officer

Deutsche Börse AG on Thursday made an offer of 3.9 billion euro in cash for Danish investment software and data provider SimCorp A/S. The offer is endorsed by SimCorp’s board.

The German stock exchange said it plans to integrate SimCorp into its existing data and analytics business and that the acquisition will allow the creation of a “full scope” front-to-back investment management solutions segment. 

The 30 countries in the European economic area account for less than one out of every five credit ratings issued by credit rating agencies across the world, according to a new report published on Tuesday by the European Securities and Markets Authority, Esma.

The BCEE, one of Luxembourg’s main domestic banks and commonly known as the Spuerkees, credited rising interest rates as playing a key role in increasing its increased banking income portion of its overall annual report for the year ending in 2022 through over 20% increase to its interest margin. According to a bank press release, this was also due to an increase in lending activities. 

The presentation of the European Commission’s long-awaited retail investment strategy, has now been delayed once more, from an early May to a tentatively scheduled 24 May date, according to a person familiar with the policymaking process in Brussels.

In Luxembourg, the financial sector is concerned about whether the Commission will opt for a ban on inducements on investment advice as part of its strategy.

Dublin-headquartered asset services specialist Waystone on Thursday announced that it has agreed, following years of discussions, to acquire the UK and Irish business of Link Fund Services for an undisclosed amount from its Australian parent. Link’s Luxembourg-based fund services are being put up for sale, as is its operation in Switzerland.

“Link Group is proposing to pursue a separate sale of the Luxembourg and Swiss entities which form part of the FS Business,” a company spokesperson said.

Equity investors may be underestimating the potential consequences of a miscalculation of the Federal Reserve interest rate path. The market is already pricing in a Goldilocks scenario of stable economic growth and low inflation. It could be a costly misjudgment.

Institutional investors expect greater transparency when investing in alternative assets, mostly with risk management in mind, according to a new survey by Clearwater Analytics.

According to a poll of 254 institutional investors, representing over $10 trillion in assets under management, the two key benefits to achieving greater transparency in alts should be better risk management (72 per cent) and a better understanding of performance (54 per cent).  

Etienne Rougier has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer at Universal Investment Group. He joins from Alliance Bernstein. As of this week he is responsible for driving and transforming the business to support its overall growth strategy. 

Decarbonisation is a trend expected to continue among investors during the coming years. One out of 10 fund selectors in Europe is already completely avoiding so-called “carbon emitters” or traditional carbon-emitting energy companies. Twice as many plan to do so in the next two to three years.  

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen can no longer ignore the fact that the dollar is used as a weapon to quash unwanted behaviour by rivals. It comes with risks of national interest. Imposing financial sanctions linked to the dollar’s role could eventually undermine the dollar’s hegemony, she said.