Investment Officer

Saxo’s traditional “Outrageous predictions” for 2021 were right on target, suggesting an extreme rise in inflation in 2021. For next year, the bank is betting on a 15 per cent inflation rate in the US through wage-price spirals. What other self-styled outrageous, striking, bizarre predictions does Saxo have in store for next year? 

Luxembourg’s real estate investment sector has recovered strongly from the economic slowdowns caused by the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic, according to figures released in the Association of the Luxembourg Fund industry’s (ALFI)  15th annual Luxembourg real estate investment funds survey. (Full version link below.) 

Invesco has announced the launch of a Bitcoin ETP (exchange-traded product) aimed at giving institutional investors a “straightforward and effective” exposure to the cryptocurrency. 

Invesco is a global independent management firm with a Luxembourg presence in Kirchberg, Invesco Management S.A.

The Luxembourg Fund Labelling Agency (commonly-known as LuxFLAG) has announced the launch of its Sustainable Insurance Product Label certification product.

This certification will be awarded to “eligible insurance products that assist with the transition to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis, as well other environmental and social issues” that are part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

When investing in unlisted real estate, funds that focus on a single country or on a separate sector within a country outperform funds that diversify across countries and/or sectors, according to a Cambridge University study. By contrast, real estate funds that focus purely on one sector do not outperform diversified funds. This research was named the best of 2021 by industry body Inrev.

It is not a question of whether the tech bubble will burst, but when, Amundi CIO Pascal Blanqué warned again. According to him, the bubble will burst as soon as interest rates rise.

Blanqué spoke about this during the outlook for 2022 that he, deputy CIO Vincent Mortier and head of research Monica Defend presented to journalists on Wednesday.

The US stock market is always more expensive than other markets. However, America’s premium over Europe is now so high that betting on Europe may be a better option for investors, according to Joost van Leenders, who explained Van Lanschot Kempen’s outlook during a recent interview by Fondsnieuws, Investment Officer Luxembourg’s Dutch-language sister publication.

The consolidation battle in the asset management world continues unabated. American firm T. Rowe Price has bought credit manager Oak Hill Advisors for USD 4.2 billion in cash and shares. In addition, private equity parties GTCR LLC and Reverence Capital Partners have acquired Wells Fargo Asset Management.

Investors in emerging markets should completely ignore the 60 per cent worst performing companies when defining their investment universe. These companies bring extra risk, without rewarding you for it. In addition, investing in China is very different at the moment: great opportunities are better left aside in some cases. 

How do you achieve a year-to-date return of more than 31 per cent? “Well, common sense. That is our only strategy. We have no more information than the market. We don’t use a complex box with all kinds of variables”, said Theo Vermaelen, one of the four managers of the Buyback USA Fund.