Opinion

For the stock market, inflation dynamics remain crucial. These ultimately determine the level of interest rates required to bring inflation under control. The higher the required interest rate, the greater the risk of recession and the smaller the corporate profits. High interest rates are also bad for stock valuation levels. However, some companies have managed to increase their profit margins with high inflation, as we noticed last year.

It was June 2014, and I was flying back from Lisbon for an exciting interview at J.P. Morgan Bank Luxembourg. Landing this job would validate that getting a master’s degree was worth it. I was thrilled about being part of our fund industry.

There could be no delays in my travel plans. I was scheduled to land at 13:15, and the interview was set for 14:00. Fortunately, a friend picked me up, giving me enough time to put on my suit and share my excitement about interviewing for a leading bank.

There is an unwavering demand on the debt as well as on the equity side of private markets, writes Martin Groos, member of the management board at Universal Investment Luxembourg.

The global economy has experienced several major shocks in recent years. A period of normalisation has now begun. Once the dust settles, we’ll see if there are any differences from the pre-pandemic world. To discover these, we must seek out striking and deviating patterns.

When the international freight traffic was disrupted during the pandemic, economists began paying closer attention to overseas container transport. Over the last two years, a development has emerged that you could rightly call worrying for Europe. 

Since 2014, the kickback fee, also known as distribution fee, has been abolished in the Netherlands. Prior to this, asset managers would continuously pay a fee to distributors whenever investments were made in the asset manager’s funds.

Costs of retail investor products have been designated as strategic priorities for supervision in the EU. All market players need guidance on the concept of “undue costs”, argue Tom Loonen and Jan Saalfrank at Pinsent Masons, an Investment Officer knowledge partner.

I had to double-check my Bloomberg screen. But it was there indeed, Dutch central bank chief Knot indicated in a recent Bloomberg interview that further monetary tightening after the ECB meeting in July is anything but guaranteed. And that, coming from the most hawkish member of the ECB’s Governing Council.

According to research, a typical board director in the Luxembourgish fund industry is a 53-year-old European man with 22 years of work experience (who probably plays golf). Their role is to ensure investors avoid the rough and get to the green safely. 

Failure results in a penalty stroke from the CSSF.

Just over one year into his tenure as Chief Executive Officer at Quintet, Chris Allen has unveiled a significant next move for the Luxembourg-headquartered private bank. The partnership he has brokered with BlackRock aims to inspire a fresh way of working in its five main markets, one that respects the nuances of domestic investment cultures.

The European Central Bank (ECB) may not openly acknowledge it, but behind the scenes, goodwill is slipping away. Goodwill represents the intangible, invisible value of a company. When applied to a central bank, it refers to the willingness to make unpopular decisions in the short term, such as raising interest rates when inflation skyrockets. Since 2021, the ECB has squandered much of its goodwill, but during June, it has managed to regain a fraction of it.