Opinion

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has accelerated the exodus of industries from Europe, a trend that began long before the conflict.

Markets can often be inscrutable, as seen in December’s US inflation data, which showed a rise in headline inflation to 3.4 percent, unexpectedly surpassing the forecast of 3.2 percent.

Shares have been muddling along since, in a reaction seemingly consistent with these figures. Yet, this contradicts the trends observed in recent months. 

The use of liquidity pockets for open-ended Eltifs, European long term investment funds, remains to be clarified by the European Commission. In their first contribution as Knowledge Partners for Investment Officer, Marc Meyers and Sebastiaan Hooghiemstra of Loyens Loeff Luxembourg review the liquidity management tools proposed under the EU’s supervisory standards for the new generation of Eltifs.

In a recent fiscal flourish, Belgian finance minister Vincent Van Peteghem’s tax reform, originally slated for summer passage, gave way to an intriguing end-of-year development: the amendment of the ‘Cayman tax’, approved just before Christmas in the Belgian parliament.

I am captivated by a recent chart from Bloomberg that illustrates the anticipated movements in interest rates by central banks globally. What particularly catches my attention is Japan, represented in yellow on the far right of the chart.

Since its implementation in 2021, the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) has successfully redirected flows from non-ESG funds to ESG ones. In Luxembourg, over 50 percent of Ucits funds are now classified as either an Article 8 or 9 fund, marking a significant surge in sustainability-focused investments.

The imminent decision by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on a series of U.S. spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) is stirring up the Bitcoin investment community. While many investors are caught up in a typical “buy the rumour, sell the fact” scenario, it’s crucial to consider the long-term implications on Bitcoin, guided by what I term the “7% principle”.

It is striking how few investors dare to bet their cards on the Magnificent Seven before 2024. All sorts of things are being tipped, but the Magnificent Seven have to suffer.

The hype is over and they could fall apart at any moment. It is either no good or it is no good. For an investor who dares to think contrair, it is an interesting premise.  Here are the top 10 misconceptions surrounding the Magnificent Seven.

Outsourcing, kickback fees, alternative investments, ESG challenges and competition with Ireland were among the topics of the most popular columns published on Investment Officer Luxembourg in 2023.

A major hazard for investors is becoming too entrenched in their beliefs, especially when evidence suggests a different narrative. While the idea of a “soft landing” may seem overly optimistic, it’s undeniable that some bastions of investment remain resilient, as evidenced by sustained corporate profits.

Mismatch