Opinion

The Luxembourg legislator has done it again: with Bill 8183 (the “Bill”), which entered into force on 28 July 2023 after passing the Luxembourg Parliament, the Luxembourg funds toolbox has been carefully modernised, write Pinsent Masons’ Tom Loonen, Lous Vervuurt and Jan Saalfrank in their latest contribution as Investment Officer knowledge partner.

At the time of writing, markets are still pricing in just under a 60 per cent chance that the ECB will raise interest rates one more time sometime in the coming months. And although Lagarde has only recently turned to wage growth as an argument for further tightening, there are plenty of reasons to at least pause.

In recent years, the regulatory framework for the duties and responsibilities of the board of directors or management board and for the control functions within Luxembourg investment fund managers has evolved significantly. Among others, CSSF Circular 18/698 has tightened the regulatory requirements for the authorisation and organisation of Luxembourg investment fund managers (“IFMs”).

Artificial intelligence is eminently an application for investors. Especially in a complex data-rich environment with a lot of uncertainty, artificial intelligence thrives.

The ‘intra-day’ turn of the S&P 500 Index following the release of US inflation data is the first evidence that Powell has deprived markets of ‘Fed hopium’.

US headline inflation rose to 3.2 per cent in July from 3.0 per cent. While that was lower than expected, it was nevertheless the first increase in the inflation level since June 2022, which (social) media used to fill headlines. 

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On December 22nd, 1972, investment funds in Luxembourg became subject to supervision for the first time. Initially, the rules provided investors with significant protection, but over time, they have only served to increase the fees they pay.

Delegation

Delegation is one area of the industry that has become so complex that it’s almost impossible to see the bigger picture. It’s a cornerstone that has facilitated the industry’s growth while also making it increasingly obscure.

Investing seems like a simple cyclical process: gathering information, making purchase decisions, selecting investments, holding and selling. But everything must happen at the right moments, and many investors seem confident in this. What is it that causes emotions to still obstruct rational considerations even among experienced investors? Are all investors overconfident crybabies?

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.