Chart of the week: Why are stocks so expensive?
I often read that stocks are incredibly expensive and that a significant correction is “imminent.” But I actually think it’s not as dramatic as it seems. It all depends on the valuation lens you use.
Time to take a page from Ireland’s playbook
Luxembourg should take a page from Ireland’s playbook and deepen its relationship with the United States. The European Union is gradually eroding the regulatory flexibility and pragmatism that once enabled Luxembourg to attract international investors and dominate the fund industry.
A recession after the elections
Growing signals suggest the Republicans could clinch a victory in today’s elections, a scenario generally regarded as optimal for investors. A Republican Sweep would mean lower taxes, deregulation, and increased government spending. However, the gap between the Republicans and Democrats remains too narrow to confidently predict a winner, raising the likelihood of a contentious, potentially escalating dispute over the results.
Chart of the week: tariff nonsense!
In our increasingly polarised society, political messages are more frequently being ‘hidden’ within economic analyses. With the US presidential election approaching, the number of these messages is growing, with the truth often bending slightly to accommodate them.
ECB: Everything will be fine with inflation in 20XX
The governing council of the European Central Bank (ECB) lowered interest rates again in October. The bank expects annual inflation in 2026 to reach 1.9 percent, which would align with the ECB’s target of 2 percent annual price increases.
Chart of the week: The Way We Were
US inflation has fallen back to 2.4 per cent, not far from the Federal Reserve’s target. In Europe, the inflation levels of the largest economies are already well below the 2 per cent target of the Bank of England and the ECB, just as we saw in the years before Covid.
It is hard to raise capital in Luxembourg
The cold, wet, and miserable weather does nothing to dampen Jason ‘IPO’ Lee’s spirits as he arrives at Findel after a grueling journey from Hong Kong. He has chosen Luxembourg as a launchpad for the European arm of his AI fund.
Emerging markets in portfolio
Following the Great Financial Crisis, the western monetary madness led to years of outperformance for US equities. Now that central banks are lowering interest rates and the global economy seems to be picking up, emerging markets are becoming attractive again.
Chart of the week: ‘Dumb money’
I was brought up in an investment era where bond investors proudly positioned themselves as “smart money” investors, in contrast to the “dumb money” crowd that invested in equity markets. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that these bond aficionados may need to relinquish their self-awarded title.
Long live the bull market
Last weekend marked the second anniversary of the current bull market in equities. Since hitting its low point on October 12, 2022, the MSCI All Countries World Index has surged about 50 percent, the S&P 500 has risen by around 75 percent, and the Nasdaq has doubled. The driving force behind this impressive rally? The so-called “Magnificent Seven” stocks, which have nearly tripled in value over the same period.