Opinion

According to Nicolai Tangen, head of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, Europe is less hard-working, less ambitious, more regulated, and more risk-averse than the US. Yet, the average European is also likely to live a healthier, happier, and longer life than the average American.

So why should Europe become more like the US?

Inflation is rearing its head again, and many fear a rerun of the 1970s scenario. But here’s the catch: the world today is vastly different from back then, mainly because of our access to information. It’s a game-changer. Think about it: a smartphone user today holds more data in the palm of their hand than the US President had in the early 1980s. Knowledge about inflation isn’t just abundant—it’s at our fingertips, dramatically altering how we deal with economic crises.

Strengthening the capital market union is a priority in Brussels. Recently, former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta published a report titled “Much More Than a Market.” Letta offered his insights to the European Council on how to proceed with the European capital market union.

In his report, Letta indicated that the mobilisation of private capital should be a priority for the capital market union. To this end, he calls for the creation of a Savings and Investments Union. Is this merely old wine in new bottles?

The U.S. economy has long enjoyed what might be called a Goldilocks scenario: robust growth paired with gradually declining inflation. However, recent data suggest that those days are behind us.

Take, for example, the recent GDP figures which illustrate a stark downturn. After quarters of 4.9% and 3.4% growth, the economy slowed to a mere 1.6% annualized growth in the first quarter of this year. 

I devour every speech and interview given by ECB board members, relishing each word. Yet, despite my enthusiasm, Christine Lagarde’s turns at the podium often leave me cold. Her discussions frequently veer away from monetary policy, straying into territories like climate change and other non-financial realms, seldom touching on the critical issue of money growth—a topic history deems crucial.

China is currently navigating a precarious situation reminiscent of the mythical dilemma between Scylla and Charybdis, grappling with a persistent real estate slump and waning investment interest. Adding to the challenges, U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s policies have further complicated the economic landscape for Chinese policymakers. The looming possibility of a currency devaluation sends a stark warning to global markets to brace for impact.

Loan origination activities under the EU’s second Alternative Investment Fund Management Directive, known as AIFMD2, present both opportunities and challenges for alternative investment funds, or AIFs, writes Geoffroy Hermanns, partner at Norton Rose Fullbright in Luxembourg. In this contribution as Knowledge Partner to Investment Officer Luxembourg, he also addresses the impact  these AIF changes can have for Eltif funds used for loan origination.

“Fund managers are making record bonuses” is a headline often heard in London, Frankfurt, and Paris, but rarely in Luxembourg. While we dominate in back-office services, these jurisdictions excel in providing front-office services, an area Luxembourg’s fund industry needs to develop.

Over the past five years, the Luxembourg fund industry has experienced a slowdown in the growth of AUM and the number of funds, which has been detrimental to the economy. The solution is to grow the industry via horizontal or vertical integration.

At the time of writing, the “mother of all equity indices,” the S&P 500 Index, is down a significant 4% from its early April peak. This downturn is partly driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Of course, this in itself isn’t something to cheer about. However, there’s another critical reason why stock prices are under pressure. Interest rates are inching closer to 5%, entering what many consider the danger zone.

Fund sponsors increasingly explore ways to facilitate access by retail investors to private assets. Part II UCIs have been instrumental in this development. This contribution discusses the increased success of the Part II UCI fund regime with private markets firms accessing the private wealth market.