Expert Panel

A new spring brings new developments regarding the reclaiming of the flat-rate foreign tax credit (FBB) on French dividends.

Beyond the human suffering, the COVID-19 pandemic had far-reaching consequences for numerous sectors, particularly the real estate sector. Some market segments are still searching for a new equilibrium. Unlike the 2007-2008 crisis, attention this time has been less focused on the housing market and more on commercial real estate.

Yields on 10-year US treasury bonds and government bonds in Europe remained high coming into 2025, and continued with 2024’s historically tight spread levels versus corporate credit. Still, some investors appear reluctant to take large directional macro bets as uncertainty around the possibility of policy changes in the US remains high.

MiCA is here, but what exactly is a crypto asset? ESMA’s latest guidance clarifies the line between MiCA and MiFID II—but uncertainties remain in digital asset classification.

The global government bond Morningstar category, launched in October 2024, reflects a growing fund landscape with 117 distinct offerings as of February 2025. Divergent economic structures, policy responses, and political backdrops shape investor sentiment.

Sustainable investing has faced a challenging period since 2021, following years of seemingly unstoppable growth. While investor capital has continued to flow into sustainable funds, the pace has significantly slowed compared to the boom years.

Investors have plenty of choices. The financial services sector encompasses a diverse universe from which portfolio investors can make their selections. Traditionally, banks and insurers dominate, but companies involved in payments, stock exchanges, capital markets, and asset management are also part of the broad range of investment opportunities.

Allocation funds have fallen out of favour with investors since their weak performance in 2022, and in 2023, the classic equity-bond mix portfolio was even declared dead in some quarters. This proved premature, as these portfolios have performed well in recent years.

Luxembourg’s CSSF has issued its first SFDR compliance sanction, marking a shift to enforcement. Asset managers, take note—ESG disclosures must be accurate, clear, and aligned with investment policies, write Claire Guilbert and Cyril Clugnac at Norton Rose Fulbright.

Bond markets struggled in the fourth quarter of 2024. Inflation proved sticky in the US, dampening hopes of larger interest-rate cuts and sending long-term bond yields higher. In Europe, political volatility in France and Germany, along with a more moderate outlook for ECB rate cuts in the coming year, dragged bond returns lower.