Expert Panel

The European automotive sector is going through a challenging period. Troubling developments have put pressure on the stock prices of European car manufacturers, leading to a decline in their significance within the global equity market. This comes at a time when the weighting of the global automotive industry in the worldwide stock index is at its highest level in over two decades.

This autumn, regulators tightened rules in three parts of the European fund sector: the Eltif 2.0 rules, outsourcing of portfolio management by Luxembourg funds, and the evolving rules for tax transparency in the Netherlands.

Thematic funds have grown significantly in size, number, and prominence globally over the past five years. Despite recent underperformance, these funds seem to maintain a lasting role in investors’ portfolios. Higher costs, greater volatility, and the slim odds of success do not deter investors from chasing popular investment trends.

The Belgian UCI tax on Luxembourg funds remains a longstanding point of contention between the two countries. However, a recent ruling by the Ghent Court of Appeal has delivered significant legal and tax advantages for Luxembourg Sicavs.

Interest in water funds, like sustainable investing more broadly, has recently waned among investors. This marks a departure from the peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw significant inflows. Although there are more than 40 different funds in this category, only a few manage the majority of the assets.

Donald Trump’s comeback in American politics is a reality. With a strong mandate from voters and a Republican-controlled Congress, he now has more leeway than in his previous term. Bond investors have reacted cautiously to last week’s election outcome.

The Dutch regulator the Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) has investigated managers who make use of an exception to the licensing obligation in the Dutch Financial Supervision Act (Wft) and only fall within the ambit of a registration obligation. These are the “small” managers (the “light managers”).

The election of Donald Trump as President of the United States brings a range of uncertainties. Only once more clarity emerges about the course that will be taken on key issues will the full impact of this election result on the U.S. economy, international trade, and geopolitical tensions become clear. However, this did not prevent investors in U.S. small-cap stocks from taking a speculative advance on favourable scenarios for them.

Martin Groos unpacks the journey of the European Long-Term Investment Fund (Eltif) since its promising launch in 2015, and explores whether recent reforms under “Eltif 2.0” will finally deliver success.

Flexible allocation funds typically have broad latitude to adjust their asset allocation. Additionally, their managers have the freedom to add alternative asset classes to the mix, with gold being a well-known option.