Supervision

Luxembourg last year remained among the most expensive domiciles for investment funds in Europe in all three investment categories, according to a research report released on Monday by the European Securities and Markets Authority, Esma.

Ireland has joined Luxembourg on a supervisory drive to push the financial industry to improve their asset valuation processes for investment funds. 

The Central Bank of Ireland has given fund managers in Dublin until the end of the second quarter next year to complete reviewing and upgrading where necessary their internal governance for fund valuations. A letter to the industry, published on Thursday, has defined four action points that need to be addressed at Board level.

Political pressure is mounting on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over its efforts on climate reporting and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). With the recent delay in final regulations, the question arises: Is the SEC bowing to pressure from critics?

Luxembourg’s financial markets authority CSSF has given fund management companies until the end of this year to review the way they determine the value of their investment funds. Investment Officer recently spoke to Marco Zwick, the CSSF director in charge of supervising investment funds. “We noted some room for improvement,” he said.

Luxembourg’s Financial Intelligence Unit is key to fulfilling Luxembourg’s international anti-money laundering/terrorist financing prevention obligations, reducing the perception that this country’s financial sector is somehow “above the rules”. Investment Officer recently had an opportunity to speak with FIU director Max Braun.

The European Securities and Markets Authority, Esma, on Thursday issued a warning about practices surrounding Collateralised Loan Obligations (CLOs) in the EU. The supervisory body has found potential conflicts of interest and undue influence in the CLO rating process during the 2017-2021 period.

The Big Three credit rating agencies - Fitch Ratings, Moody’s and S&P - are at the centre of this review.

The Bank of England (BoE) has issued a warning about the risks posed by private credit and leveraged loans to financial stability in an environment of higher interest rates. Private debt, a market where Luxembourg structures play a major international role, looks ‘particularly vulnerable’.

The fact that financial institutions in Luxembourg have frozen some 86.000 investor accounts should not be regarded as a material issue because the Financial Action Task Force has not issued a recommendation on this topic, a senior official at the Grand Duchy’s financial supervisory body CSSF has said.

Investment firms are struggling with AML/KYC requirements, with one fund manager saying his AML/KYC team can’t grow fast enough. The push towards ‘retailisation’ of private markets is only going to increase the stress.

Luxembourg’s financial watchdog CSSF has disclosed that about 86,000 investor accounts, primarily belonging to everyday retail investors across Europe, are currently frozen in the Grand Duchy.