Asset Manager

It can hardly have escaped your notice: gold is hot! The gold price is currently breaking record after record, and even the ‘mainstream’ financial media can no longer ignore the yellow metal. But when I read these stories, they mostly raise a lot of questions for me. Are traditional investors really that naive now, or are they deliberately looking the other way?

Investors are spotting opportunities in defence companies, particularly given the continued military support for Ukraine and significant increases in European defence budgets. Long-term revenue prospects appear stable, driven by the ongoing maintenance of military equipment and the need to replenish supplies.

Active bond ETF managers have outperformed their passive counterparts amid the current interest rate climate, driving strong capital inflows and impressive returns. Despite persistent criticism over higher costs, investors appear willing to pay a premium for performance.

In a move to strengthen valuation practices across the investment fund industry, Luxembourg’s financial supervisor CSSF on Wednesday unveiled a glimpse of plans to revise its valuation guidelines for investment fund managers. The update is due in 2025.

This week’s overview of transfers, appointments, promotions and other career news in the international fund and asset management community includes updates from M&G, BDO, Governance.com, the Luxembourg School of Business and the Luxembourg Competition Association.

China’s latest stimulus package, aimed at reviving its economy, could trigger a significant rally in equities over the next six months, according to renowned China watcher Louis-Vincent Gave, managing director and co-founder of Hong Kong-based Gavekal Research. “I believe it’s the trade to do for the next six months.”

Naturally, the interest rate decision and everything surrounding it took centre stage earlier this month when the European Central Bank (ECB) board met in Frankfurt. And of course, questions during the press conference focused on what we can expect in the coming quarters. Like many others, I was tuned in, eager for insights.

Luxembourg’s financial regulator has issued a relatively small fine for a class of transgression with huge implications for the industry: valuations of funds, in particular for unlisted alternative investments.

Luxembourg’s financial watchdog, the CSSF, has made important changes to its rules for valuations of investment funds, the first in two decades. While many things stay the same, some key updates—like lowering limits for money market funds and adding new checks before making investment decisions—are aimed at tightening control and providing clearer guidance.

Many investors mistakenly conclude that China and the United States are completely different due to their distinct financial (and societal) systems. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Both nations’ faltering economic engines are kept running by the same remedy: debt.