Stephen Evans

Secondary funds are gaining traction in Luxembourg’s private equity market. Unlike primary funds, secondary funds invest in assets that have mostly completed their investment periods. Their rising popularity suggests “there is some tension in the market as players search for liquidity or focus,” said Gregory Beltrame, partner at Arendt & Medernach. 

To some spectators, many ESG funds engage in greenwashing, making little serious attempt to boost sustainability. To others, this movement is part of a woke agenda that unfairly bashes the energy industry. Yet, “not yet proven” is the conclusion of a new Luxembourg report about the effect of ESG investing on the global economy, and thus ultimately the environment and society. 

Typically, when a private equity fund approaches its contractual culmination point, it will seek to sell its assets, but this may not be possible or desirable at that moment. Establishing a continuation fund is an alternative, Laurent Capolaghi, partner and private equity leader at EY Luxembourg, explained in this Q&A. One third of the top 50 PE houses are considering this alternative option, he estimates.

Outlines of reform proposals for European long-term investment funds (Eltif), agreed by EU policy-makers last month, have been hailed as major positive step forward by some in the industry. More quietly, though, others suggest the fundamental contradictions at the heart of the vehicle have yet to be resolved. 

The exact arrival dates of the Financial Action Task Force on-site assessors in Luxembourg remain a secret, so expect them to arrive anytime soon. The two weeks these unnamed individuals will spend this month in Luxembourg are just a fraction of the 18-month audit to which Luxembourg’s anti-money laundering rules and practices are currently undergoing. 

Luxembourg is one of six countries that are most competitive in terms of taxes among the world’s 38 most developed economies, according to the latest International Tax Competitiveness Index. 

While this might seem to lend ammunition to those who criticise Luxembourg as a tax haven, the picture painted in the report is somewhat nuanced. For example, it also ranks fellow cross-border business hub Ireland as 35^th out of the 38 OECD member states.

ESG isn’t a project. It isn’t about appointing a team who can bolt sustainability on to an asset management operation. To win the trust of investors, staff, regulators, civil society, the press, ESG must be embedded in strategy, the LuxFLAG Sustainable Investment Week 2022 was told on Monday.

The OECD’s latest global tax plan is in trouble. Dubbed “BEPS 2.0”, the Inclusive Framework Pillar One and Two proposals – which has the political backing of 137 countries – is facing political difficulties, including within the EU and the US. The “Ecofin” meeting of EU finance ministers on Tuesday in Luxembourg will seek to break the logjam in Europe. How is Luxembourg positioned?

A crucial test awaits Luxembourg’s financial centre in just a couple of months. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – the global anti money-laundering and combatting terrorism financing (AML/CFT) watchdog – plans to visit in November for an in-depth audit. How is the Grand Duchy placed?

Swing pricing “has become common market practice” in the Luxembourg fund sector to manage liquidity at times of volatility in the market, according to a recent industry survey by the Association of Luxembourg Fund Industry.