Esma faces uphill battle to emerge as European SEC
In an interview with Investment Officer, Esma chair Verena Ross outlined her vision and the significant challenges ahead as the regulatory body aims to become Europe’s equivalent to the US SEC.
Critics fear EuroPension repeats mistakes that doomed PEPP
Europe’s pensions supervisor is relaunching the failed Pan-European Personal Pension Product under a new label, EuroPension. Critics warn the project risks repeating past mistakes: too complex to compete with low-cost ETFs, too weak to rival national schemes, and too focused on capital markets at the expense of statutory pensions.
German savers turn head-on to ETFs, pressing fund managers
German retail investors put nearly all equity fund inflows into exchange-traded funds in the first half of the year, cementing the country’s role as Europe’s largest ETF market.
Markets tolerate French paralysis as long as yields stay high
France’s government is adrift after Bayrou’s resignation, yet its bonds still draw buyers. Investors point to global tailwinds and deep liquidity, but warn that if sentiment turns, France could be hit harder than its peers.
Robinhood set to hack Europe’s equity rulebook using MiCA
Robinhood, the Silicon Valley-based brokerage known for disrupting Wall Street with zero-commission trading and meme-stock mania, is making a bold play for Europe. Its strategy? Rewire equity markets using blockchain.
Alto! Amundi casts a European spell on Aladdin
Amundi COO Guillaume Lesage, in an interview, reveals how Alto is trying to break Aladdin’s spell, offering a European SaaS alternative in portfolio management tech.
AI infrastructure spending boom raises questions on valuations
Artificial intelligence is still at the beginning of its growth curve, but both the infrastructure and the valuations behind the boom show signs of strain. For investors, the opportunity is undeniable, yet so are the risks.
Transfers: Bjoern Jesch swaps DWS for Allianz Global Investors
This week’s overview of people transfers and appointments includes updates from Allianz Global Investors, A&O Shearman, State Street, Titanbay, and other firms.
US carve-out deepens Pillar Two complexity
A deal struck at the G7 summit in June has given American multinationals a way around rules billed as a milestone in the global fight against corporate tax avoidance.
Luxembourg watchdog questions credibility of early CSRD reporting
Luxembourg’s financial regulator has warned that companies’ first attempts at sustainability reporting under EU rules risk overstating green progress, citing inconsistent practices and weak transparency.