Luxembourg

Also as international funds hub, Luxembourg finds itself exposed to the economic fallout from Russia’s war against Ukraine. Hundreds of investment funds with assets in Russia’s financial markets are making extra efforts to keep clients abreast about the financial impact of international sanctions. Dozens of funds have already been suspended and from Wednesday, European stock exchanges have banned all trade in Russian securities.

Luxembourg fully supports the European Union’s additional sanctions against Russia over its aggressive move towards Ukraine but supports a cautious approach with the EU’s plans to eject Vladimir Putin’s country from the international payments system Swift. If that happens Russia will in essence be cut off from the world economy.

Spacs – special purpose acquisition vehicles – had a very good year in 2021, with some 600 Spacs raising 165 billion dollars but they are, like the rest of the economy, adapting to the new post-Covid economic reality. Many investment banking and legal experts active in the Spac field see them continuing to do well.

It is over a year since the end of the transition period that saw Brexit come into full effect and as regards financial services regulation, the UK still appears to be searching for a new direction. Or maybe this is the plan. Could the strategy be to talk about change for a domestic political audience, while keeping real divergence to a minimum? 

Luxembourg has a promising potential to further build on its global hub status for investment funds by encouraging management companies to expand their businesses into international fund distribution, according to Xavier Parain, CEO of FundRock, Luxembourg’s largest third-party manager of investment funds.

For a country that is well established as a global leader in investment funds, one might expect its people to embrace more risk when it comes to their financial investments. As it turns out, the love for cash deposits is as big as ever.

Luxembourg retained its lead last year as the biggest global hub for sustainable investment funds. Nearly half of all ESG assets in Europe now have a home in Luxembourg, according to LFF, while the appeal of the Luxembourg Green Exchange continues to grow.

There has been scant divergence from EU financial sector rules in the two years since the UK left the EU. Nor are there many clear future policy proposals. Hence little has changed for Luxembourg players marketing into the UK. Could 2022 be the year when things start to shift?

The EU braces for a legal battle over plans to label nuclear energy and gas as sustainable transition fuels. Luxembourg and Austria are preparing steps to have the proposed delegated act annulled.

Universal-Investment, the third-largest management company in Luxembourg, said on Tuesday that it has been appointed as the management company for the Luxembourg fund portfolio of Switzerland’s Fisch Asset Management. Increasing costs and regulatory requirements are mentioned as reasons for the transfer.