Asset Owner

Assets in gold ETFs and ETCs have more than doubled worldwide in just two years, rising from nearly 200 to 439 billion dollars. “In the current gold rally, these instruments have gained significant momentum.”

This week’s overview of people transfers and appointments includes updates from banking association ABBL, Banque Internationale à Luxembourg, and Deloitte Luxembourg.

With inflation still running close to 3 percent, investors warn the Federal Reserve may be cutting into a “stagflation-lite” backdrop: weaker growth alongside stubborn price pressures.

Should you invest in crypto? A fundamental question for every investor. In a paper, Ran Duchin, David H. Solomon, Jun Tu, and Xi Wang reach a surprising and provocative conclusion.

Pension funds represent a strategic reservoir to finance innovation and the climate transition in Europe. Despite estimated assets of 2.7 to 3.55 trillion euro, their exposure to venture capital remains marginal: barely 0.1 percent of portfolios, according to a study published by European Women in VC, Pensions for Purpose and Venture Connections.

ING Luxembourg has put hard numbers on the human cost of its strategic retreat into private and wholesale banking. Up to 124 jobs are set to go.

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.

ING has brought all its investment expertise together in a newly established Global Investment Centre, effective 1 September. The unit is headed by Chris van Schuppen, who until this summer held senior roles at ABN Amro.

Sweden has encouraged 3.8 million households to start investing through a tax-friendly savings plan. Industry voices are calling on Europe to follow the Swedish example to help channel the 1,400 billion euro in household savings into investments.

What could hardly be considered a surprise anymore still turned into one. The annual revision of US job growth came in even bigger than expected. As anticipated, it triggered a flood of reactions—though often the wrong ones.