Former Belgian PM Leterme questions NATO’s 5% defense push
Just two weeks ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague, former Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme has sharply criticized the alliance’s proposed five-percent-of-GDP defense target, calling it a “collective irrationality” that risks overwhelming European decision-making.
Pinsent Masons: ESG related fund names, are you compliant yet?
ESMA’s guidelines for fund names are now in force. Is your fund truly compliant? Or is it risking regulatory attention?
Chart of the week: reality check
European policymakers, economists, and politicians are in desperate need of a reality check—an awakening that brings them back down to earth and forces them to finally make effective, objective, and intelligent decisions. Something that has been missing for years.
Artificial intelligence can erode wealth management costs
The application of artificial intelligence can significantly lower wealth management costs and help non-investors in Europe start investing wisely. “AI is simply automation that can provide positive nudges — for example, to not sell when the market crashes.”
Morningstar: Corporate bond funds cautiously defensive
Morningstar this week looks at euro corporate bond funds and compares Janus Henderson with Invesco. After tariff tensions rattled markets, fund managers remain cautiously positioned in defensive sectors despite temporary relief.
Fed independence questioned as Bessent is floated as Powell successor
Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary and key architect of President Trump’s economic agenda, is being discussed as a potential successor to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Bloomberg cited anonymous sources saying his name has been floated for the role.
The dollar: a currency of contradictory views—time for an update
Some analysts are talking about the end of dollar dominance. They primarily point to the erosion of international trust among trade partners and the high debt levels of the United States. A weakening appears to be on the horizon, they write.
Transfers: Hugo Bänziger appointed chair of Quintet board
This week’s overview of people transfers and appointments in and around Luxembourg includes updates from Quintet Private Bank, Banque Raiffeisen and PWC Luxembourg.
The dollar remains king
The US dollar has experienced a spectacular decline in recent months. Investors call it a correction, analysts see a turning point, and pessimists even predict the end of dollar hegemony. But let’s pause for a moment. While the dollar is indeed falling rapidly, it is far from collapsing.
Vanguard’s Joe Davis: Treasury will top 7 percent this decade
There’s an 82 percent chance the 10-year Treasury yield will exceed 7 percent before the end of the decade, according to Joe Davis, global chief economist at Vanguard. The odds of yields topping 9 percent? One in five.