Russia’s ‘hybrid warfare’ in Europe is a concern for financial supervisors
Digital, operational and cyber resilience are key priorities for the year to come, says CSSF director-general Claude Marx, who points out that Europe is already being targeted by hybrid warfare attacks and expects to see more in the future.
Emerging markets holding up amid strong dollar - for now
Markets still assume that the war in the Middle East will not escalate into a prolonged conflict, and that is good news for investments in emerging markets. After the initial attacks by the US and Israel on Iran, several markets in Asia and South America took significant hits, but over the past two weeks they have shown resilience.
The rise of sales-as-a-service
Financial services firms increasingly test new markets through sales-as-a-service models, relying on experienced industry connectors instead of building costly local teams. Luxembourg’s global ecosystem makes this approach particularly relevant.
Shake-out in active management not over says M&G
The shake-out in active asset management is far from finished, even as some firms regain momentum in the battle for investor flows, according to Joseph Pinto, chief executive of M&G Investments.
Chart of the week: the hidden cost of Trump’s war
The price of a barrel of crude oil surged past the $100 mark as the situation in the Middle East escalated further. A small price to pay, according to the president of the United States. Yet I suspect Trump is taking too narrow a view of the true cost of this new military intervention – if he is even considering those costs at all.
Oil shock puts central banks ahead of difficult rate decisions
The war between the United States, Israel and Iran is casting a shadow over a crucial week for central banks. The US Federal Reserve meets on Wednesday, followed a day later by the European Central Bank.
The new equity analyst is called Claude. But he can’t do everything
Write a prompt asking Claude to act like an investor who wants to know everything about a company. Upload the quarterly results of a business you follow. Click. Wait fifteen minutes. And there it is: an investment memo with a cash-flow model, scenario analysis, a risk overview and a valuation framework. Neatly structured.
Morningstar: HSBC vs Schroders in Asian bond funds
The Asian bond market continues to deepen, supported by local and international interest.
‘Phantom liquidity’ spooks evergreen investors
Investors in evergreen funds apparently did not fully grasp what they were getting into when they entrusted their capital to these “semi-liquid” vehicles investing in private markets. After Blue Owl, two large private credit funds managed by Blackstone and Blackrock were hit last week with a surge in redemption requests.
Ten indicators that show where energy markets crack
Oil prices can swing by tens of dollars within hours, as happened this week amid the war surrounding Iran. Yet the headline oil price is only one signal from the commodity markets. A further ten indicators reveal where pressure in the energy system is truly building.