Asset Servicing

The markets were already on edge, and there seems to be little sign of that changing any time soon. Geopolitical tensions have reached fever pitch, culminating in an outright shouting match in the Oval Office in Washington. This development could have significant consequences, as Trump currently appears unwilling to provide aid to Ukraine.

World financial markets remained in a radical readjustment phase on Thursday as the implications of Germany’s fiscal shift continued to reverberate across global debt markets.

Women are reshaping wealth management, yet remain underrepresented in investment decisions. As female investors gain financial power, wealth managers must adapt—or risk missing out on a trillion-dollar market.

Yields on 10-year US treasury bonds and government bonds in Europe remained high coming into 2025, and continued with 2024’s historically tight spread levels versus corporate credit. Still, some investors appear reluctant to take large directional macro bets as uncertainty around the possibility of policy changes in the US remains high.

The range of active ETFs in Europe is growing rapidly and Robeco is also investing heavily in the development of this asset class. The Rotterdam-based fund house brought in Nick King from Fidelity to roll out its ETF strategy, resulting in the launch of four equity ETFs last autumn. In 2025, the focus will be on bonds.

This week’s overview of transfers and other people moves in and around Luxembourg includes updates from Neuberger Berman, Davy Select, Fokus Nordic, Eurex Clearing, Jonk Entrepreneuren and Akkodis Benelux.

European exchange-traded fund (ETF) assets could more than double to exceed 4,000 billion dollars by 2029, according to a new projection by PwC.

MiCA is here, but what exactly is a crypto asset? ESMA’s latest guidance clarifies the line between MiCA and MiFID II—but uncertainties remain in digital asset classification.

Luxembourg faces strong headwinds in ETFs as Ireland dominates. Cost, scale, and first-mover advantage keep Dublin ahead. Can Luxembourg compete? Mark Browne at Clerkin Lynch Solicitors in Dublin believes it can’t.

Mixed funds have been experiencing a strong net outflow of assets for two years. A lower interest rate could reverse the negative trend, but for now, investors show little interest, said Morningstar analyst Thomas De fauw.