Asset Servicing

The Federal Reserve last week cut interest rates from 4.25–4.50 percent to 4.00–4.25 percent and will lower rates further at the remaining meetings of the FOMC, the Fed’s policy body. This comes even as financial conditions have already improved and there is still an extraordinary amount of liquidity on the sidelines.

Degroof Petercam sees many new opportunities for international cooperation following its takeover by the French Indosuez, said CEO Sylvie Huret in an interview with Investment Officer. Not only within Indosuez, but in the wider ecosystem of parent group Crédit Agricole, which also includes fund giant Amundi.

UK inflation is far too high, and the policy rate is far too low. That might sound odd, but if you look at the regime we’ve been in for more than seventeen years now, the statement makes perfect sense. Let me explain why.

Eurozone corporate bonds delivered a return of 4.2 percent over the past twelve months (as measured by the Morningstar Eurozone Corporate Bond Index), while their US counterpart, the Morningstar US Corporate Bond Index, lost 1.8 percent in euro terms. The currency effect was crucial here.

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

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.

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.