Asset Servicing

It’s hard to speak of a favorable investment climate when companies are leaving. While the shine may have worn off American exceptionalism, Europe’s problems remain unresolved as long as European companies continue relocating their headquarters abroad.

Once again, voices are rising to transfer the 195 billion euro in Russian assets frozen at Brussels-based securities depository Euroclear into a European investment vehicle. But within the Belgian camp, there’s growing concern that doing so would open Pandora’s box.

More than a quarter of financial institutions across Europe plan to terminate at least one ICT service provider this year due to non-compliance with the Digital Operational Resilience Act (Dora), according to a new survey by PwC Luxembourg.

Investors may believe their withholding tax (WHT) obligations are fully addressed. However, in practice, standard recovery approaches often concentrate on jurisdictions with more straightforward procedures, potentially overlooking opportunities in regions with more complex requirements.

Falling inflation and the European Central Bank’s (ECB) conviction that price increases will stabilize around two percent annually in the long run made it possible for Frankfurt to announce another rate cut earlier this month. With this move, the policy rate has now been more than halved compared to the summer of 2024. The ECB seems to be casting out the interest rate anchor and allowing itself to drift for a while.

The first half of the 2025 market year was turbulent. Investors quickly turned away from their optimism surrounding a second term for Donald Trump once his erratic and impulsive leadership came back into focus. That memory immediately stirred nervousness and uncertainty across equity markets.

A quiet power shift is underway in the European fund industry. Investors are increasingly gravitating towards larger Ucits vehicles, favouring scale, simplicity and cost-efficiency over specialisation and boutique appeal.

While Europe continues to attract investors seeking attractive valuations and macroeconomic stability, M&G sees a fundamental shift occurring in the US capital markets: 75 percent of credit growth is now taking place through the private market—a structural transformation that is only accelerating.

Columbia Threadneedle Investments is preparing to launch a new range of Irish-domiciled active ETFs, but unlike many of its peers, the firm will oversee these funds from Luxembourg, not Dublin.

This week’s overview of appointments and people transfers includes updates from European fund and asset management association Efama, EY Luxembourg, LuxReal, and Sygnum Bank.