Asset Servicing

Partners Group, the Swiss-based private markets investment firm that is also a major player in Luxembourg, has reported a significant decline in performance fees for the first half of 2024 because investment exits are being postponed and becoming more difficult.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has introduced new regulations requiring fund managers to disclose their investment holdings on a monthly basis, replacing the current quarterly reporting schedule.

Technological dominance is the new geopolitical battleground. Companies and countries alike must embrace artificial intelligence if they don’t want to be left behind. This is part six in Investment Officer’s seven-part special series on geopolitics and investing.

The fortunes of corporate bonds seem heavily reliant on a ‘soft landing’ scenario, given the tight spreads. However, recent history reminds us that spreads can easily double during a recession.

This week’s overview includes updates from the EBRD, Degroof Petercam, Solidum and Lighthouse Canton.

Aegon N.V. has named Shawn C.D. Johnson as the new Chief Executive Officer of Aegon Asset Management (Aegon AM). Johnson will assume his role on 23 September, succeeding Bas NieuweWeme, who is stepping down to pursue other career opportunities. NieuweWeme will remain with the company as an advisor until 1 December to ensure a smooth transition.

In light of the recent blockchain law proposal, founder and CEO of Moniflo, Georges Bock, shares his views on the potential of distributed ledger technology (DLT) in transforming capital market infrastructure.

A new (American) recession remains a hot topic. And it’s understandable because a significant series of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, coupled with an inverted yield curve, typically leads to economic trouble. You’d need a well-supported “this time is different” argument to claim there’s no chance of a recession.

Investors continue to have unwavering confidence in oil company Shell, according to recent research by De Nederlandsche Bank. This makes Shell still a cornerstone in many Dutch investment portfolios. However, professional investors view (fossil) energy stocks very differently.

The outages and disruptions impacting the financial sector this month serve as stern reminders about vulnerabilities linked to tech reliance. Regulations such as DORA, however, show a certain maturity to pre-empt such problems, experts say.