Investing

As real estate returns to favor as an asset class, sourcing investment opportunities is not necessarily the biggest challenge that wealthy families face. The real hurdle is conducting thorough due diligence—but this can be tackled by joining forces with other family offices.

Prime Minister Takaichi’s clear reflation policy is making Japan attractive to investors once more, even though the policy rate, at 0.75 percent, stands at its highest level in thirty years. The panic surrounding the unwinding of the yen carry trade, which caused global turmoil two years ago, now appears to have definitively faded into the background.

The Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) of DWS are making a significant contribution to the growth of the German asset manager. The assets under management of the firm, in which Deutsche Bank holds an 80 percent stake, increased in 2025 by 73 billion euro to the record sum of 1,085 billion euro. Two thirds of the inflow of 51 billion euro was driven by demand for the in-house Xtrackers ETFs.

The Federal Reserve has little appetite to cut interest rates in the near term. Minutes of the January meeting show policymakers are increasingly concerned that inflation could stay above the 2 percent target for longer than expected. Markets might have to reprice their expectations, economists say.

The European ETF market grew in January by a record 46.9 billion euro. In the shadow of that growth, a price war is taking place: mainstream ETFs are now being offered with an expense ratio of 0.03 percent. Will Europe soon welcome the “free” ETF, as in the US?

Political nervousness is rising over the potential victory of the far right in the French presidential elections of April 2027, as that could lead to less European integration. But the Investment Centre at ING Belgium currently sees no reason to adjust its investment policy.

The already downward-trending stock prices of major US private credit firms took another hit this month amid the markdown of the software sector and concerns about AI. While executives are trying to contain those concerns, analysts say market participants may already be pricing in risks that could affect clients later.

Spreads on European government bonds are at their lowest level since 2008. The periphery is benefiting from structural growth and European subsidies, while core countries such as France and Germany are weakening. Investors are wondering how much of that convergence remains once the carry trade turns.

Belgium was long known as a late adopter of ETFs. But over the past three years, adoption has clearly accelerated, at 13 percent per year. This has brought the market closer to the European average.

ASML shares took a hit last week, after the company had risen in January to become Europe’s largest listed company. That has once again fuelled the question of whether the Dutch chip-equipment maker has become too big, too loved and too expensive. But how convincing are those doubts, really?