‘Shy ETF’ reignites active-passive investing debate
The accelerating growth of active ETFs is blurring the lines between active and passive management. Critics warn that it may be an old trap in a new disguise: funds that claim to be active but behave almost exactly like an index—the so-called closet trackers.
US prepares ‘controlled demolition’ of existing financial system
The US government is preparing a shock therapy approach that amounts to a controlled demolition of the current system. The goal is to turn the United States into the global hub for digital currencies.
No easy fix for world’s copper deficit, says industry executive
While this week’s spike in copper prices may have grabbed headlines, veteran mining executive Ernest Mast, based in Toronto, believes it signals something deeper: a market entering a structural phase shift, complicated by geopolitics, policy, and supply-side inertia.
Asset allocators mainly want to boost bond investments
A combination of increased volatility and ongoing political and economic uncertainty is pushing financial institutions in Europe and Asia toward bonds. Asset allocators at several hundred of these firms expect to significantly increase their allocation to the asset class.
Cyclical sectors benefit most from artificial intelligence
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) is set to transform many industries. In addition to the software sector, heavy industry and mining may be among the biggest winners, according to experts.
Jan Longeval: ‘Turbulence in the Japanese bond market’
Due to Donald Trump’s erratic policies, all eyes are on the United States bond market, where the bond vigilantes have run wild. But there is also unrest in the Japanese bond market—and perhaps that should worry us even more.
Investing in defense and ESG: three perspectives, no consensus
It’s a question that concerns every asset manager: to what extent are defense and weapons stocks compatible with the sustainable principles of ESG? A joint report by the labeling organizations Forum Ethibel (Belgium) and LuxFLAG (Luxembourg) doesn’t provide a definitive answer but does outline the many dilemmas involved.
Trump’s new tariffs shake up inflation outlook and Fed planning
Washington’s revived protectionism is putting fresh pressure on the Federal Reserve. Investors are once again bracing for trade disruption, rising inflation, and slower U.S. growth. For now, Asia is taking the first hit.
Without a real banking union, EU’s investment union is a mirage
The EU’s plan for a Savings and Investment Union risks falling flat unless it completes the banking union first, warns Amundi’s Mahmood Pradhan.
U.S. tax risk persists, even as Section 899 is shelved
The U.S. has dropped plans for a controversial tax provision that would have targeted foreign investors, but tax experts say the risk of fiscal retaliation hasn’t gone away.