Investing

France reported a few weeks ago that its already exorbitant budget deficit of 4.9 per cent of French GDP would be breached. And that was no lie. According to statistics agency Insee, the budget for 2023 will go into the minus by a whopping 5.5 per cent. And with that, the chances of France becoming a second Italy are rapidly increasing.

Over the past year, Nvidia’s stock has soared by more than 200%, igniting talks of a “bubble” among the self-proclaimed financial seers. But what precisely do we mean by a “bubble”? This term, often thrown around loosely, lacks a consistent definition among its most vocal proponents.

At the Trends Investment Summit, investment experts from major Belgian banks discussed asset management and allocations, cautioning against undue optimism amid a robust US economy, inflation risks, and shifting investment strategies for 2024.

“In general, one ought to be cautious of undue optimism,” remarked Philippe Gijsels, Chief Investment Officer at BNP Paribas Fortis, addressing attendees on the economic and financial market landscape.

Luxembourg’s private equity services business of Partners Group, which accounts for more than a third of its revenue, held up well last year in what otherwise was a challenging year for the Swiss-based firm.

Partners Group on Tuesday reported that its revenue from management services in Luxembourg rose 2.3 percent last year to 684.5 million Swiss francs (710 million euro).

Increasing numbers of analysts are now forecasting that the Federal Reserve will not implement any rate cuts before 2025. This follows an unexpected rise in US inflation in February, suggesting that the Federal Reserve may postpone any thoughts of reducing rates. Despite previous market expectations of an interest rate cut in June, experts at Vanguard, Apollo, and other institutions are now suggesting that the Fed could maintain current interest rates throughout the year.

Morningstar on Monday posted its European asset flows data for February 2024, revealing significant investor interest in equity and fixed-income funds amidst anticipation of interest-rate cuts.

Europe-domiciled long-term funds reported net inflows of 19.4 billion euro during the month, with equity funds experiencing their second consecutive month of positive inflows, amounting to 5.1 billion euro. This growth was predominantly seen in passive equity funds, which attracted 19.1 billion euro, whereas active equity funds continued to see outflows.

In an industry where performance is king, KKR has thrown down the gauntlet, claiming a victory in the long game of investment over the iconic Berkshire Hathaway fund. This bold assertion by the 553 billion dollar private equity behemoth not only challenges the storied legacy of Warren Buffett. It also sparks a fiery debate on the true measures of success in the high-stakes world of private investments.

Luxembourg-based Alter Domus, one of the world’s biggest asset services firms, has secured a new strategic investment from London-based private equity firm Cinven. Alter Domus said the transaction will increase its value to 4.9 billion euros, which indicates that Cinven agreed to pay the firm’s existing shareholders - its founders and Permira - more than half of that amount. 

This week, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer will present the UK’s new budget. Since the September 2022 debacle, when Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s bizarre tax plan almost brought the UK’s pension and insurance system to the brink of collapse, the extra attention has been justified. In the end, the Bank of England had to intervene to “save the furniture”, as the Belgians say. This earned Liz Truss the dubious honour of the shortest-serving prime minister.

Investors have been liquidating billions of euros in assets in European real estate funds for a year now. German investors in particular have been remarkably active in selling their property positions.