Investing

Europe should not count on a traditional economic recovery. Due to second-round effects, inflation will widen further by 2023. And, ING chief economist Carsten Brzeski says, don’t count on gas prices coming down either. Nay, on the contrary, the real energy crisis will come next year. 

As might be expected, the US 10-year - 3-month yield curve has also turned negative. This inversion means that the two traditional yield curves with the longest and most reliable track record as recession predictors are now negative. By itself that’s is no reason to sell equities, or any asset class for that matter.

Luxempart, a private equity firm listed on the Luxembourg bourse, said on Thursday that it has generated a “significant” investment return by selling the bulk of its stake in Swiss diagnostic radiology firm Rimed to diagnostic services provider Unilabs.

Despite ominous forecasts, the German stock market is also participating unhindered in the rally that most markets saw in October. The DAX index rose 8.4 per cent last month.  This is striking, as virtually all indicators point to a very bleak outlook for the eurozone’s largest economy. Is the German economic model faltering?

In order to merge two Italian telecom firms, Luxembourg-based infrastructure investor Marguerite said on Thursday that it has restructured its holdings in Italian fibre and data activities through an agreement with Asterion Industrial Partners, an investment firm focused on mid-market European infrastructure 

The EU’s top category of sustainable investment funds - impact funds as defined under SFDR Article 9 - saw inflows double in the third quarter compared to the second, while funds that are considered mostly sustainable, or Article 8 ESG funds, continued to bleed, research insights by Morningstar show. The analysis also shows that more than 380 funds were reclassified during the third quarter.

The European Union has reached a political agreement that brings the relaunch of European long-term investment funds, a type of investment vehicle known as Eltif, one step closer. The European marketing passports for Eltifs are regarded as a major business opportunity for Luxembourg firms. 

The future has never been more uncertain, and that has more to do with the climate than the business cycle, argues Paul De Grauwe, one of Belgium’s top economists. “Not inflation, but climate is the biggest challenge we face today,” he said. “The entire market system could perish.”

Corporate profits will not fall even if economic growth declines, because of inflation. That is the thinking many investors have when it comes to expected earnings growth for the next 12 months, which is still positive. But I think we are now past the stage where profits are still driven by inflation.

Asset services provider Apex Group has announced a collaboration with BlackRock’s eFront to provide its ESG data consulting services to investors in private markets.