Investing

In retrospect, we can say that central banks used the annual Jackson Hole symposium to revive their credibility as inflation fighters. This also applies to the ECB.

After yet another higher-than-expected inflation rate - we are now at 9.1 percent - and core inflation at a new record of 4.3 per cent, the ECB Governing Council on Thursday has adopted a record interest rate hike of 75 basis points.

Rising inflation, the tightening of monetary policy, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the resulting risks to economic growth have caused sales of investments funds defined as Undertakings for Collective Investments for Transferable Securities, or Ucits, to turn negative in the second quarter, according to the European Fund and Asset Management Association, known as Efama.

Canada’s main pension fund, CPP Investments, has agreed to become a major shareholder in Universal Investment, a leading third-party Super ManCo in Luxembourg, by acquiring a significant stake in the firm from private equity and venture capital firm Montagu. The deal demonstrates that investors worldwide see further potential in Luxembourg’s growing asset services market.

Pictet Asset Management advises its clients to remain underweight in equities and maintained an overweight view on US Treasury bonds. In its latest market outlook, the Swiss-based firm said it reduced the risk in its portfolio by downgrading Chinese stocks to neutral.

European investment funds in real estate and alternative assets are vulnerable and could face liquidity risks in the event of a sudden investor sell-off, according to a senior official at Europe’s main financial markets supervisor, the European Securities and Markets Authority, or Esma. “It is one of the tricky issues here,” he said.

European investment funds continued to experience net outflows for a sixth consecutive month as investors withdrew twice as much from Ucits and alternative investment funds during June compared to May, according to the European Fund and Asset Management Association, Efama. 

Net sales of Ucits and AIF funds registered net outflows of 72 billion euro, compared to net outflows of 36 billion euro in May, the association said. Ucits recorded net outflows of 69 billion euro, compared to net outflows of 33 billion euro in May.

Growth in funds registered as Reserved Alternative Investment Funds, known as Raifs, in Luxembourg has increased considerably in the first half of this year , according to an analysis of data from the Luxembourg Business Registry by Investment Officer Luxembourg.

Luxempart, a Luxembourg-based investment and private equity company, on Wednesday said it has acquired a 8.4 percent stake in Nexus AG, a German-based publicly listed hospital software provider in Europe through a capital increase of 72.5 million euro.

Luxempart, a Luxembourg-listed investment and private equity company, has posted a consolidated net loss of 55.4 million euro for the first half as its investment income was hit by “extremely choppy” conditions in financial markets and the economy.

The loss compares to a profit of 499 million euros in the same period a year earlier. The firm said it maintained its net assets at 2.078 billion euros by the end of June, down slightly from from 2.169 billion a year earlier.

Cube Infrastructure Managers, a Luxembourg-based infrastructure investor, has agreed to take over the Czech activities of Germany energy firm MVV Energie AG for an undisclosed amount. The transaction would  be done through Cube IM’s “Cube Infrastructure Fund III” brownfield fund.