Investing

The ISM Manufacturing Index, also known as the purchasing managers’ index, fell more than expected in June. The index dropped to 53 where a reading of 54.5 was expected. This was not really a surprise, as the regional sentiment indicators had already fallen significantly. 

In fact, they pointed to an ISM Manufacturing of only just above 50.

Sustainability funds have been selling like hot cakes in recent years. Not surprisingly, many fund houses like to see their funds classified as Article 8 or 9 under the SFDR. After all, these are the funds where sustainability criteria play a role in the investment process. We provide an overview of the most popular equity funds within this group over the past 12 months.

Germany has unexpectedly reported its first trade deficit since 1991. The reversal of the trade balance in Europe’s largest economy shows how difficult it is for German companies to handle rising costs of oil and gas. Economists at ABN Amro and Nomura meanwhile expect Europe will enter into a recession.

The global macro environment will continue to be anything but normal over the next five years. Investors will have to tread a volatile and challenging path. “Our expectations for a more volatile macroeconomic and market environment call for low and realistic expectations for asset market returns over the secular horizon.”

Private Equity in the coming years is set to attract a wider range of investors, in particular those who are considered High Net Worth Individuals. But the expansion of what still largely is seen as a private club does not come without risk, a conference organised by the Luxembourg Private Equity Association has heard.

An investment portfolio today should consist predominantly of US assets. Impact investing is sustainable investing 2.0 and long duration assets continue to struggle. That is what independent investment expert Jan Longeval said during the closing debate of Portfolio Day, which Investment Officer organised in Brussels last Thursday. 

Mutual funds saw net outflows last month at a rate of more than one billion euro per day, while firms selling Exchange Traded Funds experienced a small level of net inflows, according to new data from Refinitiv Lipper. 

Mutual funds experienced net outflows of 32.3 billion euro last month, compared to net inflows of 2.5 billion for Exchange Traded Funds.

Increasing variations in interest rates on government bonds the Eurozone have reawakened fears of bankruptcy in the periphery of the eurozone. The ECB says it will do everything it can to contain this threat of fragmentation. It remains uncertain though whether financial markets will continue to swallow the ECB’s narrative. These are painful times for bond investors, but there are opportunities.

Quintet Private Bank sees “significant long-term opportunities” in a world that has experienced multiple ‘black-swan’ type events – Covid-19, the invasion of Ukraine and a miniature version in China’s decision to lock down Shanghai in late March. Presenting the firm’s outlook, Ilario Attasi, group head of investment advisors, and Nicolas Sopel, senior macro strategist, said investors can still find opportunities in tech stocks, among others.

The Federal Reserve is doing something else than what it says it is doing. At last week’s FOMC meeting, Fed chief Jerome Powell said that “the committee is not trying to cause a recession”. Yet it is clear that the Fed is directly linking a recession to lower inflation risks and that the Fed does want to fight inflation.