Investment Officer France

Emerging markets outperformed developed markets in 2025 for the first time since 2017, driven largely by strong AI and tech gains in South Korea. This week Morningstar compares the Robeco Emerging Stars Equities fund with the Cullen Emerging Markets High Dividend Fund.

The product classification in the revised SFDR does not allow for any ‘shades of green’. That is regrettable, because precisely such labels would make investment choices clearer for investors.

Despite a strong rally over the past year, the Brazilian equity market remains undervalued. Experts say that discount could evaporate quickly if interest rates fall.

The US Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell. Officially, the case concerns the renovation of government office buildings in Washington. No one should pretend to be naive enough to take that explanation at face value.

Where China and India set the pace in emerging markets for many years, investors are increasingly broadening their focus towards emerging Europe and Latin America. At the same time, a hard pivot to ex-China funds has proved risky, particularly because of timing.

French banking group Crédit Agricole has announced the launch of a new corporate finance boutique in its home market. Crédit Agricole Midcap Advisors and Degroof Petercam Finance France are being merged into Indosuez Corporate Advisory, a team of around 80 professionals.

Passive investing does not exist. It is a comforting fairy tale we tell ourselves, while we all press the same buttons en masse.

A new year, a new round. Every year at the beginning of January, I once again look with amazement and confusion at the equity market outlooks from the major financial institutions. And especially at the projected returns, which are invariably clustered right around the long-term average. Because one thing you can be almost certain of is that those projections will not materialize.

U.S. large-cap stocks are extending their rally into the new year, but a growing number of asset managers are entering 2026 with a more cautious view on expensive artificial intelligence bets. Many start to see better opportunities in value stocks.