Investment Officer Global

Recently, Donald Trump urged Goldman Sachs to fire its chief economist. According to the president, he was completely off with his unwelcome forecasts about the effects of the trade war on US inflation. This raises the question of how independent economists at commercial financial institutions really are.

In the world of investment advice, a new player has emerged that leaves traditional analysts behind: the finfluencer. A recent study by Vaibhav Lalwani on financial YouTubers in India reveals fascinating insights into how these unregulated advisers influence markets. Insights that institutional investors cannot afford to ignore.

After the sharp rise in the gold price, silver is also on the move. Specialists expect further gains, pointing to declining confidence in public finances and fiat money.

Strong inflows at Amundi, Natixis, DWS and Allianz show investors’ appetite for income strategies. But equity outflows and margin pressure reveal an industry split between volume growth and conviction.

Europe’s most boring sector is piping hot. Bank stocks are outpacing the S&P500 for the fifth straight year, defying recession fears and fading rate tailwinds. Banking analysts at Schroders and JPMorgan still see room for more gains.

Hiring freezes, automation, and a shrinking talent funnel point to a structural reset in America’s financial sector. One with growing implications for Europe.

Agentic AI, a new class of artificial intelligence capable of autonomous decision-making, is beginning to reshape the asset management industry. Dutch investment firm Robeco is among the first to publicly test the technology, aiming to integrate AI systems that not only analyse markets but also can act on them.

University endowment funds in the U.S. are offloading private equity stakes as tax hikes loom. They frame it as strategic, but industry voices increasingly suspect disappointing returns are forcing their hand.