Investment Officer Global

There was eager anticipation for a new US labor market report. And not only because the flow of macro data from the United States is still lagging as a result of the shutdown. The US labor market is what can still obscure the real reason why rates were cut by another quarter point. But that argument does not hold either.

Morningstar has refined its Japanese equity framework as persistent style dispersion forces investors to reassess growth-focused fund selection in Japan.

In financial markets, 2026 will not only be a year of economic normalization, but also a test of the institutional fabric of US monetary policy. Renewed political polarization and the approaching expiration of central banker Jerome Powell’s term are creating a rare convergence of uncertainty for the period ahead.

Geopolitical risk once entered markets through sudden shocks. Going into 2026, leading investment managers and economists see a more persistent source of pressure: structural forces reshaping a world that is fracturing.

Luxembourg-headquartered and Qatar-owned Quintet Private Bank has announced a major leadership change.

Europe’s banks are heading into 2026 with solid balance sheets, but with less room for error. After an unusually long credit cycle, risks are building just as the economic environment becomes more uncertain, according to Scope Ratings’ European Bank Outlook 2026.

Around one-third of asset managers active in Europe expect a comeback for European equities in 2026. They consider stocks from the region to be inexpensive and expect the planned large-scale European government investments in areas such as defense and infrastructure to act as a catalyst.

Volatile prices make the coffee market an attractive arena for trading. However, downside risks currently dominate, experts warn.

Amid rising volatility, questions surrounding US interest rates, and uncertainty about the technology sector, Natixis Wealth Management is focusing on diversification in 2026, both geographically and across sectors.

Stay away next year from “long” government bonds and from corporate bonds, both high yield and investment grade. Profligate governments and poor risk-return profiles will spoil the mood in those markets.