Europe is the biggest victim of the war against Iran
The war against Iran has now lasted a month, and the consequences are becoming visible at a rapid pace. The conflict began as an American-Israeli operation targeting Iran’s nuclear program and the regime in Tehran. But while the United States and Israel are dropping bombs, Europe is absorbing the heaviest economic blows. The result of decades of failed European energy policy, strategic dependency, and a lack of geopolitical power.
New EU rules raise the bar for ESG rating providers
A sweeping new EU regulation for ESG rating providers is set to reshape a market that Morningstar Sustainalytics has helped build, consolidating a fragmented industry and raising the compliance bar significantly.
SEC chair calls earlier crypto approach ‘a brake on innovation’
Now that the US SEC has placed most digital assets, including cryptocurrencies, outside its oversight, chair Paul Atkins said the “brake on innovation” that the market watchdog had become under Gary Gensler is disappearing.
Chart of the week: the end of the macro investor
If there is one thing that characterizes the investment world, it is that it is full of clichés, parrots, and an enormous reluctance to change. It is sometimes laughable how market experts produce the same one-liners for twenty years or bury you under their “market wisdom.”
Morningstar: two speeds at Blackrock and UBS AM
Blackrock is an established behemoth with total assets that easily overwhelm its closest rivals, while UBS Asset Management is rebuilding following the acquisition of Credit Suisse Asset Management.
Christine Lagarde has always remained a politician
Faithful readers of this column know that I am deeply concerned about the politicization of the European Central Bank (ECB). Lessons from monetary history and piles of academic research support that concern: we simply know that a central bank that listens to what politicians want is bad news for inflation in the medium term.
Investors underestimate risk capacity Yale finds
For decades, investors have been told to balance risk with a simple formula: the 60/40 split between stocks and bonds. New research from Yale argues that approach is fundamentally flawed, leaving many savers too conservatively positioned to maximise long-term wealth.
‘Health care can regain its role as a safe haven’
The health care sector continues to lag behind the broader equity market, but according to sector analysts, investor pessimism is overdone. Innovation, improving earnings growth, and declining political risks could give the sector renewed momentum in the coming years.
European investors ‘are misreading the cycle’
European investors are approaching the current crisis using analytical frameworks from previous crises. According to chief strategist Mabrouk Cherouane of Natixis Investment Managers, this reflex leads to misinterpretations that directly affect asset allocation.
Neobrokers and neobanks are putting pressure on wealth management margins
Neobrokers and digital banks are advancing into wealth management and are putting further pressure on margins in the sector. Firms must choose between scale or differentiation to avoid ending up in a so-called “Valley of Death.”