Investment Officer Luxembourg

Navigating the interest rate cycle is a paramount challenge for family offices in Germany, according to a survey by Roland Berger and WHU.

Amid widespread cautionary optimism, some economists say the global economy is still at risk of a recession, and that we may not be out of the inflationary woods quite yet. Guy Wagner, chief investment officer at Banque de Luxembourg Investments, or BLI, lays out the bear case.

“The fact that up to now the recession has not yet happened does not mean that it will certainly never happen,” said Wagner at a press event in Luxembourg last week. BLI manages assets worth about 15 billion euro.

Luxembourg funds continued their recovery from a slight decline in October 2023 by amounting at year-end to 5.285 trillion euros, up 5.1% over the past year,

“I’ve got to say, I’m usually skeptical of the phrase “This time is different.” More often than not, it’s not. But the persistent strength of the U.S. economy, particularly the job market, is making me think twice. Maybe this time really is different.

Europe’s top financial supervisory authority is warning investors of a high risk of corrections in financial markets, especially in difficult-to-value private markets such as real estate. 

Only one in five management companies in Europe are publishing a legally required statement detailing how investment decisions may negatively affect sustainability factors. This encompasses aspects like environmental, social, and employee matters, human rights, and anti-corruption.

The Bank of England (BoE) this week reiterated its concerns about the risks of higher interest rates and limited data disclosure in private credit markets. Harvey Schwartz, CEO of The Carlyle Group with some 380 billion dollars under management, believes those concerns are exaggerated.

In a significant leadership change, Robbert Booij has been announced as the new Chief Executive Officer of Eurex Frankfurt AG, taking the reins from Michael Peters in July 2024. Booij, currently the CEO Europe at ABN AMRO Clearing Bank N.V., will join the Executive Board of Eurex Frankfurt AG from 1 May 2024.