A new eurocrisis
This year commemorates the 25th anniversary of the euro, but the festivities are notably absent. In times gone by, the Dutch guilder stood as a robust currency, challenging even the Swiss franc. However, those golden days are now but a memory.
Invesco - Why invest in the emerging markets without China?
Emerging markets ex China are offering investors substantial opportunities, helping them diversify portfolios and reduce country concentration risk.
Re-engaging with European investment grade
2022 was a disastrous year for bond markets. Then, 2023 produced a rollercoaster ride before finishing in positive territory. As we enter 2024, Marc Stacey explains why European corporates look attractive to investors.
Blackstone’s Solotar foresees structural shift to private credit
Interest in investing in private markets, private credit in particular, may have surged, but that growth is just the beginning. “We see a structural shift towards private credit,” says Joan Solotar, global head of Private Wealth Solutions at Blackstone.
‘We are behavioural psychologists rather than asset managers’
To become content, one must liberate themselves from emotions. Amsterdam-based asset manager Stoic embodies ancient Greek stoicism, aiming to shield clients from emotional investing. “We are behavioural psychologists rather than asset managers.”
Eltif 2 Matchmaking: New opportunities for secondary markets
On 19 December 2023, the European Securities and Markets Authority, Esma, published its final report on the draft regulatory technical standards (Eltif 2.0 RTS) under Regulation 2023/606 (Eltif 2.0). Since Esma published its Consultation Paper, these have been the core focus of the discussion. This contribution sheds some light on the proposed “matchmaking mechanism” and offers some insights as to its impact on (closed-ended) Eltifs, if adopted in current form.
Belgium sees growing support for ‘common defence bonds’
A proposal to enhance European defence collaboration by raising €100 billion through the issuance of Eurobonds in financial markets is gaining momentum among EU finance ministers.
Vincent Van Peteghem (photo), the Finance Minister of Belgium, presently holding the presidency of the European Council, voiced his support for the concept of ‘common defence bonds’ on Wednesday.
As carbon prices plunge, market seen vulnerable to short squeeze
Although fundamentals remain weak and carbon prices are half of what they were a year ago, market participants said a fresh round of global tensions could drive up natural gas prices and potentially trigger a short squeeze in the carbon market.
Belgian ETFs grapple with tax inconsistencies
Belgium’s Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) market finds itself navigating through a tax system inconsistency that favours unregistered products, according to Sébastien Lippens, the founding partner at Privafin. In a market where ETFs are highly sought after for their simplicity and cost-effectiveness, Belgian investors are urged to tread carefully due to the complexity of the country’s tax rules for investment products.
45% of family offices want more private credit in portfolios
More than half of family offices want to add even more private investments to portfolios by 2024. The most popular category is private credit. Cash, public equities and high-yield lose out.