Investment Officer Luxembourg

Belgian investor Frank Vlayen has taken a 47.5 percent stake in Antwerp-based Leo Stevens Private Banking. CEO Ive Mertens believes this deal will solidify the stockbroking firm’s independent trajectory.

Fund managers are beefing up their exchange-traded fund (ETF) ranges, to judge from a recent flurry of product launches. Luxembourg’s fund industry faces a dual threat: these ETFs launched in Ireland and are taking market share from traditional Ucits mutual funds, its core product.

Both Paris-based AXA Investment Management and Boston-based Fidelity Investments have recently launched products offering active management and research at a lower cost.

Investment Officer is organising an event on 30 November at the H’ART Museum in Amsterdam to look ahead to 2024. The event will cover topics such as economic growth, inflation, and the role of artificial intelligence in the financial sector.

Let me begin by stating my agreement that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise interest rates imminently. However, basing this expectation solely on the latest inflation figures seems overly optimistic. The recent data, after all, were not exceptionally positive.

Koen Van de Maele, the new president of the Belgian Asset Manager Association, or Beama, began his career at what is now Candriam. He shared his views on the evolving sector of sustainable fund management. 

The UK’s financial supervisor still sees shortcomings in the asset management industry in regards to sustainable investment funds ahead of its publication of more stringent anti-greenwashing rules.  

This week’s overview of transfers, appointments and promotions includes updates from Advanzia Bank, Arcida, La Francaise, Scope and Alp Financial.

The current approach to the EU’s retail investment strategy may not adequately address broader issues such as the retirement savings gap, reflecting a need for a more holistic approach to financial education and pension policies, a leading European industry representative argues.