Investment Officer Luxembourg

How asset managers vote on corporate resolutions every year determines the future of our planet, but the world’s very biggest investment corporations continue to block progress on environmental and social issues. 

Researchers from non-profit organisation Share Action, in the latest edition of the Voting Matters report released this week, outlined how 68 of the world’s largest asset managers voted on 252 ESG-related shareholder resolutions. 

Joseph Pinto will join M&G Asset Management in March as its new chief executive officer, the international savings and investment firm said.

Pinto joins from Natixis Investment Managers and succeeds Jack Daniels who announced his retirement last summer following 21 years of service. At Natixis Pinto served as head of distribution and investment solutions for Europe, Asia and Latin America and as global chief operating Officer.

Global financial services provider Apex Group is taking over Alfi Partners, a Luxembourg-based third-party fund marketing specialist, the firm announced today. Alfi Partners will become part of Apex FundRock, the largest third-party manager of investment funds in Luxembourg. Financial details were not disclosed.

Discussing and agreeing a single and coordinated EU “industry policy” has often been difficult and controversial in Brussels. Yet, all of a sudden, the “i-word” is back in fashion; the European Union should even make it the reason for its existence, according to newly reported internal documents. Investors however have few fond memories of plans like these. 

Regulatory uncertainty that the industry is contending with as a result of the complex range of interacting legal requirements, Efama, the EU’s main trade body for asset management, said. Luxembourg’s Alfi argued that “the element of intent” needs to be considered when making judgements on greenwashing.

Last year was another disappointing year for emerging market investors. The MSCI EM index yielded more than the MSCI World index, although the underperformance was less dramatic than in 2021. A summary of key events and a ranking of the five best-performing funds.

“The UBS phase is over,” a Quintet banker told me last week.

With economic growth slowing down in all three of the world’s major economies, investors are best advised to opt for the geographical region with the least messy outlook, leading international economist Mohammed El-Erian has told a Nordic conference. “The cleanest dirty shirt is in the US.”