Investment Officer Luxembourg

Financial sanctions against Russia and the exposure of investment funds to Russian assets were widely discussed at the 2022 European Asset Management Conference in Luxembourg, hosted by the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry, or Alfi, on 22-23 March.

New options for trading securitised debt products are available in Luxembourg after its parliament approved long-awaited amendments to its securitisation law. In an interview with Investment Officer, Harneys’ counsel and securitisation lawyer Massimiliano della Zonca sees it as a game changer for the Grand Duchy. 

During the brief period between the release of most Covid-19 measures and the start of the war in Ukraine, inflation was the order of the day. And although we currently live in a more complex and visibly less global world, inflation still seems to be the number one issue for financial markets.

The first quarter of 2022 was one of the toughest in decades for investors with a neutrally balanced portfolio, writes Bloomberg on the basis of its own data. The S&P 500 fell by 4.9 percent, US treasuries lost 5.6 percent and investment grade even fell by 7.8 percent. 

Sanctions imposed on companies and individuals in Russia and Belarus have triggered concerns that crypto-currencies offer an escape route to circumvent them. Insiders argued that these concerns are unjustified, although crypto sceptics argue that “we should not be naive”.

Tech advisory and investment firm GP Bullhound on Monday said it is opening an Luxembourg office after the national supervisor gave a green light to application for a licence as Alternative Investment Fund Manager, or AIFM. In parallel to the Luxembourg launch, the company is opening a new office in Zurich.