Investment Officer Luxembourg

Luxembourg has joined the international move to impose sanctions against Russia for its ruthless invasion of Ukraine. It has followed steps taken by other European and global countries and organisations, including condemning Russia’s aggression, even sending some weaponry and equipment to Ukraine’s beleaguered defenders. But there’s one area where Luxembourg appears to be out of step: the high profile application of the sanctions to Russian oligarchic assets held in this country.

For a second time in two years, investment fund managers have been ordered to directly report significant redemptions as the CSSF, the Grand Duchy’s financial supervisor, stepped up its monitoring of the impact from the war in Ukraine and the international sanctions against Russia.

Gold is playing its traditional role in the flight to safety and rose above 2000 dollars per troy ounce this week. There was disappointment last year when the gold price reacted poorly to sharply rising inflation, but Ukraine has pushed up the price. Gold thrives best at times of  chaos, but it is not a good hedge against inflation.

The financial industry often baulked at the tens of billions of euros it pays for EU’s comprehensive regulation framework put in place post 2008 financial crisis. With markets in turmoil over Russia-Ukraine, that tone now is different.

Starlight Capital, a China-based venture capital group founded in 2021, has picked Apex Group to provide it with fund administration and corporate services, the companies announced on Monday.

Apex, active in the Luxembourg fund services ecosystem also with FundRock and LRI Invest, said it will service Starlight’s latest funds and provide it with its eFront software solution that will enhance efficiency and reporting transparency through a robust and scalable platform.

While the plunge in the Ark Innovation ETF, a once-popular technology fund with about 50 billion dollars in assets, has made some investors question the fund’s strategy, Ark’s long-revered manager Cathie Wood made clear on Monday that she has not lost her faith in the power of innovation.

Financial markets started another volatile week on Monday, extending their declines after leading stock market indices fell sharply on Friday amid worries about the ripple-effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Oil prices surged further on Monday, with North Sea Brent crude trading near a record high 139 dollars per barrel amid talk of a ban on Russian oil imports.