Schroders: Are European banks looking more attractive as lockdowns ease?
Banks performed well in the recent market rebound but some are better placed than others to weather the tough economic times ahead.
Outperformance despite tech underweight
Skagen Global remains an outlier among global equity funds. The fund shuns most big American technology stocks. ‘The valuations are still unjustifiable for us,’ says manager Knut Gezelius who, despite this underweight to big tech, still managed to beat the market year-to-date.
‘Virus to drive AGM reform’
Annual general meetings moving online is an example of how the coronavirus could change the way businesses function. The Institut Luxembourgeois des Administrateurs (ILA), the country’s director’s association, saw a 20% increase in participation after moving their AGM online.
Why factor investing keeps disappointing
Due to a sustained period of underperformance, investors are increasingly questioning the validity of factor investing. Georg Elsaesser, Portfolio Manager Quantitative Investment at Invesco, has a simple explanation for the underperformance, and is not worried, yet.
‘The value factor and small-caps in particular have done badly, but that can be explained by the market environment. All factors are still doing what they are supposed to do,’ says Elsaesser.
UBS AM: Now might be a good time for China-investors to take advantage
Central banks’ quantitative easing has driven a 36% average y-o-y increase in negative yielding debt over the past five years to reach USD 11 trillion at the end of March 2020.
ESG and value funds launched in wake of pandemic
Vanguard and UBS have launched ESG funds, taking advantage of the increased popularity of sustainable investing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Orchard Capital Management, by contrast, sees the deep unpopularity of value stocks as the perfect opportunity to launch a US value small cap fund…
AXA IM: We must not sacrifice the environmental crisis to resolve an economic one
Both economic growth and decarbonisation can be fostered from the current crisis, argues Gilles Moëc, chief economist at AXA Investment Managers
Morningstar: Which Fund Firms Come Out on Top?
Morningstar’s latest analysis of the 100 largest fund companies in Europe assesses firms’ ESG credentials, manager tenure, and range of rated funds.
Morningstar: What to Expect From the EU Taxonomy of Sustainable Activities
The EU’s latest plans will shine a new light on funds’ and companies’ degree of environmental sustainability.
Is private asset optimism justified?
Despite the profound economic shock that continues to play out, investors in private assets appear to be quietly confident that this is a major but temporary setback. Two players in Luxembourg’s financial sector share this cautious optimism as they see investors taking a long-term view.