Investment Officer Luxembourg

Every year, I look with some amazement at the annual forecasts from the major financial institutions—particularly the expected returns that sit squarely near the long-term average. You can be almost certain these predictions won’t materialize.

2024 was a year of further consolidation in the Belgian private banking market. Many are eager to see what room for manoeuvre Degroof Petercam will have under its new French owner, Indosuez.

European investors are heading into 2025 with a stark warning: tread carefully. Analysts at Axa Investment Managers (Axa IM) have painted a picture of fragile markets, wavering economies, and thin margins for mistakes.

With the Digital Operational Resilience Act deadline looming, Martin Groos explains how financial firms and ICT providers must urgently adapt contracts.

These are worrying times. Geopolitically, a new world war seems imminent. The challenges in Europe are so significant that the valuation of European stocks has halved compared to the American markets.

Donald Trump’s re-election has derailed the proposed stricter Basel III regulations for banks, threatening their implementation for both U.S. and European institutions.

The financial media are buzzing with stories about the impact of Donald Trump as president, questions surrounding the supposedly high valuation of equities, the collapse of Germany, and the meteoric rise in the price of bitcoin. However, these headlines overshadow the troubling developments in the world’s second-largest economy. It’s time to address that imbalance.

Degroof Petercam has appointed Sylvie Huret as its new chief executive, succeeding Hugo Lasat, who will step down at the end of 2024 after three years at the helm.