Investment Officer Luxembourg

Luxembourg-based Quintet Private Bank  has opened a branch in Zurich, Switzerland. The opening follows the acquisition of the local Bank am Bellevue, the asset management arm of Bellevue Group AG, and the approval of the transaction by the regulatory authorities.

US government debt is rising rapidly and the economy has come to a virtual standstill because of the coronavirus. However, treasury yields have never been this low. Yet, real alternatives to treasuries as a safe haven investment have yet to emerge, according to Quentin Fitzsimmons.

Chief economists are all waiting for the gradual lifting of lockdown measures. But otherwise, there’s little that unites them. Some are optimistic for the recovery to continue, while other believe markets are ahead of themselves.

The corona crisis is severely compromising the growth prospects of the world economy. ‘The stagnation of new infections in the main industrialised countries is good news, although concerns about certain emerging countries such as Russia, India and Brazil remain,’ says Keith Wade (pictured), chief economist at Schroders.

With a balanced performance since the beginning of 2020, Jupiter Dynamic Bond has confirmed its attractive status in the field of flexible and globally diversified bond funds. However, according to its manager, it is still too early to raise the portfolio’s risk level.

The Luxembourg fund industry has been set back three years by the coronavirus crisis. Assets held in funds domiciled in Luxembourg shrunk by a record €526 billion in March, according to figures provided to Investment Officer by Morningstar.

All of Luxembourg’s fund community is feeling the impact of the coronavirus crisis, and fund association Alfi is doing its best to offer support. At the same time however, Alfi itself is being hit by the crisis too, as part of its revenue stream partly drying up.

Alfi postponed its flagship European Asset Management Conference, due to take place on 17-18 March this year, to mid-September. There are another dozen or so events on its calendar for this year, some of  which may have to be cancelled depending on the coronavirus situation. 

Companies with above average sustainability profile held up better during the first month of the corona crisis. The crisis thus confirms the importance of ESG integration not only from a climatic and social perspective, but also from a financial perspective.