Investment Officer Luxembourg

A plan that could provide cross-border investors in the European Union with annual gains worth more than eight billion euro has moved a step closer to becoming reality in 2030.

According to Nicolai Tangen, head of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, Europe is less hard-working, less ambitious, more regulated, and more risk-averse than the US. Yet, the average European is also likely to live a healthier, happier, and longer life than the average American.

So why should Europe become more like the US?

The latest edition of the Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) Global Asset Management Report provides a stark portrait of today’s asset management industry. Despite a robust 12 percent growth in global assets under management, reaching a formidable 120.000 billion dollars in 2023, the sector faces significant headwinds. Rising costs, eroding revenues, and the fading allure of traditional asset management approaches paint a troubling picture.

As fund managers or financial advisers, evaluating the performance of an investment portfolio and accessing pertinent information are crucial. Professors Georges Hübner (photo) from the University of Liège and Pascal François from the University of Montreal, Canada, address these queries comprehensively in their extensive work, The Complete Guide to Portfolio Performance, spanning over 1,000 pages. This book, endorsed by Nobel laureate William Sharpe, an authority in risk-return analysis, aims to become the definitive text in its field.

Religious institutions have traditionally had a unique approach to asset management and investment. In recent years, attention to climate change and socially responsible investing has become increasingly important, though widespread professionalisation remains elusive.

Inflation is rearing its head again, and many fear a rerun of the 1970s scenario. But here’s the catch: the world today is vastly different from back then, mainly because of our access to information. It’s a game-changer. Think about it: a smartphone user today holds more data in the palm of their hand than the US President had in the early 1980s. Knowledge about inflation isn’t just abundant—it’s at our fingertips, dramatically altering how we deal with economic crises.

Increased concentration in equity markets has emerged as a significant concern for investors. The rising dominance of US companies globally, notably the pronounced influence of the technology sector in major stock indices, is typified by the hegemony of a small cadre of prominent stocks, colloquially known as the “Magnificent Seven.” This phenomenon continues to captivate market participants, though signs of vulnerability in the supremacy of these seven market stalwarts are beginning to surface.

Degroof Petercam, Belgium’s largest private bank with a significant presence in Luxembourg, on Wednesday posted a double-digit decline in its full year net profit because of one-time costs related to sale of a majority stake to France’s Credit Agricole group and due to higher tax pressure.

Addressing its business performance, the firm said its private banking business improved due to higher interest rates, while its asset management activities faced a decline in revenues. 

With a sophisticated dividend strategy, the Goldman Sachs Eurozone Equity Income Fund has been scoring above average for decades. “We spend our risk budget mainly on stock selection and do not deviate much from the benchmark in terms of sector and factor exposure,” said Nicolas Simar of Goldman Sachs Asset Management in an interview.