Administration d’actifs

Major domestic Luxembourg bank Spuerkeess will move the majority of its fund portfolio to Euroclear FundsPlace as part of its effort to streamline and cut costs in its fund business, the bank has announced this week.

The bank said it “has decided to move away from transfer agents and centralise the distribution and execution services of its funds.”

Euroclear’s funds platform has started to manage the lion’s share of the Spuerkeess portfolio  and “collect trailer fees on external custodians” as well.

In a significant leadership change, Robbert Booij has been announced as the new Chief Executive Officer of Eurex Frankfurt AG, taking the reins from Michael Peters in July 2024. Booij, currently the CEO Europe at ABN AMRO Clearing Bank N.V., will join the Executive Board of Eurex Frankfurt AG from 1 May 2024.

This week’s overview of transfers, appointments, promotions and other people news includes updates from Fidelity, Alma LED Luxembourg, Fundcraft and Better Finance.

Christine Baalham and Tom Record

Christine Baalham and Tom Record have been appointed as co-portfolio managers in the global equity team at Fidelity International. Veteran portfolio manager Jeremy Podger will transition to a senior advisory role in March 2024. 

Atoz Services, described as the largest tax advisory firm in Luxembourg outside the Big 4, announced on 29 January its acquisition of former rival Fund Solutions, a money-losing Luxembourg firm offering outsourced fund administration services for listed and unlisted corporations, private equity and real estate funds. 

A thriving fund industry rests on the foundation of a robust regulatory framework, assuring investors that their assets will be safeguarded against misappropriation. Nevertheless, the pursuit of greater protection often accompanies higher fees, prompting investors to scrutinise regulatory requirements for tangible and effective outcomes.

A data analysis by Investment Officer makes clear that alternative investment fund managers in Luxembourg increasingly prioritise launching new sub-funds or compartments under established Reserved Alternative Investment Funds, known as Raifs, instead of launching new primary structures.

Partners Group, a publicly-traded Swiss private market investment manager that draws a third of its revenue from Luxembourg,  has announced an increase in assets under management of 8 percent to 147 billion dollars as per end 2023. The firm said it experienced a record year in terms of client commitments, attracting 18 billion dollars in new client funds.

Luxembourg’s financial sector continues to rely heavily on outsourcing services. A survey, conducted by PWC among 342 top executives and operational heads in the financial sector, found that a remarkable 90 percent of them engage in outsourcing activities.

Geneva-based investment house Edmond de Rothschild has agreed to sell its third-party asset servicing operations based in Luxembourg to Apex Group, a global financial services provider. This move is a part of Edmond de Rothschild’s strategy to narrow its focus on private banking and asset management, divesting from certain non-core business activities. 

Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

German investors have been internationalising their property portfolios for years. At the same time, foreign investors are increasingly drawn to the German real estate market. Though the momentum has fluctuated, the overall trend persists. As one of the leading fund domiciles in the world, Luxembourg has firmly established itself as a key player in this internationalisation.