Secteur

The European Securities and Markets Authority (Esma) unveiled a new initiative this week aimed at making investment opportunities more accessible across the EU. At the heart of this plan is a new «basic and simple» EU investment product label, intended to simplify and streamline choices for retail investors.

L’Autorité européenne des marchés financiers (AEMF) a dévoilé cette semaine une nouvelle initiative visant à rendre les investissements plus accessibles aux investisseurs particuliers européens. Au cœur de ce plan se trouve un nouveau label européen pour les produits d’investissement simples, conçu pour simplifier et rationaliser les possibilités de choix des petits investisseurs.

Speaking at an ALFI event in New York, the U.S. Securities and Exchanges Commission, SEC, and Luxembourg financial supervisor CSSF have jointly voiced significant concerns about “increasingly complicated fee structures” in the fund industry, warning that these practices may be obscuring the true costs for investors. 

Emmanuel Gutton, a well-known legal expert in Luxembourg who until recently served as deputy CEO at the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry (Alfi), has joined New York-headquartered law firm White & Case LLP as funds partner. 

Gutton will advise on the creation, structuring and conversion of funds across a wide range of asset classes including private equity and real estate. The firm said he will also assist in setting-up and advising investment fund managers. 

Brendan Ballou’s book «Plunder» exposes how private equity firms, like Carlyle, harm businesses and evade legal responsibility, despite promising high returns. In this interview, Ballou discusses the alarming frequency and impact of these practices.

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.

This week’s overview of transfers, appointments, promotions and other people news includes updates from Euroclear, Norton Rose Fulbright, Mourant Luxembourg and Pictet.

Valérie Urbain

Valérie Urbain (photo) has officially been appointed as chief executive officer of Euroclear, with her appointment having been approved at the May 3 annual general meeting. She will replace Lieve Mostrey.

Pourquoi la devise work hard, play hard est-elle absurde ? À quel point est-il difficile de garder le silence sur votre implication dans une acquisition qui va redéfinir le paysage de la banque privée ? Et pourquoi son père est-il convaincu d’avoir fait quelque chose de travers ? Joachim Aelvoet, CEO d’ABN Amro Belgique, nous l’explique dans Le Miroir, le podcast dans lequel des personnalités du secteur financier parlent de leur travail, de leur vie et de leurs passions.