German court paves the road for more debt in Europe

German judges handed down an important verdict this week: EU treaties are no obstacle to shared debt in the union. The ruling comes shortly after the European Commission called for new joint injections into the economy. “As an investor I would carefully reconsider my bond portfolio,” one critic warns.

On Tuesday, the German constitutional court in Karlsruhe ruled that “exceptional” EU loans to overcome problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic do not violate European treaties.

IO Talks podcast: valuation professionals move centre stage

Luxembourg has recently seen the launch of the Luxembourg Valuation Professionals Association, also known as LVPA. Valuations are “extremely strategic for building trust with your investors,” said Hind El Gaidi, one of the LVPA’s co-founders. For this Luxembourg edition of the IO Talks podcast, El Gaidi spoke to Investment Officer together with three fellow co-founders: Christophe Vandendorpe, partner at EY; Rafaël Le Saux, director at PwC; and Antoine Boggini, co-founder at BHB & Partners, an independent advisory firm.

Robeco en tête du top 5 des actions chinoises A

Ces dernières années ont été mouvementées en Chine : pandémie, agitation sociale de plus en plus palpable, tensions géopolitiques et crise de l’immobilier sont quelques exemples des turbulences auxquelles le pays a été confronté. Et pourtant, le président Xi Jinping a encore assis un peu plus son hégémonie.

Infrastructure funds adapt to changing circumstances

Infrastructure investing has looked like a very good business in recent years. Initially, interest in infrastructure was due to its role as a long-term, inflation-resistant vehicle for institutional investors. But the crying need for building, repairing and upgrading the built world while most governments are short on funds has given it an almost socially-conscious image. 

Most such funds have realised they can easily more towards doing ESG-related investments. Often, it’s just about looking for the right investment option.

Top 5 des fonds spécialisés dans l’énergie

Après avoir été longtemps honni par les investisseurs, l’or noir s’est imposé comme le seul refuge en 2022, alors que le marché subissait une inflation galopante. Mais malgré les éclatants bénéfices des compagnies pétrolières et gazières, les opérateurs ne se risquent pas massivement à (ré)investir le secteur énergétique.

Continuation funds bring alternative option for PE exits

Typically, when a private equity fund approaches its contractual culmination point, it will seek to sell its assets, but this may not be possible or desirable at that moment. Establishing a continuation fund is an alternative, Laurent Capolaghi, partner and private equity leader at EY Luxembourg, explained in this Q&A. One third of the top 50 PE houses are considering this alternative option, he estimates.

Digital platforms embrace private assets enthusiasm

The spread of web-based platforms has reached into the rarefied atmosphere of private equity, which has historically been paper-based and face-to-face in-person meeting with one’s investment adviser. This is taking place against an industry-wide drive to “democratise” the private assets world, in order to sate huge desire to invest, but also to address the equity issues raised in relation to significant barriers to access, Alfi’s Private Assets Conference made clear this week.