Latest news and analysis of pensions, asset management, regulation and trends in the European Union from our award-winning journalists.
Industry body also said it fears EIOPA’s proposed stance could lead to greenhushing
Agreement would lessen pressure on finance sector and change scope of law
Pontus von Essen leaves Swedish national pensions giant after more than six years
Fierce opposition from trade unions and a large part of the political spectrum did not manage to stop Emmanuel Macron’s plan to reform the French pension system. The new framework kicks in this month, and the long-term sustainability of public pensions is secure. However, French workers will have to work longer into their lives, and their standard of living will decline.
Unions have a new role in determining the shape of occupational pensions but are mindful of their duty to protect workers
Ireland’s bid to reduce the number of single-member DC pension funds is succeeding but is not without teething troubles
Italian second-pillar occupational pension funds continue on their path to diversification. Owing to the higher yields on offer in traditional fixed income markets, allocations to private markets may slow down temporarily, but funds have made long-term strategic commitments. A variety of industry initiatives is facilitating investment in private equity, private debt and infrastructure. Meanwhile, some pension funds are consolidating their private markets portfolios.
Several large Dutch pension funds are planning to move back into active management while others choose to go passive and further tweak their indices. But these two trends are not as contradictory as they may seem
Diversification remains a key tool in pension fund portfolios
Insurance & Pension Denmark says pension funds are cautious when it comes to investing in defence and security sector
Private credit is showing signs of recovery, but investors are focusing on defensive sectors
For a market with a difficult past, some could even say an image-problem, securitised credit has been performing remarkably well in recent years.
The convertible bond market ended 2023 on a strong note with its main index – the Refinitiv Global Focus – returning 6% in the fourth quarter. The optimism has continued into 2024 on the back of reasonable valuations, historically low equity volatility and better opportunites.
In June 2023, the European Commission put forward the Financial Data Access (FIDA) regulation, which is currently being discussed in the relevant Council working group and in the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON).
Listed equities shine for pension funds, including Varma, Ilmarinen and others despite last year’s ‘feeble’ Finnish equities
Data providers out, double materiality provisions in, disclosures also for financial market participants
IPE’s monthly poll of market sentiment, asking 50 asset managers about their six to 12-month views on regional equities, global bonds and currency pairs
A key part of the 2018 MiFID II package, the requirement to unbundle research from execution costs shook up the European asset management industry and changed the relationship between investment managers and their clients.
When members of the European Union accession generation from central and eastern European (CEE) countries were young they used to dream of visiting Santa Claus in Lapland. As travel abroad was not permitted and communications were not developed, they wrote letters and waited impatiently for their presents to arrive.