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  • EC floats unpopular changes to sustainable finance framework

    EC floats unpopular changes to sustainable finance framework

    The European Commission (EC) has set out a new package of measures around the EU sustainable finance framework. The Commission said the package was part of an effort to ensure the framework continued to support companies and the financial sector, while encouraging private funding. Among its auspices were a new set of EU Taxonomy criteria…

  • US Fed’s ‘hawkish pause’ puts investors in quandary

    US Fed’s ‘hawkish pause’ puts investors in quandary

    Investors have been left with a difficult judgement to make on the near-term direction of markets after the Federal Reserve held US rates flat at 5 – 5.25% last night. The most notable aspect of the Fed meeting was not the holding of rates, which was widely expected, but the hawkish commentary that accompanied it.…

  • Sustainable fund launches from BlackRock and Mediolanum

    Sustainable fund launches from BlackRock and Mediolanum

    BlackRock and Mediolanum International Funds (MIFL) have both launched sustainable-oriented funds this week. BlackRock has launched its Global Funds Brown to Green Materials portfolio, which will invest at least 80% of its total assets in the equity securities of companies globally that directly contribute to the transitioning materials theme. Olivia Markham, a portfolio manager at…

  • European tech investment slows, but market ‘still resilient’ – Atomico

    European tech investment slows, but market ‘still resilient’ – Atomico

    There has been a visible slowdown in investment into the tech space across Europe, according to a report from European Venture Capital firm Atomico. The report, State of European Tech: First Look 2023, indicates the amount of capital invested into Europe fell by 52% between 2021 and 2023. In comparison, China, the US and the…

  • Industry reacts to EU’s Retail Investment Strategy

    Industry reacts to EU’s Retail Investment Strategy

    The European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA) has come out swinging at the European Union’s Retail Investment Strategy (RIS). A statement from EFAMA – produced in conjunction with trade bodies the Association of Mutual Insurers and Insurance Cooperatives in Europe, the European Association of Co-Operative Banks, the European Association of Public Banks, the European…

  • EC runs investor survey, following seventh EU-Bond transaction of 2023

    EC runs investor survey, following seventh EU-Bond transaction of 2023

    The European Commission (EC) launched its first investor survey this week to gauge opinion on its borrowing activities and status as an issuer. The survey, which can be seen here, has been put together by the EU with the assistance of BofA Securities, Credit Agricole CIB, and HSBC. The EC noted: “The survey – which…

  • Germany slips into recession

    Germany slips into recession

    German economy contracted 0.5% in Q4 2022

  • ESMA takes aim at ‘undue costs’ for investors

    ESMA takes aim at ‘undue costs’ for investors

    The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has set out to clarify the legislation provisions of the UCITS Directive and the AIFMD around ‘undue costs’. The regulator offered its thoughts in this 33-page document, outlining where it sees room for clarification. “ESMA is of the view that, as a first step, the Commission should clarify…

  • Nordic regions flex their ESG investment muscles

    Nordic regions flex their ESG investment muscles

    A Nordic-centred deal worth €2.3bn to generate onshore wind power in Finland has been struck. Danish firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Finnish company Myrsky Energia have signed a cooperation agreement to build 1,800 MW of wind power in the next decade, according to multiple reports from the region. The construction, it is understood, will take…

  • ETFs remain popular in Europe despite drop in inflows

    ETFs remain popular in Europe despite drop in inflows

    Investor interest in ETFs remains strong despite a slide in net inflows of roughly a third between 2021 and 2022, according to a report from Trackinsight, conducted in association with JP Morgan and State Street. The Global ETF Survey 2023 found more than half (56%) of respondents saying they would increase their exposure to equity-related…

  • Is France becoming Europe’s go-to FDI destination?

    Is France becoming Europe’s go-to FDI destination?

    This year’s ‘Choose France’ summit, held at Versailles this month, has led to pledges of €13bn of future investment in the country. Reporting from Euractiv indicated more than 200 chief executives, including Tesla and Twitter supremo Elon Musk, attended the event. While Musk did not make any overt pledge, 28 company-specific projects were reportedly announced,…

  • Europe ‘must invest $32tn’ to meet net-zero by 2050

    Europe ‘must invest $32tn’ to meet net-zero by 2050

    Europe will need to invest more than $32tn (€29.6trn) in energy and related technology if it wants to achieve a net-zero economy by 2050, according to forecasts by BloombergNEF. As reported by MERCOM India, the average yearly investment into clean energy supply, electric vehicles, heat pumps and sustainable materials has to treble in the 2020s…