Regulatory capture on the rise The notion that regulators hold absolute sway over the industries they cover is facing mounting challenges, as increasingly successful lobbying by big business to dilute regulations – ranging from bank capital requirements to climate change measures to artificial intelligence (AI) legislation – points to “regulatory capture”. A
Draghi sounds alarm on Europe’s productivity A host of factors have conspired to act as a brake on Europe’s economic growth this century. And the situation is not helped by inherent difficulties with financing the necessary measures to increase productivity. Since the beginning of the century, European policymakers have
Gold’s resilience: Understanding its role in modern financial markets Famously derided as a “barbarous relic” by none less than John Maynard Keynes, and nothing more than a shiny “pet rock” to its many detractors, the allure of gold can be hard to fathom, particularly for those who pride themselves on their rational outlook. After
FinTech’s evolution: Driving a changing financial landscape One of the major consequences of the global financial crisis of 2007-09 was a series of systematic moves by regulators to loosen the vice-like grip that incumbent banks – largely courtesy of regulators themselves – had on virtually all aspects of the payments and broader financial services
Regulators take aim at greenwashing Greenwashing – a misleading or deceptive marketing practice used by companies and other organizations to portray themselves or their products and services as environmentally friendly or sustainable – has become so ubiquitous in recent times that regulators have been forced to act. The EU’s proposed “green claims” directive is
Can rotation into small caps be sustained? July saw a dramatic rotation in the US stock market out of all-conquering megacap tech stocks into small caps. While a market rebalancing would be welcome, gathering economic and political uncertainty point to volatility ahead, which is a headwind for riskier small caps. For
Bonds back in favor: Will it last? As we headed into 2024, the stage seemed set for a rousing rally in US bond markets. A combination of soft economic data releases and a dovish surprise from the Fed Chair Jerome Powell, following the FOMC’s December 2023 press conference, appeared to signal an end to
Leveraged finance boom draws scrutiny from regulators The leveraged finance market has seen explosive growth in recent years, benefiting from high interest rates and strong risk appetites, reflected in tight credit spreads. But with the size of this market now estimated by some at around USD 2 trillion globally, the boom is prompting heightened
Endgame for US Basel III negotiations The shockwaves from the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) are still apparent, at least in the sphere of regulation, with the US banking industry currently engaged in an unprecedented lobbying campaign against proposed new rules to Basel III – Basel IV or the so-called “Basel Endgame”. In
European equities back in vogue Beset by multiple crises and lackluster growth for over a decade, European equity market underperformance had become ingrained in investor expectations. However, since bottoming out in October 2022, they have been a surprise outperformer. Can this last? For the best part of 15 years, a litany of
