ESG backlash gathers pace The recent statement by the CEO of one of the world’s largest asset managers that henceforth he would stop using the ‘weaponized’ term ‘ESG’ is clearly a consequence of a backlash against ESG investing that has been building for years. The issue of environmental, social, and

Credit cycle on the turn “Higher for longer” is a mantra with which observers of the global interest rate regime have been familiar with for some time. As central banks worldwide remain resolved to stay the course of rate rises to counter obstinate inflation, so the effects of ‘normalized’ rates are beginning to bite

Open banking – A global perspective It is more than a decade since open banking arrived on the scene to a reluctant banking sector. That is just one reason why it has yet to reach its potential but it is in less developed markets where its impact promises to be revolutionary. Open banking

CBDCs – Moving forward (slowly)Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) have been characterized as a solution in search of a problem, but central banks seem resolute in their ultimate adoption, in spite of implied threats to commercial banks and financial stability. According to the Atlantic Council there are now 105 countries whose central banks’ are actively

Rates turmoil strikes financial system The spike in interest rates over the past couple of years has transformed the banking landscape and placed immense pressure on individual institutions, leading to dramatic rescues in the US and Switzerland, and raising the dual spectres of systemic failure and a credit crunch. Since late 2021, the

Climate risk – Regulatory response gathers pace It is widely accepted that climate change and how we respond to it has significant consequences, both for the global economy and for society in general. While banks and other financial institutions are increasingly dealing with the effect of both physical and transition climate-related risks on all aspects

The state of hedge funds – Is global macro back? After a fallow period following the global financial crisis, global macro funds last year delivered their best performance since 2008, with aggressive bets on soaring interest rates. This comes as no surprise, as macro funds are supposed to thrive during seismic shifts in the

Inflation targeting – What it is, and has the 2% goal run its course? Inflation targeting has been used as a monetary policy tool by central banks since the late 1980s, but recent events have raised the question as to whether the sacrosanct 2% target should be raised. What would be the implications of

Ratings divergence complicates anti-greenwashing measures The risks associated with greenwashing – false/misleading marketing regarding the sustainability attributes of a product or service – are on the rise with signs that net-zero and other commitments made by some members of the financial sector may not be credible. But identification of greenwashing practices remains problematic as