Outlook

“Client focus is my top priority”

At the start of this year, Francesca McDonagh was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Universal Investment Group. Jochen Meyers, who will take on the role of Group Head of Relationship Management as of October 1, sat down with Francesca to discuss her first impressions of Universal Investment, her plans for the business, and how Germans and Irish can benefit from each other.

Overview

‘Economic security comes at a price’

Reducing economic dependency, managing the energy transition, expanding infrastructure, promoting education as a resource, boosting defense - the sheer volume of challenges is pushing states to their limits. In numerous areas, much more private capital needs to be mobilised to tackle the tasks ahead. An interview with Prof Dr Moritz Schularick from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

Insight

DORA aims to enhance digital operational resilience in the financial sector

A few weeks ago, the defective CrowdStrike update demonstrated that world-wide interconnected networks can have wide-reaching consequences. Also – and especially – in the financial sector, IT security is an important topic, and with the Digital Operational Resilience Act, DORA for short, the European Union intends to strengthen it.
In an interview with Managing Director Dr. André Jäger, you will find out how Universal Investment is implementing the DORA requirements to become even more resilient against cyberthreats and disruptions.

The tax experts at Universal Investment have compiled the latest changes and provide you with an update on the following topics: Second German Future Financing Act, German Foreign Tax Act.

Although it has long been possible to include real estate in fund investment vehicles without incurring real estate transfer tax, the option has attracted little interest so far. However, under current market conditions, investors’ appetite for co-ownership funds („Miteigentumsfonds”) is growing. In contrast to the regular trust model for a real estate fund (“Immobilienspezialfonds”) in accordance with section 284 KAGB, in this variant the investor remains the registered owner in the land register (“Grundbuch”).
This allows for more efficient management of directly held properties acquired to date.
In addition, co-ownership funds provide all the general advantages of including real estate in a fund, such as balance sheet optimisation by releasing hidden reserves and the possibility of raising external capital that can be used, for example, for necessary renovations with a focus on sustainability. Involving specialised asset managers can also improve property performance as well as reduce clients’ in-house costs. If you are interested, please feel free to contact our colleagues in Sales or Relationship Management.

Over the past few months, our rule-based portfolio management has seen some very favourable developments: capital inflows, positive market trends, and new mandates have boosted our assets under management to over EUR 20 billion. The team remains focused on developing tailored, rule-based investment solutions that align with the varying needs of our clients. In Overlay Management, our FX Overlay Plus switched to full hedging during the US dollar depreciation, along with the risk overlay. In Trading & Advisory, the team continues to operate as a versatile multi-asset trading desk, utilizing various trading platforms to manage high trading volumes according to the best execution policy.
In recent months, we have consistently advanced rule-based automation and algorithm development.

Frankfurt, 3. September 2024 – Universal Investment Survey reveals strategic intentions and challenges facing boutique asset managers. Over half planning to expand internationally in the next 12 to 24 months. More than a half of the participants see opportunity in equities and alternatives.

Luxembourg, 28. August 2024 – Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management, the newly established Luxembourg wealth management branch of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, has appointed Universal Investment Group as the new Management Company for its UCITS SICAV portfolio in Luxembourg. The partnership is strengthened by the collaboration with UI efa as the Central Administrator and the Luxembourg savings bank Spuerkeess as the Custodian. The SICAV portfolio has been successfully migrated to the Universal Investment platform.

30. August 2024, Frankfurt – A state cannot function smoothly without an intact infrastructure. It forms the foundation for the economic development of a society. This includes institutions and authorities, as well as transportation networks, energy supply, and the healthcare system. A comment from Markus Bannwart, Head of Department Capital Markets and Fund Structuring Alternative Investments, Universal Investment.