Richard Sengmany

Julius Baer: record first-half profits

Julius Baer generated adjusted net profit of 673m Swiss francs in the first half of 2026, up 32% year over year. Pre-tax, adjusted profit came in at 814 MCHF, up 33%.

July 21, 2026 at 09:24 am

Europe slightly higher ahead of the ECB, rising tensions in the Middle East

Ninety minutes after the open, European stock markets are edging higher this Tuesday. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are not easing. The US military said yesterday it had carried out a 10th consecutive night of strikes against Iran. The operation notably targeted military command centers and maritime targets of the Islamic Republic. The CAC 40 is virtually flat (+0.04% at 8,343.55 points). London, Frankfurt and Amsterdam are up 0.05%, 0.15% and 0.11%, respectively.

July 21, 2026 at 04:52 am

FM Essential: Marie Diez appointed EMEA director

FM, one of the leaders in commercial property insurance, announced the appointment of Marie Diez as director of FM Essential for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa). The group recently communicated the broader rollout of FM Essential, an insurance solution designed to help a larger number of industrial companies strengthen the resilience of their operations through risk prevention.

July 21, 2026 at 03:30 am

Amundi and SBI celebrate the successful IPO of SBI FM

SBI Funds Management Limited (SBI FM), India's leading asset management company, has reached a historic milestone with the successful listing of its shares on BSE Limited and on the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE), following its initial public offering (IPO).

July 21, 2026 at 03:16 am

SBI and Amundi successfully deliver SBI Funds Management's IPO

SBI Funds Management Limited (SBI FM), India's leading asset management company, reached a historic milestone with the successful listing of its shares on BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE), following its initial public offering (IPO).

July 21, 2026 at 02:34 am

UBP: first-half profit up 40.4%

In the first half of 2026, Union Bancaire Privee's profit rose to 169.4m Swiss francs, up 40.4% compared with the end of June 2025. Assets under management increased 4.8% to 193.5bn CHF at the end of June 2026, versus 184.5bn at the end of December 2025. The increase mainly reflects the positive trend in financial markets since the start of the year, as well as the performance of the Bank's management solutions and funds.

July 20, 2026 at 10:27 am

Fundora opens access to Jeff Bezos' AI start-up

As access to Private Equity modernizes, Fundora is taking a new strategic step. The investment platform announced today the launch of its "Deal by Deal" model, allowing savers to choose precisely, project by project, which companies they back. To inaugurate this format distributed as "Drops" (a fleeting opportunity), Fundora is opening access to Prometheus, the industrial AI start-up co-founded and co-led by Jeff Bezos.

July 20, 2026 at 10:05 am

Launch of Ragas insurance

After more than 35 years in insurance, Jérôme Ragas has founded Ragas insurance, an independent brokerage firm based at 45 rue Grimaldi in Monaco. The firm is starting out with a base of long-standing clients that the founder and his team were already supporting, following an agreement reached with Suisscourtage.

July 20, 2026 at 09:25 am

Europe turns gloomy as the US-Iran escalation intensifies

With the exception of London (+0.27%), European stock markets ended the final session of the week lower, weighed down by a sharp deterioration in geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The conflict continues to escalate as strikes between Americans and Iranians intensify. The CAC 40 posted a second consecutive decline, slipping 0.47% and remaining firmly below the 8,400-point mark: 8,338.81. The Paris benchmark finished the week close to flat, edging up 0.01%. Frankfurt and Amsterdam fell by 0.35% and 0.94%, respectively.

July 17, 2026 at 12:00 pm

NextStage AM announces the listing of NextStage Croissance with BNP Paribas Cardif

NextStage AM (a group specializing in growth private equity in France) announces the listing of NextStage Croissance with BNP Paribas Cardif, a player in the savings and wealth management market. This new listing highlights the growing interest in the solution provided by NextStage AM for building diversified portfolios among retail investors through life insurance and retirement savings.

July 17, 2026 at 09:58 am

Moonfare crosses the €4bn mark in assets under management

Moonfare, a global investment and management platform specializing in private markets, said it has surpassed €4bn in assets under management after strong fundraising in the first half. The milestone marks an important step in its development, as private investors and family offices continue to increase their exposure to institutional-quality private markets opportunities.

July 17, 2026 at 09:36 am

Nordea AM launches three new sustainable funds

Nordea Asset Management (NAM) says its range of active BetaPlus solutions has reached €100bn in assets under management (AuM). The group is expanding its lineup with three new sustainable BetaPlus Enhanced equity building blocks covering eurozone markets, European small caps and US small caps.

July 17, 2026 at 09:28 am

Credit Mutuel Insurance to raise its stake in Ardian to 23%

Credit Mutuel Insurance yesterday signed a share transfer agreement to acquire from Axa about 3.4% of Ardian's equity, a global and diversified private equity firm. The transaction will lift Credit Mutuel Insurance's overall stake in Ardian to about 23%. Active in property and casualty insurance and personal insurance (life insurance, retirement savings and employee savings plans), the group has been backing Ardian's capital since 2013.

July 17, 2026 at 08:34 am

TotalEnergies: Bank of America reassures after UBS doubts

Following yesterday's release of TotalEnergies' activity indicators for the second quarter of 2026, two major investment banks delivered sharply contrasting assessments. While Swiss bank UBS cut its profit forecasts due to weak gas trading, Bank of America (BofA) was clearly more upbeat. Calling the quarter 'much better than feared', the US banking giant maintained its buy rating on the French oil major, which it views as its top pick in Europe. In its view, production is solid and its long-term financial outlook will be exceptional.

July 17, 2026 at 06:44 am

Burberry weighs on the luxury sector despite reassuring sales

Burberry (-5.60% at 1,059 pence) is posting the FTSE 100's biggest decline on Friday. Despite broadly reassuring first-quarter results for its off-cycle 2026-2027 fiscal year, the stock is seeing profit-taking. Investors are staying cautious in the face of an already demanding valuation (26 times the estimated 2027 P/E) that largely prices in the success of the British luxury group's turnaround plan, even as the luxury sector grapples with a broad-based slowdown in consumer spending.

July 17, 2026 at 05:19 am

J.Safra Sarasin: 'gold's low point is now near'

Benoît Harger, portfolio manager, and Jingchao Zhu, investment specialist at J.Safra Sarasin, remain confident about gold's medium-term outlook: 'The structural drivers underpinning its re-rating over the past several years remain fully in place: geopolitical fragmentation continues to fuel hedging strategies against dollar depreciation, sovereign debt sustainability remains an unresolved concern, and central banks show no sign of changing course'.

July 16, 2026 at 10:05 am

WTW reveals growing complexity in global risks

WTW, one of the global players in advisory, brokerage and solutions, has published its annual study on Directors and Officers Liability (D&O) worldwide. Positioned at the heart of economic ecosystems and at the crossroads of exchanges with all stakeholders, executives now see their personal liability directly exposed to a host of interconnected risks.

July 16, 2026 at 09:20 am

Home insurance: premiums vary sharply depending on the insured's profile

The study published by Meilleurtaux on home insurance pricing in France highlights a structuring reality: the cost of coverage varies widely depending on the insured's profile and place of residence, itself influenced by burglary rates. Behind national averages ranging from €89 to €286 a year depending on the profile lie meaningful gaps, sometimes exceeding €100 depending on the region. In this context, the question of protecting one's home becomes central.

July 16, 2026 at 05:17 am

The CAC 40 slips back into the red

More than 90 minutes after the open, European stock markets are lower. They are still closely tracking the escalation in the Middle East, marked by intensified strikes between Americans and Iranians. Iran struck a firm tone, saying the Strait of Hormuz would remain blocked as long as American 'aggressions' do not stop. After five straight sessions in the green, the CAC 40 is down 0.42% at 8,347.01 points. London, Frankfurt and Amsterdam are off 0.57%, 0.70% and 0.52%, respectively.

July 16, 2026 at 04:46 am

2CRSi responds to Grizzly Research's 34 allegations

In a document published this morning, 2CRSi provides its response, point by point, to the 34 allegations contained in Grizzly Research LLC's June 18 publication. The document supplements the press releases and webinars from the high-performance computer server manufacturer. The company notes that the publication comes from a short seller that has reported to the AMF a net short position and has a financial interest in a decline in the share price.

July 16, 2026 at 02:47 am

Launch of the Neuberger MENA Equity Fund

Neuberger Berman, a private, independent asset manager owned by its employees, announces the launch of the Neuberger MENA Equity Fund. This is a UCITS fund with daily liquidity, aimed at institutional and professional investors seeking access to Middle East and North Africa (MENA) equity markets through high-conviction active management.

July 15, 2026 at 05:33 am