Newswire

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French asset managers face operational risks from technology suppliers while struggling to secure contractual safeguards under EU digital resilience rules, France financial supervisor AMF said. Third-party providers accounted for 27 of 31 confirmed major incidents reported by asset managers in 2025 under the Digital Operational Resilience Act, or DORA, according to its report. Some suppliers resisted contractual changes, offered terms that did not fully meet DORA requirements or charged extra for safeguards such as audit rights. The regulator noted that smaller managers lacked bargaining power against providers that were difficult to replace and identified supplier risk management as a key area for supervisory attention.
EU financial supervisors warned that private credit’s growing links with banks could spread stress across the financial system. In a joint risk update published September 23, ESMA, EBA and EIOPA cited infrequent loan valuations, uncertain leverage and limited transparency as vulnerabilities. Redemption pressures at private credit funds could spill over to banks through financing commitments and shared exposures, the watchdogs said. The EU market remains relatively small, with limited aggregate bank and insurer exposures. However, European institutions also face risks through investments in the larger U.S. market. The authorities urged closer monitoring while saying Europe’s financial system had remained resilient.
HANetf and Aura ETFs have launched what they call Europe’s first UCITS ETF aiming to distribute income weekly, testing demand for frequent payouts from active ETFs. The Weekly World Equity Income UCITS ETF invests in global shares and uses actively managed covered calls and call spreads to generate income. It listed on the London Stock Exchange and Xetra on September 16 with a 0.50 percent total expense ratio. Options-based ETFs in Europe manage more than 11 billion dollars, HANetf said, citing ETFBook. Weekly payments are not guaranteed, it said. If investment income is insufficient, the fund may make distributions from capital, reducing share values.
Irish-domiciled ETFs attracted an estimated 39.8 billion dollars in August, accounting for 82 percent of the 48.3 billion dollars flowing into Europe-domiciled ETFs, LSEG Lipper said.  Luxembourg attracted 5.6 billion dollars, giving the two UCITS hubs a combined 94 percent share of the European ETF inflows last month. LSEG described both countries as global ETF centers because their UCITS funds can be sold across multiple markets. Ireland held 2.74 trillion dollars in ETF assets at month-end, more than four times Luxembourg’s 678.2 billion dollars. Ireland is the world’s second-largest ETF domicile by assets under management after the United States, which held 16.4 trillion in ETF assets at the end of August after attracting 176.2 billion dollars in net inflows. Japan and Canada rank third and fourth, respectively. Europe-domiciled ETFs held 3.74 trillion dollars overall. The figures reflect fund domicile, not investor location, and exclude China from LSEG’s worldwide analysis.
Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund QIA has expanded its relationship with JP Morgan Asset Management through two investment mandates worth a combined 20 billion dollars. Qatar Investment Authority said that JP Morgan Asset Management will manage 15 billion dollars in customized global equity portfolios. QIA and the asset manager will also launch a 5 billion dollar private markets initiative providing senior financing to established U.S. middle-market companies. The credit program will focus on industrials, services, healthcare and technology.  The agreement was signed through a memorandum of understanding and builds on an existing relationship between QIA and JP Morgan Asset Management, QIA said. JP Morgan Asset Management had 4.6 trillion dollars under management at the end of June.
The Federal Reserve’s first rate increase under Chair Kevin Warsh looks more like the start of a tightening cycle than a one-off move. The Fed raised rates 25 basis points, its first hike in three years, while new projections signaled another increase this year.  Fidelity’s Salman Ahmed said the unanimous decision showed the committee sees inflation and resilient activity as justification for tighter policy, with no cuts projected in 2027. Capital.com said markets focused on the future path, pushing the dollar higher and stocks lower. Swiss securities house Maverix said the deeper message is a higher long-run rate floor, challenging hopes for cheap money again.
UBS Asset Management has launched its first active equity ETF, joining a European market that is expanding rapidly. The UBS Global Equity Income Plus Ucits ETF targets income from dividends, share buybacks and options, with a 0.30 percent fee. The ETF will be managed by the bank’s global income equity team which oversaw some 9 billion dollars at the end of July. European active ETF assets reached 110 billion euros in July, nearly tripling since 2023, Morningstar said last month. JP Morgan Asset Management remains the largest provider of active ETFs in Europe. UBS launched its first active fixed-income ETFs only last year.
Oil prices exceeded 100 dollars a barrel on Wednesday after the US destroyed five Iranian crude tankers and Iran targeted American forces in Jordan, escalating fighting that began over the weekend. North Sea Brent crude by early afternoon was traded at 100.75 dollars per barrel, 2.9 percent above Tuesday’s close and at its highest level since 23 July. US Central Command said late Tuesday four tankers were destroyed in the Gulf of Oman and another near Kharg Island in retaliation for an attack on a Navy warship.
Franklin Templeton has agreed to acquire a majority stake in European real-assets manager Stoneshield Capital through property investment unit Clarion Partners, the companies said Tuesday. Financial details were not disclosed. The deal will triple Clarion’s European assets under management to 13 billion dollars and lift its global total 12 percent to 82 billion dollars. Stoneshield, legally headquartered in Luxembourg with its main operating office in Madrid, manages 9 billion dollars across housing, digital infrastructure, hospitality and other real assets. Co-founders Juan Pepa and Felipe Morenés will remain in charge. Completion is expected in the fourth quarter, subject to customary regulatory approvals.
Frankfurt-based DWS Group said Tuesday it will adopt Deutsche Asset Management as its global brand in early November, aiming to raise its international profile and emphasize its European roots. The DWS name will remain for its active European private wealth business, while Xtrackers will continue for exchange-traded funds and passive mandates. Chief executive Stefan Hoops said the umbrella brand aims to support the company’s global growth and broader institutional business ambitions worldwide. Deutsche Bank owns 79.5 percent of DWS Group. The remainder is traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.