The 20th edition of the Henley Passport Index reveals a stark paradox: while average visa-free access has nearly doubled to 108 destinations since 2006, the Global Peace Index reports its bleakest findings in two decades, with international conflict rising for the twelfth consecutive year across the globe.
Artificial intelligence is doing more than automating office tasks; it is fundamentally altering how capital markets function. The CFA Institute has launched a new research series aimed at helping regulators and industry leaders move beyond reactive measures to address systemic changes in price formation and market integrity.
Shares in Julius Baer dropped 3.93 per cent yesterday, despite the Zurich-based private bank posting a record net profit of SFr673 million for the first half of 2026. While the results showed a 128 per cent year-on-year surge, the market reaction signaled investor indifference to the bank's latest financial milestone.
Shares of Switzerland’s second-largest bank fell 3 percent Tuesday, even as Julius Baer reported record first-half profits that surpassed analyst expectations. The market reaction highlights a persistent skepticism among investors regarding the sustainability of the bank's growth and the quality of its revenue streams following recent credit losses.
Matt Norris, head of real estate at Gravis, expects a strong 2026 for the VT Gravis UK Listed Property Fund, driven by structural socio-economic shifts and a wave of strategic M&A. As interest rate environments stabilize, Norris argues that listed property assets are poised to outperform broader equity markets.
Hong Kong is emerging as the primary gateway for European capital seeking a foothold in Asian markets, with BNP Paribas reporting a surge in clients establishing local family offices. This shift underscores the city's role as a strategic connector for cross-border investment despite intensifying competition from regional hubs like Singapore.
Moving from Mortimer Street to a 16,500-square-foot facility on Tower Bridge Road, Allfunds has unified its dispersed UK workforce under a single roof. The relocation serves as a strategic play to centralize the wealthtech platform’s core functions within its primary regulatory home market in the City of London.
LGT Wealth Management, Rothschild & Co, and BRI Wealth Management are aggressively expanding their regional footprints across the UK, securing veteran talent to deepen local client relationships. These strategic appointments reflect a broader industry pivot toward delivering bespoke advisory services outside of London’s traditional financial power center.
Private aviation remains a mirror for the ultra-wealthy, where fleet expansion signals confidence and usage rates track the mood of the global elite. While the market is currently experiencing robust growth, recent fuel shortages in the French Riviera have exposed a fragility in the infrastructure supporting this exclusive industry.
Dublin-based KBI Global Investors has launched two new sustainable strategies for European and UK markets, signaling a commitment to responsible investing despite cooling industry sentiment. The firm introduced a Global Core Sustainable Strategy and a Global Health & Wellbeing Strategy, aiming to capitalize on long-term demographic and social trends.
While trillions in assets prepare to shift between generations, a BNY Wealth survey reveals that over half of ultra-high-net-worth individuals have incomplete transfer plans. Despite the looming scale of this intergenerational move, many families remain disconnected from their own strategies, leaving significant gaps in their long-term financial readiness.
Two key investors in Paris-based private investment firm Ardian are set to acquire the 10 per cent stake currently held by AXA, signaling a shift in the company's ownership structure. By exercising pre-emption rights, Assurances du Crédit Mutuel and Wafra will deepen their commitment to the $200 billion firm.
Dublin-based asset manager KBI Global Investors is expanding its footprint in the ESG market with two new strategies available to EU and UK clients. The launch includes a Global Core Sustainable Strategy and a Global Health & Wellbeing fund, signaling a firm commitment to responsible investing despite recent industry volatility.
When a wealth manager categorizes a client as a Millennial or a Boomer, they believe they are identifying a target demographic. In reality, they are relying on lazy stereotyping that ignores individual nuance, creating a significant business risk during the largest transfer of wealth in financial history.
Switzerland-based AMINA Bank has become the first regulated digital assets lender to integrate the Mesh payments network. This move allows clients to verify wallet ownership and deposit stablecoins directly into their banking accounts, bypassing the manual, multi-step authentication processes that have long hampered institutional crypto transactions.
Zurich-listed banking technology group Temenos has officially closed its acquisition of additiv, a move designed to bolster its presence in the global wealth management sector. The transaction, settled through a mix of cash and equity, integrates a firm that currently services 30 major financial institutions across the globe.
While the renewed Middle East conflict has reignited fears of supply chain instability, most companies remain insulated from the immediate financial fallout. Fidelity International’s latest survey reveals that energy hedging and existing inventory buffers are currently masking the true scale of rising freight and raw material expenses.
With a combined 45 years of institutional experience, two long-standing executives are stepping into pivotal new roles at SEB. Niina Äikäs will transition to country manager for Finland, while Sonata Gutauskait-Bubnelien is set to lead the bank’s Baltic division, pending regulatory approvals by September 2026.
London-based global thematic investment manager Sarasin & Partners has elevated two internal leaders to the partnership, signaling a focus on long-term continuity within its charities and private client divisions. The firm confirmed the promotions of Tom Lindsey and Ben Gilbert following their multi-year tenures at the company.
After two decades of leadership, Malcolm Becker is stepping down as CEO of Bentley Trust (Malta) Limited. Emily Burgess, a veteran of the firm who has climbed the ranks since joining in 2017, will now lead the wealth management subsidiary through its next chapter of fiduciary operations.
Documentary filmmaker Louis Theroux will take the stage as the endnote speaker at the annual Jersey Finance private wealth conference in London on September 22. Known for his deep-dive profiles of complex figures, Theroux plans to examine the mechanics of credibility and trust within a fractured global environment.
Navigating the intersection of British residency and American tax obligations remains a taxing reality for many expatriates. London-based Arbuthnot Latham is now addressing this friction by launching its Global Direct Service, a discretionary investment platform specifically engineered to bypass the complications of traditional cross-border financial structures for US citizens.
As family offices integrate artificial intelligence to sharpen investment decisions and streamline operations, they face an urgent governance challenge. While these tools offer significant efficiency gains, they simultaneously introduce complex vulnerabilities that threaten the discretion and security foundational to high-net-worth wealth management.
A 20 percent year-on-year revenue surge in asset and wealth management highlights the latest quarterly results from Goldman Sachs, which posted $4.60 billion in that sector. Despite this growth, the banking giant saw a broader decline in overall net revenues compared to the same period in 2025.
Despite persistent inflation and the shadow of the US-Iran conflict, 91 percent of Natixis Investment Managers strategists view artificial intelligence as the primary catalyst for market performance through the end of 2026. Experts anticipate that US large-cap growth stocks will lead global returns, even as geopolitical instability continues to reshape trade.
Investment managers are pivoting to meet changing market demands, with Vanguard, Guinness Global Investors, and Fidelity International launching new bond strategies. These initiatives range from short-term debt instruments designed to minimize interest rate volatility to localized credit solutions aimed at supporting regional economic infrastructure in the United Kingdom.
Bank of America’s global wealth and investment arm reported a significant surge in second-quarter net income, reaching $1.413 billion compared to $993 million during the same period last year. This performance reflects a broader upward trajectory for the Charlotte-based lender, fueled by rising client balances and total revenue.
Union Bancaire Privée reported a 40.4 percent surge in half-year profits for 2026, reaching SFr169.4 million. The Geneva-based lender attributed the performance to buoyant financial markets and the successful consolidation of Societe Generale’s private banking units in Switzerland and the UK.
Monaco-based wealth manager Azura Partners has officially established its presence in the Abu Dhabi Global Market, setting up operations in Al Maryah Tower. This move follows a strategic investment from Lunate, the Abu Dhabi-based firm managing over $115 billion in assets, which acquired a stake in Azura earlier this year.
Morgan Stanley’s wealth management arm surged to record net revenues of $8.9 billion in the second quarter of 2026, fueled by a 14 percent year-over-year climb. This performance helped the investment bank cross the $10 trillion threshold in total client assets, signaling robust activity across its integrated global operations.
