Wealth
Vontobel Profit Climbs 87 Per Cent Amid Efficiency Drive
A sharp rise in revenue coupled with a streamlined cost base propelled Vontobel to a net profit of SFr216 million for the first half of 2026, marking an 87 per cent surge compared to the same period last year as the Swiss private bank continues to outpace its own efficiency targets.
BlackRock and Phenix Capital Partner to Scale Impact Investing
Institutional investors are gaining a new avenue to integrate sustainability into their portfolios through a partnership between New York-based BlackRock and Amsterdam’s Phenix Capital Group. The collaboration merges BlackRock’s risk-management infrastructure with Phenix’s database of over 3,000 global impact fund managers to meet rising demand for measurable outcomes.
UK Defence M&A Market Hits Record Pace in 2026
Eighty-four trade transactions and 33 financial deals defined the first half of 2026 for the UK defence sector, marking a record start to the year. Heligan Group reports that private equity firms are now aggressively outbidding traditional trade buyers, driving up valuations across the national security and autonomous systems industries.
Middle East Instability Drives Global Push for Energy Autonomy
Geopolitical friction in the Strait of Hormuz is transforming renewable energy and precision farming from long-term sustainability goals into urgent risk-management imperatives. Union Bancaire Privée’s 2025 Impact Report suggests that supply chain volatility is accelerating the transition toward electrification and resource-efficient agriculture across emerging markets.
Wealth Management M&A Surge Driven by US Capital and Global Demand
With 225 transactions involving US-registered investment advisors during the first half of 2026, the wealth management sector is tracking toward a record year. This 40 percent jump in deal volume highlights a wider trend of aggressive consolidation, as US capital flows into the fragmented UK and Australian advice markets.
Fasanara Capital and William Blair Expand Investment Strategies
London-based Fasanara Capital has secured a $75 million Shariah-compliant facility to bolster embedded finance for Saudi SMEs, while William Blair Investment Management has launched its Global Leaders Select strategy, a concentrated, benchmark-agnostic portfolio seeded with $225 million to target long-term growth for global investors.
BNP Paribas Net Income Surges 33 Percent in Second Quarter
A 33.4 percent jump in second-quarter 2026 net income brought BNP Paribas to €4.345 billion, as the Paris-based lender benefited from heightened transactional activity and the integration of AXA Investment Managers. Shares in the group have climbed 34.4 percent since the start of the year, reflecting strong investor confidence.
EQT Targets Wealthy Investors via SailGP Partnership
Swedish private markets firm EQT has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with the UK’s Emirates GBR team, securing branding on their F50 catamarans through 2030. This move signals a broader shift in the investment sector, as firms increasingly leverage elite sport to court individual investors beyond institutional circles.
Moneta Group Enters UK Market for US Expatriates
Navigating the complex tax obligations of American citizens living abroad, the $50 billion investment advisor Moneta Group is expanding its reach. The firm has launched Moneta Global Wealth in partnership with London-based Thomson Tyndall to manage the cross-border financial needs of expatriates and international family offices.
Why Exchange-Traded Notes Could Unlock Private Market Access
Wealth platforms struggle to integrate private market assets, leaving new fund structures like LTAFs with limited reach. Tom Douie, CEO of PM Alpha, argues that the industry’s obsession with creating complex fund wrappers ignores the fundamental problem: existing infrastructure is ill-equipped to handle the distribution of these alternative investments.
WealthBriefing Opens Nominations for 2027 European Awards
Wealth management professionals and firms across Europe can now submit entries for the 15th annual WealthBriefing European Awards, a program established to recognize leadership, innovation, and client service standards. The competition aims to highlight excellence across private banking, family offices, and specialized fiduciary sectors.
EQT Joins SailGP as Private Markets Partner for Emirates GBR
Swedish investment firm EQT has secured a multi-year sponsorship deal with the UK’s Emirates GBR team, embedding its brand into the high-speed SailGP championship through 2030. The partnership grants the firm prominent placement on the team's F50 catamaran and exclusive hospitality access across a global race calendar spanning five continents.
EFG International Surpasses SFr200 Billion in Assets After Acquisition
With the finalization of its Quilvest Switzerland acquisition on July 21, Zurich-based EFG International has pushed its total assets under management past the SFr200 billion threshold. This milestone follows a strong first half of 2026, during which the private banking group saw its net profit climb by 5 percent.
Helen O’Neill Joins Multrees as Deputy CEO
Multrees Investor Services has appointed Helen O’Neill as its new deputy chief executive officer, a move aimed at reinforcing the firm’s executive leadership during a period of rapid industry transformation. O’Neill will partner with CEO Chris Fisher to drive the company’s strategic expansion and commercial objectives.
UK Markets Brace for Andy Burnham’s Shift on Defence and Spending
Financial markets are navigating a period of political transition as new Prime Minister Andy Burnham takes office, appointing John Healey as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The move signals a potential pivot toward increased defence funding and a more interventionist economic strategy, setting the stage for a critical autumn budget assessment.
State Street and Keyridge Asset Management Announce Leadership Shifts
State Street Investment Management has overhauled its European leadership with three senior appointments, while Keyridge Asset Management looks to bolster its UK distribution strategy by recruiting a veteran from Liontrust to spearhead regional sales efforts across the country.
Passport Mobility Widens as Global Peace Fades
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.
CFA Institute Maps Out AI-Driven Structural Shifts in Global Finance
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.
Julius Baer Shares Slip Despite Record Half-Year Profits
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.
Julius Baer Shares Stumble Despite Record Profitability
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.
Gravis Executive Bullish on UK REITs Amid Sector Consolidation
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.
European Wealth Flows Into Hong Kong Family Offices
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.
Allfunds Consolidates London Operations at Tower Bridge
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.
Wealth Management Firms Bolster Regional Hubs with Senior Hires
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: The High-Altitude Barometer of Global Wealth
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.
KBI Global Investors Debuts Two Sustainable Strategies
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.
Ultra-Wealthy Lag on Estate Planning Despite Looming Transfer Wave
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.
Ardian Shareholders Boost Stakes as AXA Exits Capital
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.
KBI Global Investors Launches Dual Sustainable Strategies
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.
Why Generational Labels Are a Liability for Wealth Managers
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.