Wealth
Julius Baer Bets on AI and US-Asian Equity Growth for 2026
Despite persistent geopolitical friction and shifting inflation expectations, Julius Baer strategists are maintaining a bullish stance on global equities for the second half of 2026. The Swiss private bank identifies artificial intelligence as the primary engine for market growth, steering portfolios toward US tech and Asian supply chains.
Riccardo Corzani to Lead Julius Baer’s Lugano Operations
Riccardo Corzani will step into the role of branch manager at Julius Baer’s Lugano office on 1 September 2026. He assumes the position following the retirement of Ettore Bonsignore, who departs after a 40-year career in wealth management and seven years of leadership at the Swiss financial institution.
Investors Weigh AI Concentration Risks Amid Market Rally
The S&P 500 is now more concentrated than at any point since the 1990s tech bubble, with ten giants accounting for nearly 40 percent of total market capitalization. At a recent Union Bancaire Privée panel in London, experts debated whether the era of easy market beta is yielding to a hunt for alpha.
UK Financial Firms Pivot Toward AI and Private Markets
Ninety-three percent of UK financial decision-makers now identify artificial intelligence as the primary catalyst for industry change over the next five years. According to the latest Lloyds Banking Group sentiment survey, this rapid shift in priorities is mirrored by a widespread push to integrate private market strategies into broader portfolios.
UK Wealth Managers Are Flying Blind on Client Crypto Holdings
In the United Kingdom, over half of all wealth managers are currently operating in the dark, unable to see the majority of the digital assets held by their own clients. A new survey from CoinShares highlights a structural disconnect where firm-level restrictions are forcing investors to manage crypto portfolios independently.
Gender Divide Persists in Long-Term Financial Planning
While women dominate the management of day-to-day household budgets and spending, a stark gender gap emerges regarding long-term wealth. New research from St James’s Place reveals that men are significantly more likely to take the lead on critical investment and retirement planning decisions, leaving many women hesitant about their financial futures.
Financial Advice Bridges Gender Gap in Long-Term Wealth Planning
While women manage the vast majority of daily household budgets and spending, they remain significantly less likely than men to direct long-term investments and retirement strategies. New research from St James’s Place suggests that professional financial advice serves as the primary catalyst for closing this persistent wealth-planning divide.
Leadership and Data Strategy Shifts at VEIL and Foster Denovo
The London-listed investment firm VEIL has tapped international finance veteran Simon Davies to take the helm as board chair, while UK-based Foster Denovo is restructuring its digital infrastructure by hiring Aytekin Can to lead a new data strategy aimed at accelerating the firm’s integration of AI.
Andova AI Expands European Reach for Supply Chain Strategy
Investors looking beyond semiconductor giants now have a broader vehicle for artificial intelligence exposure, as Dublin-based Andova AI rolls out its specialized supply chain strategy across the UK and Europe. The move builds on the firm’s existing Quantum & Frontier Tech exchange-traded product, which debuted in London this April.
Automating Adverse Media Screening Amid Rising Compliance Stakes
For private banks and wealth managers, bad publicity is no longer just a reputation hazard—it is a major regulatory liability. As firms face the prospect of billion-dollar penalties, they are increasingly turning to intelligent automation to sift through global news for signs of financial crime and corruption.
Financial Advisors Bet on AI Despite Competitive Fears
Financial advisors expect artificial intelligence to drive market growth for decades, yet they simultaneously fear that AI-enhanced DIY tools will emerge as their most formidable rival. According to a new Natixis Investment Managers survey, the industry is grappling with the dual promise of efficiency and the threat of obsolescence.
Jason Kow Reclaims Queensgate Investments from AlTi Tiedemann
Jason Kow, the chief executive of London-based private investment firm Queensgate Investments, has finalized a deal to acquire 100 percent of his company from AlTi Tiedemann. The transaction separates the firm from the global wealth partner, which currently manages approximately $77 billion in assets under the AlTi Global brand.
Executive Appointments Reshape Wealth Management Firms
A wave of senior leadership changes has hit the wealth management sector, with Blackfinch, Carey Olsen, and Chikara Investments securing high-profile industry veterans to drive expansion. These strategic moves across the UK, Channel Islands, and Singapore underscore a broader push for specialized expertise in distribution, law, and asset management.
Baillie Gifford Launches Native Tokenised Fund on Ethereum and Solana
Investment manager Baillie Gifford has debuted the Enhanced Yield Fund, a UK-regulated vehicle that eschews traditional wrappers in favor of direct, onchain issuance. By utilizing public blockchains as the legal record of ownership, the fund seeks to bring transparency and continuous settlement to institutional fixed-income portfolios.
Vistra Launches Dedicated Latin American Business Unit
Following its December 2025 acquisition of Biz Latin Hub, Vistra has officially launched Vistra Latam to streamline operations across 18 regional markets. The new unit integrates the group’s global infrastructure with specialized local teams to provide legal, tax, payroll, and compliance services in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Detecting Coerced Debt: How Iris Uses AI to Spot Financial Abuse
Financial institutions are struggling to identify coerced debt, a pervasive form of economic abuse where victims are forced into legally binding credit agreements. Caroline Wells, founder of the UK-based firm Iris Anticipa, is deploying a signal-processing engine designed to spot these patterns within a bank’s own secure, private infrastructure.
A Decade After Brexit: Wealth Managers Weigh the Economic Toll
Ten years after the UK voted to leave the European Union, the economic landscape remains fractured. While wealth managers acknowledge that catastrophic predictions failed to materialize, they point to a decade defined by stagnant growth, diminished global competitiveness, and the lingering, costly weight of political uncertainty.
Japan Emerges as Primary Destination for APAC Private Equity
Accounting for nearly 30 percent of total regional deal and exit volume in 2025, Japan has solidified its position as the premier bright spot in the APAC private capital market. Accommodative monetary policy and favorable currency conditions have sustained momentum that experts expect to persist through 2026.
Kudu Investment Management Takes Stake in Drummond Capital Partners
New York-based Kudu Investment Management has secured a minority interest in Australian boutique firm Drummond Capital Partners for an undisclosed sum. The deal marks a strategic expansion for Kudu into the Australian wealth management market, leveraging Drummond’s established footprint across Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, and Perth.
Jason Kow Reclaims Queensgate Investments in AlTi Global Split
London-based investment firm Queensgate Investments has returned to independence following a full buyout from AlTi Tiedemann Global. CEO Jason Kow finalized the acquisition this week, effectively severing ties with the $77 billion wealth manager to pivot the firm toward a specialized focus on real estate and hospitality across Europe and the Gulf.
Zennor Asset Management, Spiro, and Magellan Lead New Capital Inflows
London-based Zennor Asset Management is targeting Japan's cash-rich large-cap market with its new Himawari Fund, while African EV platform Spiro secures $270 million in funding and Dubai's Magellan Capital launches a $50 million institutional vehicle focused on asset-backed lending.
Vontobel’s Georg Schubiger Tapped to Lead Swiss Wealth Association
The Association of Swiss Asset and Wealth Management Banks has appointed Georg Schubiger, co-chief executive of Vontobel, as its new president. The leadership shuffle comes as the organization, which represents 23 institutions managing over SFr267 billion in assets, reshapes its board to navigate the evolving financial landscape.
Asset Management One Steps Up Pressure on Japanese Boards
With $495 billion in assets, Asset Management One is leveraging its market clout to force change within Japanese firms. The manager held 2,215 separate engagements with 718 companies over the past year, reflecting a broader push to prioritize financial returns and disciplined capital allocation across the country’s corporate landscape.
Zennor AM, Spiro, and Magellan Capital Expand Investment Offerings
London-based Zennor Asset Management is targeting undervalued Japanese large-caps with its new Himawari Fund, while African EV platform Spiro secures $270 million in funding and Dubai’s Magellan Capital debuts an asset-backed vehicle, signaling a diverse shift in global capital allocation strategies across specialized markets.
UK Political Instability Rattles Markets as Starmer Resigns
The resignation of Sir Keir Starmer marks the latest chapter in a volatile era for British governance, leaving wealth managers to contend with renewed economic uncertainty. As the Labour Party faces its second leadership transition in a decade, investors are bracing for potential shifts in fiscal policy and tax strategy.
John Parkhouse Named President of European Asset Manager Carne
After securing a significant private equity investment, European third-party management firm Carne has appointed former PwC Luxembourg leader John Parkhouse as president. Parkhouse joins the firm to bolster its operational capabilities as the company scales its footprint across complex global asset management markets.
Defiance Launches Europe’s First Memory Semiconductor ETF
As AI-driven demand for data storage surges, US-based issuer Defiance has debuted Europe’s first memory exchange-traded fund. Listed on Xetra and Borsa Italiana, the Defiance Memory UCITS ETF targets companies specializing in the manufacturing and development of semiconductors, positioning investors to capitalize on a tightening global supply chain.
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Avaloq Secures Mobile Banking Partnership With Four Swiss Banks
Four Swiss cantonal banks have tapped fintech provider Avaloq to overhaul their digital infrastructure, a move expected to affect one million customers. By migrating to a unified mobile platform, these institutions aim to streamline their services while establishing a standardized technical framework for the country’s regional banking sector.
Inside the Morningstar Playbook for Evaluating Fund Managers
“I want to see if managers are doing what they’re trying to do,” says Elizabeth Foos, research manager at Morningstar. For fund managers, being tracked by the firm is a career-defining validation, yet the evaluation process hinges less on raw data and more on the consistency and temperament of the people behind the portfolio.
Standard Chartered Bets on Soft Landing Amid Mid-2026 Market Shifts
With global equities climbing 12 percent since January, Standard Chartered remains bullish on a soft economic landing, even as it warns investors to prepare for volatility. The bank anticipates further gains in the S&P 500 and gold, despite rising geopolitical tensions and shifting central bank policies complicating the second half of the year.