insights.

The European Central Bank announced new easing measures in response to the slowdown of the euro area. How will this affect banks in Europe and what is the macroeconomic impact? 

Andreas Arni to join as head of Lombard Odier’s Zurich office and head of its Swiss Domestic market, a newly created position
Lombard Odier further consolidates its leading positioning with domestic executives, entrepreneurs and families in Switzerland

Read our interview with Hubert Keller, CEO LOIM and Frédéric Rochat, Co-Head of Private Clients. They explain why we select Eagles for our portfolios because they are the winners of tomorrow. We avoid investing in Ostriches, those companies who refuse to adopt sustainable models and risk being left behind.

Less exposed than neighbouring Germany to the global trade dispute, France has a political and economic window of opportunity to push through a series of reforms to the state’s infrastructure.

Our Zurich office celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and has its eyes firmly fixed on the future, with some exciting new developments in mind. We spoke to Felix Oeschger, Head of Private Client Services in Zurich on what makes Zurich different, our clients and what the future may hold.

Latin America’s slowing growth and political instability is compounded by the US/China trade dispute and vulnerabilities to the US dollar.

By communicating their practices and impact in a transparent way, SMEs are reaching a new generation of investors determined to use their capital to promote sustainability. Moreover, there has never been a better time to found a company in our country. Swiss SMEs, therefore, have a significant role to play in creating a sustainable future.

After receiving the B Corp certification from B Lab in March this year following a rigorous assessment of our environmental and social performance, the Lombard Odier Group has now been recognised in B Lab’s 2019 Best for the World customer category.

Global warming is creating a rapidly growing demand for cooling systems, themselves a significant driver of climate change. The potential solution: a new field of technological innovation 4000 years in the making.

Boris Johnson’s push to suspend the UK parliament makes a no-deal Brexit and a general election more likely. Still, with sterling near two-year lows, most negative news is priced in.

While the outlook has deteriorated amid escalating trade tensions, central banks have shifted towards accommodative monetary policies. How can investors strike the right balance between growth uncertainty and easy financial conditions? Find out why and how we have adopted a more defensive stance in our portfolio positioning with Stéphane Monier, CIO Private Bank, and Samy Chaar, Chief Economist.

Total client assets at end-June 2019 stood at CHF 287 billion, up 11% from end-December 2018. Net new money flows were robust and the market impact on client assets was positive in the first six months of the year.

Germany is on the brink of a recession that may prove a catalyst to new, and much needed, infrastructure spending in the EU’s biggest economy.

Not all futures are created equal. Dimitri Zenghelis, Project Leader for The Wealth Economy at Cambridge explains the concept of “discounting” and assessing the risks associated with climate change. Climate change is a serious and long-social problem that we cannot place on the shoulders of generations to come.  Decisions taken today should not decide policies for those not even born.

Discover this exquisite video of DYSFUNCTIONAL, our exhibition in partnership with Carpenters Workshop Gallery. This film captures the heart of the exposition; in particular, the questioning of boundaries between art and design, aesthetics and functionality.

Italy faces a fresh political crisis. Could it lead to another EU budget row? Should investors be concerned? We assess four possible scenarios. 

The presence of international organisations, UN agencies and large private foundations gives the financial centre of Geneva significant credibility in establishing itself as a hub for sustainable finance. This October, Geneva will showcase its rich heritage of expertise in the field during the city’s Sustainable Finance Week.

Dead zones are one of the biggest sustainability issues of our time. What are they? Why isn’t everyone talking about them? And how can we fight against their environmental devastation, damaging effect on coastal economies and ability to wipe out species. Read more on how investors must play an essential role in incentivising the solutions we need.

Managing the financing of your real estate is an important part of your overall wealth management planning. When the time comes to renegotiating your mortgage, you have several options. You can pay off your mortgage, renew it or consider taking out a Lombard loan.

Argentine president Macri’s loses the primary election. What does it mean for the country’s economy and the wider emerging markets’ prospects? Read more here from our macro strategist, Stéphanie de Torquat.

With the US-China trade war entering a new and more acrimonious period – we assess the winners and losers, from a country, regional, macroeconomic and markets perspective.

The next generation continue to break boundaries. Meet one such young person: Selin Yigitbasi. Her interest in volunteering led to her establishing her own company, Goodsted. An innovative platform, it brings together socially minded individuals or firms who are keen to volunteer their services or efforts to non-profit projects. Selin aspires to “collaborate on projects to create positive change.”

Committed to supporting educational and environmental initiatives, Smile Wave Fund is hosted by our foundation, Fondation Philanthropia. This allows the umbrella fund’s founder, Adelin Coigny, to “nurture this project and gain experience in the area of institutional philanthropy.”

Alexandre Zeller became a Lombard Odier Partner on 1 March 2019. A well-known figure in Swiss banking, he tells us about his first impressions and projects for the Group in the weeks following his arrival. Sincere and friendly, he shares his experiences and his vision for the future.

Financial markets have been left reeling after Trump’s Twitter announcement that the US will levy additional tariffs of 10% on the remaining USD 300 bn of goods and products coming from China. Predictably, this led to a retaliation from the Chinese to stop purchases of US agricultural products. The rising escalation has led us to review our FX forecasts due to the increased risk of a complete breakdown in negotiations. Read more here.

Lombard Odier further strengthens its sustainability capabilities and offering with the arrival of Dr. Christopher Kaminker as Head of Sustainable Investment Research & Strategy for Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Ebba Lepage as Head of Corporate Sustainability 

What does the latest threat of fresh US tariffs on China mean for financial assets? We review our portfolio positioning in light of the recent market-moving events, including the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut in over a decade and President Trump’s proposal to impose new tariffs on Chinese goods.

Lombard Odier is proud to have joined the B Corp movement, a group of companies passionate about working together to foster sustainable development. Bertrand Gacon, our Head of Corporate Sustainability, explains in five key points what it means for us to become a B Corporation and discusses our commitments to sustainable change.

In today’s economic environment, central bankers’ inflation targeting looks like an answer to an outdated question.

As if the ‘no-deal’ Brexit rhetoric and planning by the new UK government were not enough, sterling is under pressure from domestic economic data developments and possibly central bank stance.

Individual commitments to eating less meat aren’t enough to create a meaningful reduction in carbon emissions. Fortunately, several simple yet powerful solutions are in the works. And they promise to revolutionise the meat industry into an exemplar of sustainability.

Gold’s traditional role as a portfolio diversifier continues in the late economic cycle, with few alternative safe havens to the precious metal.

This edition of the FX Monthly explains that not all currencies are created equal in the realm of Federal Reserve easing. Some are likely to flourish and some, to fade.  

Lombard Odier has been developing sustainable investment strategies for over 20 years. We want you to reap the benefits of our experience, allowing you to invest in high-growth, high-quality sectors whilst having a positive impact. 

The youth of today are in revolt. Greta Thunberg’s driving forward a climate change movement, Flore Vasseur’s producing powerful documentaries, Laalitya Acharya’s developing revolutionizing technologies to increase access to energy in developing countries and Boyan Slat’s organizing large-scale initiatives to get rid of the ocean's plastic.

How did B Corp become such a monumental movement? How does the certification process work? What’s at stake for the private sector in joining the cause? Get to know B Lab and Jonathan Normand, B Lab (Switzerland) Executive Director, in an exclusive interview here

Lack of progress in Swiss-EU bilateral negotiations has resulted in the loss of EU equivalence for the Swiss stock market. Will the UK and its trading market suffer a similar fate post Brexit? Is the future shape of European markets being tested?

In Kapsitwet, farmers are seeing their incomes increase. How? By the launch of an innovative sustainable investment model called the Livelihoods Carbon Fund. Margaret Muchanga, a local farmer, sees a path to prosperity “I can now sell my own produce” she shared. Discover the full story here

For the second time, Lombard Odier has received top honours at the prestigious Euromoney flagship awards. Named “Western Europe’s Best Bank for Wealth Management”, we are honoured that our client commitment, sustainable approach and marking activity has been commended.

Looking ahead this quarter, we are not expecting a pickup in the global business cycle given the trade-induced slowdown we are experiencing. Emerging markets could suffer due to ongoing trade tensions and Europe is a rather mixed macro-economic picture. Discover our key highlights and the full report here.

The mining industry has a problem. Its productivity has drastically decreased, its environmental footprint is high and rare minerals are in high demand. One solution is artificial intelligence. Discover here how some companies such as DataCloud and Newtrak address the sustainability equation by making the process more efficient.

Our achievements over the last 12 months have been rewarded with another prize – this time “Wealth Manager of the Year” from Global Investor magazine, at their Investment Excellence Awards 2019.

We present our key asset allocation views and refresh the ten strongest convictions for the remaining six months of the year.

Tackling cancer requires funding from many sources. As technology continues to evolve, we discussed the power of artificial intelligence in science, the way our portfolios are invested in the field of oncology and the growing role of philanthropy with world-renowned specialists. Discover their point of view here.

An exciting opportunity for investors, sector leaders and experts to discuss the future of life sciences – Lombard Odier sponsors the annual CEO and Investor Forum of the UK BioIndustry Association. Read why here.

The US and China have agreed to resume their trade talks post-G20. Will global trade recover? We discuss the latest developments and shed light on our portfolio positioning.

Global debt has reached record levels. Does it pose a threat to the world’s economies? Have we reached the limits of the debt-driven growth model? Our macro strategist Stéphanie de Torquat discusses the sustainability of debt in this latest white paper.

Our wealth technology solutions scoop us another prize – this time at the PWM Wealth Tech Awards 2019 – a division of the Financial Times. “Our technology allows us to enrich and deepen the conversations we have with clients” said Arash Sorouchyari, our Head of Technology Platform Strategy and Design.

The US-China trade dispute is the biggest immediate risk to the global economy. Ahead of the G20 summit in Japan, we analyse three scenarios for the evolution of US-China relations and dissect what each means for our asset allocation.

“The World Bank estimates that intangible capital may make up between 60% and 80% of total wealth in most developed countries. Ignoring this immense source of wellbeing is to act blindly”, states Dimitri Zenghelis, Senior Visiting Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute, LSE. We cannot measure the wealth of a nation based only on its annual income, we need to look at natural and social capital.