English | Financial news with a German perspective

The shortening of the settlement cycle for securities transactions in the US poses enormous challenges for Europe's asset managers. S&P Global and the CME Group now want to capitalise on this opportunity with their joint venture Osttra.

The Bürgerbewegung Finanzwende has gained a respected advocate in cum-ex chief investigator Anne Brorhilker, who has announced her move to the NGO.

As long as Frankfurt primarily perceives the drug misery in the Bahnhofsviertel as a risk to its location marketing, all countermeasures will remain merely social cosmetics.

Chief investigator in the German cum-ex scandal Anne Brorhilker has resigned from the public prosecutor's office. In a TV interview she expressed her frustration with the cum-ex prosecution process, and revealed that she is joining the NGO Bürgerbewegung Finanzwende.

The IMF is demanding structural economic reforms worldwide. And it is urging Germany to ease its debt brake- something that Finance Minister Christian Lindner does not view as a solution to weak economic growth.

Clara C. Streit, Chair of the Regierungskommission Deutscher Corporate Governance Kodex, wants to promote a more productive dialogue between corporates and investors. And reducing bureaucracy is also a goal.

With its second fund, DTCP has its sights set on digital infrastructure such as data centres, fibre optics and radio towers. CEO Vicente Vento explains the strategy he is using to achieve a net return of 15%.

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has promised the German finance industry that he will work towards the further rapid development of Capital Markets Union and Banking Union.

Simon Klein, Global Head Xtrackers Sales, says that the DWS growth strategy is paying off, with strong inflows of funds, new ETF products, fee reductions, and the expansion of digital distribution.

French firm Planisware recently relaunched its IPO. And German firm Renk came to market in February, having also pulled its deal in the autumn. Both used accelerated bookbuilding, which can limit market risk in geopolitically turbulent times.

The SPD rejects the FDP's ideas for an economic turnaround. However, the SPD urgently needs to consider how it can revive the flagging economy and avoid stewing too much in its own juices.

There is hardly any industry where the pace of change is as fast as in the software sector. SAP has responded to new strategic guidelines with the sale of its US subsidiary Qualtrics – and made a profit on the bottom line.

The German debt brake ensures budgetary discipline. But in the current global environment, a special fund needs to be set up to strengthen Germany's growth potential, and tackle challenges such as digitalisation and sustainability.

The discussions on Capital Markets Union are regaining momentum. As part of this process, the German Banking Industry Committee and French Banking Federation recently presented a joint position paper to their respective Finance Ministries.

Jeffrey Ubben will be the first shareholder activist to join Bayer's Supervisory Board if the vote goes as expected at the AGM on April 26. The proxy advisors have no objections to his appointment.

Not only do ETFs benefit from their transparency and low fees, but their digital distribution through platforms also drives purchases of listed index funds.

In 2023, more people worked than ever before since German reunification. According to a DIW study, this is mainly due to women – but half of them work part-time. Many would like to work more, which would also counteract the shortage of skilled workers.

The search for a successor to resigning Supervisory Board Chairman Hasso Plattner has proven to be tougher than expected for SAP. The Group wants to clear at least some financial hurdles. The position is to be remunerated significantly better in future.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in portfolio management and risk allocation. Daniel Ung, State Street Global Advisors, explains the potential and limitations – and ventures a look into the future of utilising alternative data.

Union Investment still sees room for improvement in corporate governance within companies. Persistent issues on the deficiency list include accumulation of offices and lack of independence in control bodies. Mercedes-Benz tops the current governance ranking by the fund company.

Before the ProSiebenSat.1 annual general meeting on April 30th, a front is forming: Italian major shareholder Media for Europe (MFE) is pushing for an examination of the separation of the commerce and dating businesses. CFO Martin Mildner suspects that MFE is only aiming to gain control on the cheap.

According to a study by the Bundesbank, Germany's climate policy goals are not achievable under the current conditions. Does the CO2 price need to rise even further? And what impact does that have on the economy?