| BIL investment Outlook for 2021 | https://www.bil.com/en/bil-group/pressroom/news/Pages/BIL-investment-Outlook-for-2021.aspx | BIL investment Outlook for 2021 | | <p><b>An uneven recovery</b></p>
<p>“The global economy fell into one of the worst recessions last year, but this was caused by government imposed lockdowns, rather than being the result of an economic imbalance,” said Fredrik Skoglund, Chief Investment Officer at BIL. “For 2021, we envisage a recovery resembling a “Nike swoosh” – for which the precipitous drop in 2020 activity will be followed by a gradual normalization.”</p>
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<p>Winged by fiscal and monetary support, major financial markets across the world have largely rebounded, despite the ongoing economic crisis. BIL experts expect the recovery to be uneven from one country to another. Its speed will be dependent upon the success of government containment measures and vaccination roll out, and contingent upon continued policy support. At corporate level, two divergent paths are likely to occur: companies with a strong foothold in digitalization will benefit from the pandemic, companies whose business model have been turned upside down will not be able to operate at full capacity as long as social distancing is the modus operandi.</p>
<p>With public debt levels at record highs, policymakers could perhaps try to coax up inflation to offset some of the burden. This leaves central banks walking a tightrope: they want higher inflation, but they don’t want it to go too high, knowing how painful it could be to bring it down again. “ Monetary policy should continue to be easy in 2021 as the major central banks do not seem to have exhausted their policy jar,” explains Fredrik Skoglund. “ We expect 2021 to be a constructive year, one of rebuilding and of problem-solving, against a backdrop of ongoing policy support and strides towards inoculation.”</p>
<p><b>Diversification and long-term view</b></p>
<p>Equity markets are poised to benefit in such a context, and BIL experts expect slight upside, though much of this is already priced in. Investment style considerations will be important and investors must be prepared for an eventual value catch-up later during the year. With regard to sectors, a nuanced approach is warranted. The new digitalised reality ushered in by the pandemic means some companies will sink and some will swim within individual sectors. Selectivity to ensure the robustness of individual business models has never been more crucial.</p>
<p>With regards to fixed income, investors are hunting for yield and this should likely continue through 2021, with central banks almost certainly poised to keep interest rates lower for longer. According to BIL experts, investors should stay cognizant to the risks at hand. They should not get caught off guard by a modest uptick in inflation, since this is something central banks are clearly trying to conjure.</p>
<p>“Even after coronavirus subsides, its legacy will remain. The way we live has been irreversibly altered. Trends accelerated by the pandemic such as digitalisation are unlikely to fall into reverse, portfolios must be fine-tuned accordingly,” said Fredrik Skoglund. As disruptive as the pandemic has been, it may prove to be a drop in the ocean compared to the next challenge ahead of us: climate change. Concerted, coordinated global action is required. This will be resource intensive and every sector will have a role to play, especially the financial sector.</p>
<p>The Way We Live Now, BIL Investment Outlook 2021 is available on the <a href="https://www.bilinvestmentinsights.com/bil-investment-outlook-2021/" target="_blank">BIL Investment Insights blog</a> (also available in French, German and Dutch).</p> | 1/19/2021 3:00:00 PM | EN | In “ The way we live now”, BIL investment experts discuss the new reality ushered in by the Covid-19 pandemic, the digital trends that will stick and the renewed focus on sustainability. | | |
| BIL Suisse appoints Hartmut Vollmer Head of Wealth Management Growth Markets and Tobias Kamber General Counsel | https://www.bil.com/en/bil-group/pressroom/news/Pages/BIL-Suisse-appoints-Hartmut-Vollmer-Head-of-Wealth-Management-Growth-Markets-and-Tobias-Kamber-General-Counsel.aspx | BIL Suisse appoints Hartmut Vollmer Head of Wealth Management Growth Markets and Tobias Kamber General Counsel | | <p>Hartmut Vollmer will join BIL Suisse as Head of Wealth Management Growth Markets which include China, Eastern Europe and the Middle East as of 1 April 2021. He will also become a member of BIL Suisse’ Executive Committee. Hartmut Vollmer joins BIL from Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) where he led the Eastern Europe team. He had been a member of the Bank’s Private Banking management committee since 2011. Prior to UBP, Hartmut Vollmer held management positions at ABN AMRO in Switzerland from 2000 to 2011.</p>
<p>Tobias Kamber will take on the role of General Counsel as of 1 January 2021. He will also become a member of BIL Suisse’ Executive Committee. Tobias Kamber has over 16 years of experience in legal, risk and compliance roles in the private banking sector in Switzerland and Hong Kong. Prior to joining BIL Suisse, he held the position of Deputy General Counsel Private Banking at Julius Baer and also headed the Private Banking legal team for Switzerland and the EMEA countries.Tobias Kamber started his career in the private banking sector in 2004 as Legal Counsel at Clariden Bank, prior to joining Julius Baer in 2007.</p>
<p>Hans-Peter Borgh, CEO of BIL Suisse and Group Head International, said: “<i>We continue to hold high growth ambitions for our business, and it was essential for us to strengthen our management team. Hartmut Vollmer and Tobias Kamber will bring invaluable experience and sharp expertise. We have made major high caliber recruitments in the past few months, reaching an important milestone. We are confident that with our strong team, we will take BIL Suisse to its next level of development.</i>”</p>
<p>BIL Suisse, one of the two main private banking hubs of Banque Internationale à Luxembourg, drives the Group’s international wealth management activities. It focuses on serving private clients, many of whom are entrepreneurs, from Eastern Europe and CIS countries, China, the Middle East, and Western Europe. To meet its ambitious international growth plans and to better serve its clients, BIL Suisse recently recruited a number of high caliber talents.</p>
| 12/14/2020 10:00:00 AM | EN | BIL Suisse, Banque Internationale à Luxembourg’s Swiss subsidiary, strengthens its management team with two new recruitments. | | |
| Sightlines, the new exhibition by Armand Strainchamps, will go on display at BIL's Galerie L’Indépendance. | https://www.bil.com/en/bil-group/pressroom/news/Pages/Sightlines-the-new-exhibition-by-Armand-Strainchamps-will-go-on-display-at-BIL-Galerie-LIndependance.aspx | Sightlines, the new exhibition by Armand Strainchamps, will go on display at BIL's Galerie L’Indépendance. | | <p><i>Sightlines</i>, is the title of the book featuring a retrospective of artist Armand Strainchamps to be released on 29 October. It is also the title of the new exhibition which opens on the same day at Banque Internationale à Luxembourg's Galerie L’Indépendance, offering the public the chance to discover his more recent works.</p>
<p>Including thirty paintings that feature his signature style, the exhibition Sightlines is a stunning addition to the artist's existing oeuvre. In these paintings, figures appear to be suspended weightlessly in time. Subjects are stripped entirely of superfluous details, are underscored by black contouring and contrasting colours that seem to crystallise and intensify their expressions. The sculptures to be featured in the Galerie L’Indépendance complement the artist's existing body of work beautifully.</p>
<p>Artlovers can preview the exhibition at <a href="https://www.bil.com/galerie-lindependance/strainchamps/index.html">www.bil.com/galerie-lindependance/strainchamps/index.html</a></p>
<p>This exhibition is yet another example of BIL’s commitment to promoting art and culture, which, alongside innovation and education, are at the core of its corporate social responsibility philosophy. Sightlines is also the fruit of a long-term collaboration with the artist, whose work has already been featured at the Galerie L’Indépendance. BIL already exhibited a number of his works in 2004, and more recently again in 2016 to mark the Bank's 160th anniversary.</p>
<p>The exhibition Sightlines by Armand Strainchamps is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday, beginning 29 October 2020 until 12 February 2021 at the Galerie L’Indépendance, 69, route d’Esch, Luxembourg. It is held in accordance with all applicable health guidelines.</p>
| 10/29/2020 4:00:00 PM | EN | Prolific artist Armand Strainchamps returns to BIL's Galerie L’Indépendance from 29 October, showcasing his latest works. | | |
