insights.

The heavily coal-dependent city of Katowice in Poland is the venue for the Twenty-Fourth Conference of the Parties (COP24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change this week. The 2015 Paris Accord was about pledges on the issue surrounding climate change, and the event's goal is to turn those promises into action. Here is a round up of the events of the first week.

Undervalued emerging market equities are positioned to benefit most from a decline in trade-related risk.

With the advance of technology, will we continue to exist for much longer? Or are we to be replaced by the machines that we are working so hard to create. These grand themes were the subject of this year's TEDxCern event, which took place in Geneva recently.

Interest in philanthropy is growing rapidly among wealthy individuals around the globe, and there are many factors driving this trend. Today, getting involved in projects can be faster, more efficient and more flexible, with philanthropists enjoying greater support in planning and structuring their activities.

It was the Ancient Romans who first discovered the benefits in using poisons to heal rather than harm humans. Some animal venoms can be used to cure diseases, create new drugs and treat chronic conditions. 

Melville in Australia is a city of the elderly. One in every four people is over the age of 60 and it has the second highest level of dementia in Western Australia. By 2020, the older population is expected to rise to 29,400, almost one third of all residents.

Japan’s soon-to-be longest-serving Prime Minister faces a choice between reinforcing ‘Abenomics’ or chancing an historic change to the country’s pacifist constitution. Investors hope he picks the former.

The way in which humanity consumes Earth’s resources has triggered a slow-moving catastrophe. To reverse it, we must act fast. But the problem of resource sustainability is an indicator of two even deeper problems. And while the—often surprising—solutions to these problems are entirely achievable, investors must fulfil a critical role if they’re to be realised in time. Investors who answer the call won’t just change the world for the better. They’ll be the beneficiaries of a truly extraordinary investment opportunity.

Next year, voters in India go to the polls in an election that threatens to undermine Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s majority government. As Modi’s political opponents form alliances, the risk to his reforms and the probability of a spending splurge are on the rise with implications that, we believe, investors need to grasp.

Welcome to My GA^plus, the new generation of customisable, bespoke reporting for our clients who have signed a Global Assets+ service agreement with Lombard Odier.

A combination of adverse factors placed oil in a perfect storm… but prices should find some automatic buffers.

Meet the African tech hub tapping into blockchain's potential. In the heart of Africa's Silicon Savannah is a bitcoin and blockchain technology accelerator that's making waves across the continent. 

At Lombard Odier, we believe sustainability will be the single biggest driver of returns. We integrate sustainability into our investment strategies.

“An essential tool for people who want to play a part in fighting cancer”

Europe’s macro-economic indicators point to growth and falling unemployment, but there are political problems to take into account.

When a business has thrived through more than 200 tumultuous years, it is worth identifying the central philosophy at the heart of that resilient success. For Geneva-based private bank, Lombard Odier, it boils down to a straightforward mantra: rethink everything.

The oldest members of the Millennial generation are approaching 40. By 2020, they will be the largest segment of the adult population and as they replace Baby Boomers in the workplace, they will dominate spending for the coming decades.

Equity markets suffered a rough October and investors are now crunching through an earnings season trying to make sense of the outlook for 2019. Faced with the uncertainties of next year, shareholders are punishing firms unless they beat analysts’ revenue estimates and profit expectations while providing upbeat outlooks.

Dollar strength this year is the main market-chatter amongst FX investors these days. However, this needs to be put in the right context: the currency went through waves of depreciation and appreciation during 2018, with the net gain now a 4.5%.

Can you compare oil and data? It's true both are profitable but complicated commodities. And once oil has spilled, it cannot be put back into the barrel... and the same thing could be said of data.

Lombard Odier wins industry awards for brand campaign and for commitment to client service in Europe

Our Chief Investment Officer Private Bank Stéphane Monier and Chief Economist Samy Chaar discuss what a divided Congress means for the US economy, policymaking and financial assets.

Lombard Odier are thrilled to be awarded the "Best Overall GCC Private Bank," and "Best UAE Private Bank (International)"

Family businesses should better harness generational diversity, overcome entrenchment and engage external sources of talent and capital to sustain growth between generations

The problems of climate change and pollution seem to be growing increasingly urgent every day. Pressure is mounting on companies in the most exposed sectors, with environmental NGOs, states and investors in particular bringing their voices to bear. We seem to have passed the denial phase of climate change now, and people’s awareness is growing worldwide. The ultimate challenge remains: ordinary citizens, companies and the world of finance need to learn to act sustainably.

A sustainable future cannot be built overnight. It is a project that will consume our species for at least the next hundred years. While we can only speculate on how the latter half of that century might pan out, we’re on somewhat firmer ground with the next few decades. To get a sense of how the sustainability project might develop in that time—and how investors can help steer it in the right direction—it’s worth learning about the people alive today who will spend the most time delivering it. Who are they? What are they working on? And how can investors support them?

Angela Merkel, the European Union’s longest-serving incumbent leader, announced last week that she would step down as head of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in December and won’t run again as Chancellor.

Lombard Odier sponsored the prize for best use of technology in the digital economy. The award picked out companies that have best harnessed the power of online tools such as mobile, social media, the cloud and Big Data to enhance and transform business models.

This year marked the 222nd anniversary of Lombard Odier in Tokyo and the milestone was marked at the annual Asia gathering with a series of talks and discussions about how family business can succeed through the years

In the past, the exchange of goods or services often occurred without money changing hands. In fact, it was done using “bartering." Today it might seem like a lost art but bartering could, in fact, be making comeback.

The past quarter has proved tough for risk assets, with emerging market turmoil and mounting uncertainties weighing on performance. The most meaningful bastions of strength have been the US economy and stock market, in part thanks to the ongoing fiscal package.

The frenzy of big data is settling down. Companies that want to be ahead of the technological curve are now focusing on the most sophisticated ways of applying this data for their own benefit and their clients.

African Philanthropy is entering a new era. A hotbed of innovation, it can make a decisive contribution to addressing the continent’s challenges, and also inspire work in other parts of the world.  Aligned with the general formalisation and greater impact orientation of philanthropy, African self-made entrepreneurs are now also engaging in structured giving and are promoting the discourse of “giving back” to the benefit of individuals, communities and countries.

Emerging markets are enduring their most challenging year since the 2014-2015 commodity collapse, amid rising US rates, a stronger dollar, mounting trade tensions and a slew of domestic political risks.

Changes in society can sometimes feel like they are happening at a lightning pace. Focus can shift from one industry to the next while debate around events in our world is constantly evolving. But as many features of our everyday life develop, how can we maintain and carry on the success of our forefathers?

In a historic shift for the country, Brazilian voters have elected Jair Bolsonaro to lead the country for the next four years.

The success of the Fribourg office reflects Lombard Odier’s strong growth in the Swiss market, which is primarily down to its dedicated services for Swiss clients

Changing climate patterns are having a big impact on our habitats and our behaviours. Ed Crooks, US Industry and Energy Editor for the Financial Times travels across the United States to explore vulnerable coastal cities that are suffering from the destabilising impact of severe weather patterns, and its consequences on real estate markets. This is a concept known as “climate gentrification”.

These are very different times in how companies do business. Shareholders are in a better position than ever to affect change and to help plot a course to sustainability.

Abe’s re-election as president of the Liberal Democratic Party means that he is almost certain to become the longest-serving Prime Minister in Japan’s history.

The world is changing. The next economic revolution is underway and it is driven by sustainability, and it is perhaps the biggest investment opportunity in modern history. Businesses and industries need to transition or they will be left behind.

Improvements in healthcare and standards of living have led to the average age of populations creeping up. And with that comes changes to every corner of society.

Throughout 2017 markets enjoyed a ‘Goldilocks’ economy in the US with neither-too-hot-nor-too-cold conditions for strong returns thanks to synchronised growth and low inflation1. This year, we entered the late phase of the economic cycle as the metaphorical market porridge started to overheat. If investors are to avoid burning themselves, wealth managers need to provide the tools to defend portfolios from the inevitable illiquidity of a bear market.

Article published in Indices, (L’AGEFI), October, 2018, by Stéphane Pedraja

Entrepreneurs devote their lives and energy to their business, which means they don't always have time to focus on the finer details of managing, planning and organising their wealth.

Article published in PME Magazine, September 24, 2018, by Edouard Bolleter

Two specialists from Lombard Odier answer questions that business owners should ask themselves in the run-up to retirement.

Vontobel acquires international US-based private clients portfolio from Lombard Odier.
Lombard Odier to refer future US-based private clients searching for a highly qualified, SEC-registered Swiss wealth manager to Vontobel.
 

Eurozone economic growth has slowed this year but is still broad-based, with all countries participating in the upturn, and firmly above potential. Lesser external demand accounts for much of the slowdown – the Eurozone being more open than most other large advanced economies.

In this article, we look at the economic situation in China, the state of relations between the world’s two largest economies and the implications for investors exposed to the yuan and emerging currencies.

Too much negativity seems to be priced-in. Based on our central scenario of a slowdown with no major global downturn and lower US real yields as inflation picks up, the hefty misalignments in some commodity FX with underlying fundamentals offer attractive opportunities.

Strong growth momentum, ongoing fiscal support, a tight labour market and mounting inflationary pressures all suggest that the Fed will deliver on its plan to further tighten monetary policy over the next few quarters. While a number of risks are worth monitoring, the determinant factors for US monetary policy will remain domestic inflation and employment.