The investment environment for this year is marked by inflation and more restrictive monetary policy and has yet to change investor behavior significantly, Vontobel CEO Zeno Staub, told «Le Temps» (behind paywall, in French) Thursday.

But when the effects do come into force, they will shape the environment in a way that is «different and healthier» for the investor, he said.

Fundamentals in Focus

Now that interest rates are back in positive territory, investments will be founded on fundamentals that could help support financial markets, Staub said,

Common sense would drive investment decisions as opposed to investors acting out of fear of missing opportunities, he added.

Hong Kong Closure

The Zurich-based investment house, which serves clients predominantly in Switzerland, sees the US, the UK, Germany, and Italy as growth markets. A year ago Vontobel's US ambition got a significant boost when it acquired a client unit from UBS catering to American and Canadian clients looking to book their assets in Switzerland instead of onshore.

Late last year, Vontobel announced that it would be closing its wealth management business in Hong Kong and transferring its private clients to Liechtenstein-based private bank LGT.

The decision came after the investment manager reported outflows of «several 100 million francs» in assets from clients in the region during its third quarter results and decided to concentrate more on wealth management activities with financial intermediaries, such as external asset managers, banks, and family offices, as finews.com reported at the time