The fintech LAKPA announced the authorization of its Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) in the United States by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This will allow them to expand their reach, according to a statement.
The technology firm specialized in financial advisory for high-net-worth investors – linked to the Chilean group LarrainVial – highlighted that this decision marks progress in its expansion plans, with the ambition of becoming the largest community of financial advisors in Latin America.
With the green light from the SEC, LAKPA’s RIA will enable them to directly manage the offshore assets of clients in the region, especially in markets such as Mexico, where international diversification is a key component of wealth management.
Until now, explained the fintech, these assets had been managed through indirect agreements with other financial institutions. In this way, they expect to provide greater efficiency, security, and transparency, they highlighted.
Currently, the fintech has more than 50 strategic alliances with local and global brokerage firms and asset managers. The RIA’s approval opens the door to expand these agreements to U.S. broker-dealers and custodians, strengthening the open architecture of its platform and multiplying the investment options available.
“This step not only expands our capabilities, but also reaffirms our commitment to ethics, transparency, and the building of a solid and reliable financial ecosystem in Hispanic America,” stated Alicia Arias, commercial director at LAKPA México, in the press release.
Despite the financial volatility unleashed by the arrival of President Donald Trump in the United States, as well as uncertainty stemming from factors such as the eventual review of the USMCA and the implementation of a controversial reform in the country’s judicial branch, if 2025 had ended in September, it would have marked a historic period for investment returns in Mexico’s financial market.
The numbers leave no room for doubt. Domestic market stocks are already yielding a rate slightly above 30% annually, their best period since 2003. Fibras are delivering a cumulative return of 31%, marking the best year since 2011. The Mexican peso has appreciated by 13%, the best performance in 50 years as of a September close. And Cetes, the leading government securities in the domestic market, maintain an average real rate close to 5%, ranking among the best periods in the past 20 years.
Looking at long-term government debt yields, the trend is the same: the M bond, the most influential instrument in this segment of the domestic market, is showing a return of 15.6% so far this year. Udibonos, in turn, are yielding 16.3%. In both cases, yields of this magnitude haven’t been seen since at least 2010, and on a cumulative basis, it’s the best historical return as of September.
“This 2025 is shaping up to be an exceptional year and a reminder that peso-denominated assets have been by far a better alternative than the dollar,” says Franklin Templeton in a report titled “Couldn’t Be Better! The Best Year for Mexican Assets.”
For its part, Banco Base considers that strong returns in the Mexican market are precisely linked to volatility, since the country remains a partner of the world’s largest economy, and factors such as the trade war and general global financial uncertainty are causing capital to shift toward the closest emerging market to that power—one that offers attractive yields and enjoys relative financial and political stability. That country, without a doubt, is Mexico.
Banamex also highlights this year as one of great returns for Mexican assets, unless something extraordinary occurs in the next two months. Stability and certainty—despite being a low-growth economy—are the main draws for both domestic and global investors, says the bank (recently sold in a majority stake to a local businessman who acquired 25% of the firm).
How far will the Mexican market go? That’s the question among analysts and traders, as they speculate on what might happen over the next two years when the country must face two challenges that will test the resilience of its economy. The first factor is the upcoming review of the USMCA with the United States and Canada. On that point, even though significant tension and potential disagreements are expected—especially with the U.S. negotiating team—everyone is betting that the free trade agreement will prevail, though it will be a period of volatility and uncertainty.
The second medium-term factor is the crucial midterm legislative elections in 2027, during which the recall referendum mechanism provided by the constitution could also be brought to the table—in this case for current president Claudia Sheinbaum. The president currently enjoys solid public approval, but it is unknown whether—even as a strategy—she herself might promote this process. What is certain is that the election to renew the lower house (Chamber of Deputies), along with nearly 20 gubernatorial races, will be a moment of uncertainty for the country’s economy.
However, at the end of last year, most analyses warned of potential risks for Mexico with the return of President Trump to the United States—some even predicting an imminent recession in Latin America’s second-largest economy. Reality has proven otherwise and confirms that expectations are not always fulfilled.
It is no surprise that private assets are growing rapidly, driven by institutional allocations and increasing flows from private wealth. However, the industry continues to be constrained by a lack of transparency, with no common system to classify exposures, measure performance, or effectively communicate strategies. Against this backdrop, MSCI launched MSCI PACS, a proprietary asset classification framework designed to bring order, comparability, and consistency to private markets.
By covering a wide range of private assets, including private companies, real estate, and infrastructure, PACS provides detailed classifications that can be used to compare, analyze, and communicate portfolio strategies and performance effectively throughout the investment lifecycle, according to the firm in a statement.
“Private markets are at an inflection point, with growing relevance in the global financial ecosystem,” said Luke Flemmer, Head of Private Assets at MSCI. “With PACS, MSCI introduces the infrastructure that will define how private assets are identified, compared, and analyzed globally in the years to come.”
MSCI PACS is a global taxonomy created specifically for private assets. It builds on decades of MSCI’s leadership in providing standards and tools, including the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®), which is used to categorize and compare publicly traded companies around the world.
PACS, offered as an AI-powered managed data service, applies consistent sector tagging at scale, providing a strong foundation of transparency and comparability to the private markets industry.
The launch of PACS reflects MSCI’s broad commitment to equipping private markets professionals with the tools, research, and data needed to improve transparency and support informed decision-making across their portfolios.
Fund return, or fund return versus a benchmark, is usually the most common factor investors use when assessing a fund’s performance. However, more sophisticated investors will utilize a set of metrics that reveal what’s happening beneath the surface of fund performance.
Active Share: Measuring Active Management
The Active Share ratio measures the percentage of a fund’s portfolio that differs from its benchmark index. A fund with a low active share is very close to an index tracker fund or ETF, and investors could easily replicate a large proportion of the fund using one of these vehicles at a much lower cost. Active share reveals whether a manager is actually implementing their stated strategy or simply hugging the benchmark.
FirstRateData, a financial data provider, notes that funds with active equity strategies typically have 70-90% active share ratios. Funds claiming active management but with an active share below 60% are usually charging active fees for benchmark-like performance. Conversely, an extremely high active share (above 95%) may indicate an excessive concentrationrisk.
Tracking Error Volatility: Understand A Fund’s Risk Profile
Tracking error is the standard deviation of a fund’s performance relative to the performance of its benchmark index. Unlike active share, which shows the fund’s return difference, the tracking error shows the deviation in terms of volatility. Volatility is a common proxy for portfolio risk, so other things being equal, a fund with a lower volatility is preferable.
Active equity funds typically operate with a tracking error between 4-8%. Lower levels are often indicative of closet index tracking, whereas higher levels can signal excessive risk-taking.
Volatility is often combined with the fund’s return to calculate the Sharpe ratio, which is the units of return per unit of volatility. So a fund returning 20% with a 15% volatility would have a Sharperatio of 1.33 (20/15). This would make the fund’s risk-adjusted returns superior to a fund with 22% return and an 18% volatility, which would have a Sharpe ratio of 1.22. Quantquote notes that the best of class funds have a Sharpe ratio higher than 2, with a Sharpe below 1 usually being a signal of poor fund performance.
Asset Flow Momentum: Reading the Market Signals
The assetflow is the direction, magnitude, and consistency of capital flows into or out of a fund. Asset flows represent the collective judgment of the investment marketplace. In general, a slow and persistent flow in or out of a fund may represent the popularity of the fund’s strategy; for example, value-focused funds as a group experienced a consistent outflow since 2010. However, a sudden or dramatic acceleration in outflows may signal an imminent issue with the fund. Conversely, a sudden inflow of capital can be a predictor of a decline in returns as the fund may struggle to scale up the size of its investments.
Expense Ratio Efficiency: Value Beyond the Headline Number
Whilst expenseratios are widely reported, the absolute expense ratio matters less than whether those expenses translate into value creation. A 1.5% expense ratio might be reasonable for a specialized emergingmarkets strategy, strong performance and a low correlation with the broader market, while a 1.0% ratio could be excessive for a large-cap growth fund that clings tightly to the benchmark index.
Fees are a persistent drag on long-term performance and compound over time. However, blindly choosing the cheapest option often leads to suboptimal outcomes. The key is understanding whether higher fees fund genuine value-added activities like superior research, risk management, or access to unique opportunities.
It is important to consider the total cost of fund ownership, which includes transaction costs as well as tax efficiency, and not just the headline expense ratio. Funds should have stable expense ratios over time, which should usually decline as asset-under-management has grown and the fund manager is able to pass some of the scale benefits to investors.
Style Drift: Staying True to The Investment Strategy
Styledrift occurs when a fund moves away from its stated investment mandate, usually in response to being in an unpopular investment category. For example, a value fund may gradually move towards a growth-focused investment thesis to boost returns and attract more capital. Typically, the fund will signal this by reframing its investment thesis by redefining some of the core definitions of its target investments, so what constitutes a value stock or a large cap may change.
Style drift can undermine portfolio construction and risk management, as an investor will often have several fund strategies in a single portfolio. When funds change their characteristics without notice, investors may unknowingly take on unintended exposures or increase their concentration risk as more funds crowd into popular investment themes.
To protect against this, it is important to monitor the key style characteristics over time, such as the average market capitalization, sectorweightings, fundamentalratios (P/E, P/B, ROE), and geographicexposure for each fund. In addition, tracking these factors in aggregate at the fund level can provide some insights into overall portfolio concentrations and a gradual drift in the component fund’s strategies.
Written by Ryan Maxwell, director of research at FirstRate Data.
Humanoid robots are machines designed to mimic the human body and perform human tasks, combining sensors, artificial intelligence, and dexterity to operate in real-world environments such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and consumer services.
In this industry, the main players are mostly Chinese companies like UBTech Robotics. However, Western firms such as Tesla are also developing humanoid robot models. The potential is vast: Goldman Sachs projects that the global humanoid market could reach $38 billion by 2035, while Morgan Stanley forecasts up to 1 billion robots by 2050, expected to generate around $5 trillion in revenue.
ETFs Are Emerging to Capitalize on This Investment Megatrend
KraneShares is preparing to launch the first humanoid robotics-focused ETF in the European market: the KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index UCITS ETF (KOID) has been approved by the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) for listing on the London Stock Exchange.
This is the latest in a wave of ETF launches this year. KraneShares had already introduced the first version of this ETF on the Cboe U.S. exchange. Shares of the fund—which has global exposure to companies primarily based in the United States, China, and Japan, and seeks to replicate the MerQube Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index—have risen 28% from its June launch through the end of September.
Following this launch came ETFs from Roundhill and Themes ETF, a firm affiliated with Leverage Shares. Roundhill acknowledges on its website that humanoid robotics “represents one of the most transformative frontiers in artificial intelligence and automation.” To capitalize on this potential, it launched the Roundhill Humanoid Robotics ETF (HUMN) at the end of June, an actively managed fund listed on the Cboe. As of September 30, its shares had appreciated 20%.
Themes ETF, meanwhile, introduced the Themes Humanoid Robotics ETF (BOTT) in August. This is a passively managed product that aims to track the Solactive Global Humanoid Robotics Index and is listed on the Nasdaq.
According to the latest report by Solunion, a credit insurance company offering services related to commercial risk management, the region is experiencing a combination of consumption dependence, low investment, and the challenge of balancing external competitiveness with internal purchasing power, all within a context of persistent inflation, political tensions, and increased exposure to trade and security risks.
Among its findings, the report notes that Latin America’s growth in recent years has been driven by the boom in commodities, increased agricultural volumes, and strong domestic consumption—factors that led to upward revisions in economic forecasts between 2022 and 2024. However, this expansion period appears to be giving way in 2025 to a phase of stalled growth.
Key Findings
“Systemic uncertainty—stemming from trade tensions, geopolitical conflicts, and financial volatility—is combining with the appreciation of regional currencies against the dollar. This movement, while improving internal purchasing power, reduces export competitiveness and encourages an increase in imports, displacing local production,” notes Luca Moneta, Senior Economist for Emerging Markets & Country Risk at Allianz Trade, one of Solunion‘s shareholders.
According to the report, in some cases, this effect has been amplified by the acceleration of trade operations to avoid tariffs, adding volatility to trade flows. For 2025, stagnant growth is expected in many economies, as well as additional risks in 2026 for key markets like Mexico and Brazil, where factors such as slowing consumption, declining remittances, and falling commodity prices could negatively impact economic activity.
“This is a scenario in which Argentina gains prominence and partially offsets the lower contribution of these two economies to regional growth,” the report adds.
According to the report, inflation remains one of the region’s main challenges, with persistent pressures in several markets despite restrictive monetary policies. In various countries, benchmark interest rates appear to have reached their peak and, based on central bank communications, could begin to decline. The average real interest rate in the region remains approximately two percentage points above that of the United States, which has contributed to the strength of local currencies.
“If interest rates were to fall prematurely and the Fed did not resume an expansionary cycle, local currencies could weaken and inflation could rise. In more dollarized economies such as Mexico and Chile, the additional boost to growth would be almost entirely offset by this price effect,” the report explains.
A Tightly Packed Electoral Calendar
A key point in the report is that the 2025–2026 electoral cycle in Latin America is unfolding in a context of growing polarization and a lack of clear majorities—a widespread phenomenon that adds uncertainty to the economic outlook.
“Insecurity is another factor impacting investment, especially in consumer-oriented sectors. Added to this is a rise in international litigation, including cases initiated between countries and investors within the region itself, with particular impact on strategic sectors such as mining and energy resources,” it states.
How Do These Factors Impact Each Economy?
From a country-by-country perspective, the report highlights that Mexico has weathered U.S. protectionism better than expected; however, consumer confidence declined following the U.S. elections. The strength of the peso has enabled some degree of monetary easing, although the upcoming 2026 review of the USMCA (T-MEC) represents a significant challenge for trade relations and investor sentiment.
In the case of Brazil, the country is experiencing modest but steady growth, driven by resilient domestic consumption and higher-than-anticipated public spending. Nonetheless, the economy faces headwinds in the form of a credit slowdown and persistent investment difficulties, which could limit the sustainability of its current growth trajectory.
For its part, Argentina is beginning to emerge from recession thanks to economic stabilization measures, although inflation is expected to remain high (24% by the end of 2025).
In Chile, consumption is rebounding due to the revaluation of copper and macroeconomic stability, but investment is constrained by the volatility of the peso.
Colombia maintains growth driven by consumption (77% of GDP), but suffers from low fixed investment, elevated fiscal risk, and political uncertainty.
Lastly, Peru maintains macroeconomic stability, with inflation below 2% and low unemployment, although domestic consumption remains weak and mining output is declining.
Ecuador, meanwhile, is showing signs of recovery, with cocoa emerging as a new key sector in primary production.
Toward More Balanced Growth
The report’s main conclusion is that growth in the region is ongoing, but overly reliant on consumption and lacking sufficient investment—with the exception of countries like Peru.
“The main challenges are high interest rates, external factors limiting room for maneuver, and a politically and socially uncertain environment. The key to sustaining the recovery will be to diversify production and improve investment conditions, thereby reducing exposure to internal and external risks that could hinder momentum,” the report argues.
As Cryptocurrency Markets Rebound in 2025—Driven by Price Surges and the Growth of Financial Products Like Spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States—the True Transformation Is Taking Place in a Less Visible Arena: The Geopolitical One. According to WisdomTree, Beyond Charts and Headlines, a Global Race for Digital Asset Dominance Is Taking Shape.
“Nigeria, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, and South Korea are positioning themselves as strategic hubs for the future of cryptocurrencies. They’re not just adopting these assets—they’re operationalizing them,” says Dovile Silenskyte, Director of Digital Asset Research at WisdomTree. According to the expert, Nigeria has become “ground zero” for cryptocurrencies as a financial lifeline.
“In Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital, cryptocurrency use is not a speculative trend but a vital financial tool. Nigeria tops global adoption rankings, driven by a combination of a digitally active youth, persistent inflation, and ineffective banking systems. Peer-to-peer use of stablecoins (especially USDT on Tron) is booming. Moreover, despite past hostility from the Central Bank, users have developed parallel pathways. The central bank’s digital currency (CBDC) pilot project, the eNaira, has failed—reaffirming the strong popular preference for decentralized alternatives,” comments Silenskyte.
U.S. and United Arab Emirates: Regulation and Testing
In the case of the United States, it remains the epicenter of global crypto financing, with unmatched institutional strength. “U.S. regulation continues to be a complex landscape, but institutional capital has begun to shape the ecosystem. The 2024 approval of spot bitcoin ETFs triggered an inflow of more than $40 billion in assets under management,” she recalls.
In this regard, major asset managers are building integrated crypto infrastructures: from tokenized treasuries to stablecoin-based solutions. “Another noteworthy development is that the state of New Hampshire made history by allowing public investments in large-cap cryptocurrencies,” the expert adds.
As for the United Arab Emirates, she notes that they have established themselves as a global-scale regulatory laboratory for digital assets. She believes Dubai is not waiting for the West to lead the way. With the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) at the helm, the UAE has established a clear and business-friendly licensing regime, attracting major platforms like Binance, OKX, and Bybit.
Additionally, blockchain technology is being integrated into trade finance and the real estate sector through national digital economy initiatives.
Brazil and South Korea: Two Regional Leaders
“The case of Brazil shows that the combination of technological innovation and progressive regulation leads to real adoption. The country is moving beyond being just a Latin American benchmark to becoming a central node in the regional crypto economy. PIX, the central bank’s instant payment system, integrates seamlessly with stablecoin flows; exchanges such as Mercado Bitcoin are scaling under a clear regime with tax incentives; and the digital Brazilian real (DREX) and tokenized public debt instruments are under development,” she explains.
Finally, she highlights that the South Korean crypto scene combines one of the world’s strongest retail appetites with strict regulatory oversight. It represents a mature, liquid, and increasingly regulated ecosystem that is key to the crypto map of Asia. “Local exchanges report volumes comparable to the stock market. Additionally, authorities enforce strict rules on verified identity trading, taxation, and licensing, and the country is also advancing regulatory frameworks for security tokens and DeFi,” she concludes.
Principal Financial Group has announced a strategic partnership with Barings to expand Principal’s portfolio through an allocation of up to $1 billion in high-quality customized private investments. According to the statement, the investments will be made through a separately managed account and a co-investment structure. The co-investment structure will be managed by Principal AM, Principal’s dedicated in-house asset manager, which oversees approximately 95% of Principal’s general account portfolio.
“This announcement is part of our broader approach to private markets at Principal: building selective partnerships that complement our internal expertise in credit analysis and portfolio management, within differentiated structures and assets,” said Kamal Bhatia, President and CEO of Principal Asset Management.
The partnership will focus on high-quality customized private investments, with Barings serving as the originating manager of the assets. This strengthens Principal’s commitment to enhancing the company’s general account through diversified and scalable private credit strategies, offering strong risk-adjusted returns aligned with its liabilities. Partnering with Barings Portfolio Finance, a specialized direct originator with deep experience and capability, and combining it with the strong credit analysis and portfolio management expertise of Principal Asset Management, creates a beneficial structure for the company.
“We continue to look for ways to evolve and diversify our private credit portfolio in ways that add value. This partnership deepens our presence in the private markets ecosystem, aligning our strong insurance entity and internal asset management platform with the strengths of an experienced external manager,” added Ken McCullum, Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of Principal Financial Group.
For his part, Dadong Yan, Head of Barings Portfolio Finance, commented: “We are excited to partner with Principal and bring the direct investment origination platform of Barings Portfolio Finance to benefit Principal’s policyholders and shareholders. In a shifting market environment, Barings Portfolio Finance is uniquely positioned to understand the evolving needs of insurers.”
The partnership with Barings allows Principal to access a differentiated segment of the private credit market, complementing the internal capabilities of Principal Asset Management in real estate, direct middle-market lending, private corporate credit, and infrastructure credit.
This week, gold surpassed the historic threshold of $4,000 per ounce. With an increase of more than 50% so far this year, prices are on track to post their best performance since 1979, the year when gold reached its previous all-time high adjusted for inflation.
So far this year alone, gold has already reached 52 new all-time highs. The year-to-date return is approaching 54%, already marking the highest annual return since 1979. The interest is undeniable—in September, gold ETFs recorded their best month ever. Net inflows of $17.3 billion were led by North America and Europe, with Asia also joining the rally with $2.1 billion.
In contrast to these highs, the analysis by José Manuel Marín Cebrián, economist and founder of Fortuna SFP, offers another perspective: it’s not that gold is expensive, but rather that money is losing value. “Gold is a barometer. Its quantity in the world increases slowly—around 1.5% annually through mining production—making it a store of value against currencies that multiply under monetary policies. When gold rises in dollars, euros, or yen, it is actually revealing the loss of purchasing power of those currencies. It’s a mirror that reflects distrust in the current monetary system,” he argues.
A Favorable Environment
Whether or not there are doubts about the current monetary system, the reality is that we are in a favorable environment for gold’s performance. “The slowdown in the U.S. economy, along with expectations of lower interest rates and a weaker dollar, should continue to attract safe-haven seekers to the market, while central bank purchases should also remain strong. We see very limited likelihood of a major correction, although we believe a temporary pullback could occur due to bullish market sentiment. Overall, we reiterate our constructive view and raise our price targets,” argues Carsten Menke, head of next generation research at Julius Baer.
According to the experts, this movement reflects a consistent trend of portfolio reallocation toward safe-haven assets, in a context of heightened macroeconomic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. “In this scenario, the precious metal reaffirms its role as the leading store of value amid weakening global growth prospects,” states Antonio Montiel, head of analysis at ATFX Education.
Will There Be a Correction?
In Menke’s opinion, given price developments over the past two weeks, speculative positioning in futures has likely turned more bullish, with trend followers and technical traders entering the market ahead of the $4,000 per ounce milestone.
For Regina Hammerschmid, commodities portfolio manager at Vontobel, downside risk is minimal. “Given all the structural factors—weakening dollar, concerns over U.S. debt and government shutdown, Fed independence, elevated geopolitical risks—and cyclical ones—weakening U.S. labor market, Fed rate cuts, growth concerns driven by tariffs—pushing gold higher,” says Hammerschmid.
Still, what could stop this record rally? According to Julius Baer’s expert, historically, major corrections have almost always been triggered by improvements in economic outlooks and tighter monetary policies. “Since the Federal Reserve has just resumed its monetary easing cycle, we see very limited likelihood of that scenario repeating. A more probable scenario would be speculative fatigue, meaning all the good news is already priced in and this last leg of the rally is a case of ‘too fast, too far,’” he notes.
That said, he believes such fatigue should not trigger a correction, but rather a temporary and short-term pullback, as the fundamental environment for gold remains favorable. “Assuming a target gold allocation of 20% to 25%, in line with the global average, purchases should continue for another three to five years, according to our analysis. Therefore, we reiterate our long-term constructive view on gold, raising our price targets to $4,150 per ounce in three months and $4,500 per ounce in twelve months,” estimates Menke.
Getting Exposure to Gold
To take advantage of this rally, Marco Mencini, head of analysis at Plenisfer Investments (Generali Investments), believes the market offers two financial alternatives for gaining gold exposure: producer stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
“Despite the strong performance of producer stocks so far this year, their valuations remain attractive. Many companies are generating free cash flow (FCF) yields between 7% and 9% (high single digits) and between 10% and 12% (low double digits) relative to their market capitalization. The figure varies by company, but considering the low leverage levels, current levels offer favorable prospects. It is often thought that the profitability of gold producers cannot keep pace with the metal’s price. However, the EBITDA data from major sector ETFs—like the GDX (VanEck Gold Miners ETF)—disproves this perception,” says Mencini.
On approaching this opportunity through equities, James Luke, commodities fund manager at Schroders, highlights that gold miners are generating record margins and have significantly strengthened their balance sheets, yet their valuations are still not fully priced in. “The market is only just beginning to pay attention to them. Despite the recent boom, we must not forget that gold equity funds have seen net outflows of nearly $5 billion over the past year and a half. Investors who are not invested wonder if they missed the boat, and those who are invested wonder if it’s time to sell,” he comments.
In his view, gold stocks are not expensive and represent a good investment opportunity, at least from three perspectives: “The performance of gold stocks remains very disconnected from record free cash flow margins (which continue to grow). Additionally, gold miners are trading at low-adjusted valuations and are significantly strengthening their balance sheets. And finally, there are no signs of euphoria in the sector—rather the opposite.”
UBS Florida International announced the addition of Gustavo and Leon Ciobataru to its teams as financial advisor and managing director – wealth management, respectively. Both will be based in the bank’s offices located in downtown Miami, it reported.
Gustavo and Leon bring decades of experience providing guidance to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients in strategies for international estate planning, succession, and alternative investments, UBS said in the welcome statement.
“As part of a leading global wealth manager, Gustavo and Leon will offer well-thought-out strategies and innovative solutions for all aspects of your financial life. Whether you are looking to buy your first home or launch a second business, they will help you define what’s possible and identify the solutions you need to make it a reality,” the bank added in the statement. The professionals will report to Catherine Lapadula, managing director/market executive of UBS Florida International.
Gustavo Ciobataru served for nearly six years as a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley in Miami and is a graduate of the Stern School of Business at New York University. Leon Ciobataru, meanwhile, was managing director at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management for the past two years; he joined the investment bank in 2012. Previously, he worked for more than 13 years at Wells Fargo, where he held the position of managing director – investments.
