What’s happening on the stock markets? Which sectors and trends are currently popular on the market? Where is the global economy heading, and how are the latest economic developments affecting share prices? Here, our experts and fund managers provide answers to the most pressing questions for investors 👉
The semiconductor industry is considered one of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom. Investors therefore kept a close eye on the sector’s figures for the first three months of 2025. One thing became clear: the expansion of AI infrastructure continues to deliver good results for most chip companies – but the sword of Damocles in the form of impending US tariffs is still hanging over industry giants such as Nvidia & Co. Read more in today’s blog post.
Following the tariffs shock and the accompanying market turmoil, the deferral of said tariffs has led to a surprisingly rapid upturn on the equity markets. That being said, uncertainty remains high, even though the US reporting season has been positive so far. Read more in the market commentary by Gerald Stadlbauer, Head of Discretionary Portfolio Management.
The US government’s extensive tariff plans have been causing volatility on the stock markets since last week. Yesterday’s announcement of a 90-day pause for the new tariffs was met with relief by the markets – even though a further escalation between the US and China is on the horizon. We take a look at the current situation on the financial markets and analyse the possible consequences of an escalation in the trade conflict.
Central banks and markets are in a calibration phase. The question is how many key rate hikes are needed to be able to confidently expect inflation to fall in the direction of 2%. Particular attention is therefore once again being paid to the US inflation data, which will be published today, Tuesday.
Besides artificial intelligence, the Metaverse continues to be one of the big future topics in the tech industry. Our expert Harald Egger gives an insight into what the metaverse actually is and what possible areas of application there are.
The microfinance market also faced a variety of challenges in 2022. Despite the difficult environment, however, the global market continued to grow dynamically. The ERSTE RESPONSIBLE MICROFINANCE also developed positively in the previous year compared with the global equity and bond markets.
On the stock markets, the first month of the year was positive. The recent softer tones of the central banks give rise to hopes that interest rate hikes are slowly coming to an end. Read more about the current market assessment in our Investment Update.
After the lifting of the Corona restrictions, mighty China is back on track for growth. Also the global economy is benefiting from this. In any case, the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges started the “Year of the Rabbit” on a positive note.
Forbes Magazine ranked Clemens Klein, fund manager of ERSTE WWF STOCK ENVIRONMENT, as one of the top ten fund managers of the German-speaking region. In our interview, he talks about the investment strategy and philosophy of the fund.
Improved growth prospects for China and Europe and hopes of a sustained decline in inflation have supported the markets since the beginning of the year. However, sharp central bank rhetoric and weak growth indicators in the USA could prove to be spoilers.
Corporate bond yields are now back at attractive levels. In his article, senior fund manager Hannes Kusstatscher explains what this means and how the situation on the bond market could develop.
At present, indicators on inflation and economic activity are competing to determine which of the two categories is more important for the financial market. Read more in the current market commentary by Chief Economist Gerhard Winzer.
After a three-year pandemic break, the technology industry returned to the renowned electronics trade show CES in Las Vegas. The dominant topics were artificial intelligence and virtual reality. However, extensive staff reduction programs at major tech companies also made headlines recently.
Yields on corporate bonds in both the investment grade and high-yield segments have risen significantly in recent months. This means that there are currently interesting entry levels again.
Our expert Johann Griener explains in his blogpost how to take advantage of this opportunity with a corporate bond fund.
Despite uncertainties, the stock and bond markets got off to a friendly start in the new year. In the USA, economic data recently surprised on the upside. Is the situation better than the mood?
Technological advantages and cost reductions have dramatically changed the environment for green hydrogen production. Our fund managers Clemens Klein and Alexander Weiss report on their journey to an exciting company in this industry.
Interest rates are back, which means that investing in bonds and bond funds again offers opportunities for attractive returns. Our expert Johann Griener explains how a bond fund works and what you should bear in mind when investing.
The previous year was marked by unexpectedly high inflation and rapid key interest rate hikes – but what will the new year bring?
In his article, Chief Economist Gerhard Winzer presents ten topics that could be particularly relevant for the financial markets in 2023.
In the past year, numerous trouble spots preoccupied the markets. In his market commentary, Gerald Stadlbauer, Head of Discretionary Portfolio Management, gives an outlook on what 2023 might bring.
After many years of low interest rates, the tide has turned in recent months. This is also creating some opportunities on the bond market again, as our expert Johann Griener explains in his article.
The turn of the year marked the end of a difficult and lossy year on the stock markets. After two years of Corona pandemic, 2022 was dominated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with many stock exchanges suffering double-digit losses.
How the yield curve of a bond looks depends on several factors. In his article, fund manager Tolgahan Memişoğlu explains what this means and why yield curves could become steeper again in the future.
Last week, the Japanese central bank made the last major monetary policy decision of 2022, bringing an eventful year to an end – also from a central bank perspective.
Hardly any journalist like Christian Wehrschütz has been dealing so intensively with the background of the Ukraine war for years. In an exclusive interview, the ORF correspondent gave us insights into daily life in the midst of a war. He does not currently see a solution to the conflict in the near future.
There is no perfect solution to solve our energy problems in the long term, explains Walter Hatak, Head of Responsible Investments. But instead of burying our heads in the sand, we should be able to choose the best possible alternative, take the future into account in our planning, and learn from past mistakes.
The Inflation Reduction Act is designed to get the US back on track in terms of climate protection. What will the law achieve and who could benefit from it? Senior Research Analyst Stefanie Schock addresses these questions in her article.
With the energy transition and the necessary ecologisation of the economy, “green technologies” are likely to remain one of the megatrends of the coming years. The ERSTE GREEN INVEST impact fund invests in precisely those companies whose business models could benefit from this megatrend.
Hydrogen has great potential as a carbon-free fuel, electricity storage or energy carrier and could play an important role in the energy transition. But not all hydrogen is the same, as Senior ESG Researcher Alexander Osojnik explains. There are certain differences depending on how it is produced, which makes the topic of hydrogen almost a color theory.
This week, the financial markets are once again in for an exciting ride: The European Central Bank and the US Federal Reserve will decide to what extent interest rates will be raised again.
In June, Erste Asset Management announced the first closing of its private equity fund of funds, “Erste Diversified Private Equity I” at EUR 80mn. In an interview, Thomas Bobek, Head of Private Equity Management, is very satisfied with the successful start of the fund.
The environment for the financial markets remains highly uncertain. The further development of inflation and economic growth is not sufficiently foreseeable. This points to continued high fluctuations in asset prices.
The indications that the inflation peak will be exceeded are growing. If the relationship between inflation surprises (upside) and asset prices (downside) were to hold, that would be, all other things being equal, good news for the financial market.
On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, many retailers traditionally draw shoppers with discounts and special offers. In view of high inflation and rising interest rates and their potential impact, the financial markets are looking particularly eagerly to the two big holiday shopping days this year.
So far this year, high inflation rates have been the driving factor on the financial markets. This could now change, as Chief Economist Gerhard Winzer writes. Disappointingly weak indicators of economic activity could now increasingly come into focus.
How are interest rates and future bond returns related? Why can the yield be higher than current interest rates? Our blog looks at the correlations in fixed-income investments.
The rise in inflation in the USA was recently lower than expected, which led to a significantly brighter mood on the markets. However, a favourable inflation report is not yet a trend, as Chief Economist Gerhard Winzer emphasises.
Due to fears of recession, rising inflation and interest rates, US technology stocks have come under pressure in 2022. The prospect of falling inflation, fueled by recent data from the US, could put them back on track for growth. We explore the question of whether tech stocks are on the verge of a comeback.
On the stock markets, the year 2022 was characterized by high uncertainties and volatility. Tamás Menyhárt, senior fund manager at Erste Asset Management and equity expert, therefore draws an initial summary of the stock market year and ventures an outlook for the coming months on the markets.
More and more central banks are signalling a reduction in the pace at which they are raising key interest rates. However, as Chief Economist Gerhard Winzer explains, this does not necessarily mean that central banks are softening their focus on fighting inflation. Rather, a pause in the rate hike cycle would require a change in inflation dynamics.
This year brought a turning point in the monetary policy of the major central banks. The crucial question is whether this turning point is cyclical or structural. It is therefore worth taking a look at the neutral interest rate, as this captures structural macroeconomic changes.
Hands off Chinese equities? The confirmation of another term in office for China’s state and party leader Xi Jinping triggered a plunge in share prices on the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges. Equities Technology in particular came under pressure. What happens now?
The soaring US dollar is causing problems in countries outside the USA. In Japan, the Yen has weakened considerably recently because, unlike the other central banks, the Bank of Japan is sticking to its ultra-loose monetary policy. Against this backdrop, the meeting of the Japanese central bank next Friday will be more in focus than usual.
Corrections on the markets are often painful, as previous price gains are reduced or the investment even slips into the loss zone. However, price declines can also offer opportunities. Our expert Johann Griener presents a possible entry strategy for the dividend share segment.
Global equity markets have been under pressure for several months. The short recovery phase in the summer did not last long. What are the reasons for the bear market and when could be a good time to enter?
The mood among investors in the bond sector in emerging markets is mixed, as this year’s Emerging Markets Credit Conference held by US investment bank J.P. Morgan showed. Thomas Oposich, Senior Fund Manager, reports on the conference and his impressions.
The inflation problem continues to preoccupy the central banks. They are likely to maintain their basic restrictive stance until inflation rates have convincingly embarked on a downward trend.
What do global risks and rising interest rates mean for the economy? We talked to
Prof. Dr. Ernest Gnan, Secretary General of SUERF – The European Money and Finance Forum and former Head of the Economic Analysis Department of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank.
Dividend shares provide regular profit distributions even in difficult times on the stock market. This makes them particularly interesting in the current market environment.
The latest US labor market data suggest that the Fed will remain on its course of more restrictive monetary policy. “As long as job growth remains strong and unemployment and participation rates remain low, the Fed will maintain its basic restrictive stance”, writes Head Economist Gerhard Winzer in his market commentary.
Last Wednesday, the countries of the OPEC+ oil alliance decided on a comprehensive reduction in oil production. As early as November, 2 million barrels less per day will be produced. Many countries fear a rise in oil prices.
The mood on the capital markets has deteriorated further over the last months. In a comprehensive market update, Gerald Stadlbauer, Head of Discretionary Portfolio Management at Erste Asset Management, explains why stamina is needed in the current situation.
The unexpectedly high inflation rates draw even wider circles. In view of the pessimistic mood, the question arises whether the negative environment is already being reflected by market prices.
So far, the year 2022 has brought significant price losses on the stock markets. Inflation and rising interest rates are often cited as the reason. But why is that the case?
