Latest Posts
India-election: Government strengthened for upcoming challenges
In May, the general election in India brought a clear victory for former PM Modi. The Indian stock market increased almost continuously. Can the strong economic growth continue? More in our blog!
“Charts don’t tell the future. They tell stories”
The US and Europe are the two most important equity markets worldwide. In our article, we present 6 charts that show the difference between the European and US stock markets.
USA urges Japan to sign trade agreement quickly
Japan is currently on several levels in the spell of US President Donald Trump’s trade policy. Will there be a free trade agreement soon and what would such an agreement mean for the Japanese economy?
Investment horizon – phrase or mathematics?
Under the search term “investment horizon” there are numerous definitions on the internet. What does the term “investment horizon” actually mean? In our blog post we give an overview of the most important features of the investment horizon.
Technology share rally: USA head and shoulders above the rest
After a strong setback in December 2018, technology stocks made a brilliant comeback in the first four months of this year. ESPA STOCK TECHNO fund manager Bernhard Ruttenstorfer explains the reasons for the new price appreciation, from which the technology sector benefits and what must be considered when investing.
Country report – Croatia
Croatia has finally received the long-awaited investment grade rating. What’s next? Our senior fund manager Ivana Kunstek answers the most important questions.
IPOs in demand again
During the first quarter conditions for a stock market debut have improved. Recently big names have also increased expectations for further IPOs.
Transformation process in China
China accounts for just under 16% of world gross domestic product, making it the second largest economy in the world. Can this success story be continued – what speaks for and what against it?
What is it about dividends on stocks?
When share prices rise on the stock markets, investors are happy. How do dividend stocks work and what’s in it? In our blog post we give an overview of the main features of dividends.
Rivalry USA – China dominating the markets
The trade war between China and the USA reaches a new stage. With the announcement by US President Trump threatening to raise the penalty for Chinese imports to 25 percent, the fronts seem hardened. Will there be an early resolution of the trade dispute and what does a further escalation mean for the global economy?
Earnings Season: US stock markets climb to record levels after unexpectedly good figures
A US stock exchange peaked in the reporting season last week. In any case the first quarter was already doing exceptionally well. Whether and how long this pace can be maintained is questionable. Will the current phase on the US stock exchanges soon be nearing its end?
IMF Spring Meeting: Emerging Markets – What’s next?
The IMF Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund in Washington hosts events for emerging market investors. Our senior fund manager Felix Dornaus was there & reports on his most important impressions.
European banks: equity issues and lessons from the financial crisis
What has the financial crisis shown us and what lessons have policy makers learned about “too big to fail”? The Deutsche Bank Commerzbank merger offers a lot of conversation points.
Global risks: ghost drivers
An old saying in the industry says: fund management is risk management. The risks that need to be managed have changed noticeably and have become global ecological risks.
Cognitive dissonance in climate policies
If an important actor dissolves his cognitive dissonance by not only repressing the problem, but simply denying it, then this also has global consequences. The most important global decision-makers currently regard ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) risks, above all environmental risks, as the greatest risks. Read more about cognitive dissonance in our new ESG Letter about Global Risk.
2020 – the critical year
Not many people live to see the world at the threshold of a historically unique shift. But that is exactly where we are right now. Although we have known for many years that we are taking the planet to its limits, the scientific results have never been as clear as today. The drastic decline in […]
Water risks in investments
On the occasion of the World Water Day on 22 March, Erste Asset Management (Erste AM) published its second water footprint for its sustainable equity funds. “We set an important milestone by publishing water risks last year in order to induce companies to release their own water data. Data coverage has improved significantly since then […]
Climate Action 100+: global responses to global risks
100 companies together account for about two thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions. Can these companies be persuaded to rethink their environmental strategies? Read it about it here!
Global risk – facts & figures
Read more articles from this issue of our ESG* letter here. *ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance“ – These are the three broad categories according to which companies are examined in sustainable investment. Disclaimer: Forecasts are not a reliable indicator for future developments.
Climate risks: why we are not adjusting fast enough
The consequences of climate change are becoming clearer by the day. 3 of the top 5 risks for the economy are classified as hailing from the climate category.
Turkey after the local elections
The local elections in Turkey had been built up by President Erdogan to be a test of his policies. What do the results mean for Turkey’s economy?
Stable prospects for Central and Eastern Europe
The countries of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe are among the most important economic growth markets for Europe. How are the prospects for next year?
“The search for yield is ongoing”
“The search for returns continues” – What were the latest developments and what are the yields like?
Fund manager Bernd Stampfl gives the answers to the most important questions.
Continuing struggle for stable oil prices
Current situation on the oil market – in the previous week oil prices have been rising for four months.
There is currently a surge but how is the struggle for stable oil prices going? Interested ? Read on here.
Emerging markets corporate bond outlook 2019 + Video
What were the biggest challenges last year, and what are the opportunities in 2019? Emerging markets fund manager Péter Varga answers the most important questions.
USA still going strong
The US economy has developed very solidly since the financial crisis. The current expansion could soon become the longest in US history.
Currently the US remains strong but the key question is: Will it continue? Read on here!
Stabilization or downturn?
The majority of economic indicators point to a slowdown in global real economic growth.
How will this dichotomy between the market and the economic environment be resolved and will there be a stabilization?
Hungary: fiscal and monetary policy news
The European media has been paying attention to unorthodox economic policies in Hungary for years, supporting or opposing them depending where they stand on the political spectrum. At the same time Hungarian decision makers always stress they represent normality. Nowadays the question is: should we finally expect both monetary and fiscal policy normalization in the following years?
Trade dispute escalation averted for now
US President Trump postponed the deadline for new tariffs on imports from China. The key question is: Will there be an early resolution of the trade dispute between the US and China?
Decent, not thrilling – the reporting season in the US and Europe
What are the trends that have become apparent in the current reporting season in the US and Europe? Find out more in our new blog.
Brexit: The Final Countdown
Another Brexit defeat for Theresa May: How are things developing now? On February 27th the question arises: “May-Deal” or “No Deal”?
Constructive central banks
Risky asset classes such as equities have recorded price increases at the beginning of the year. The core question for the investor is: Is this recovery after the sharp decline in Q4 sustainable or not?
Latin America overview: Venezuela a classic debt rescheduling candidate
Oil production, state crisis, costly restructuring: Venezuela is in crisis. What’s next? Our analysts Christian Gaier & Felix Dornaus provide the answers.
Big Trouble in Little China?
Trade war, a possible cooling of the world economy and growing uncertainties at the home market: is the Chinese dragon spinning?
Romania – Nowhere to hide
The Presidency of the Council of the European Union caught Romania in a difficult position, both from a political and macroeconomic perspective. Now the question arises – Quo vadis Romania?
World Economic Forum Davos 2019: about economic downturn and trade war
In view of a trade war, the Brexit and the threat of an economic downturn, the World Economic Forum meeting this year was dominated by calls for increased international cooperation. Read here what Lagarde and Merkel had to say.
Ethical, environmentally conducive, lucrative: what is sustainable investment?
I have my ethics and morals: more and more people want to invest their capital ecologically and ethically. What is sustainable investment and how does it work?
After the Brexit vote: 4 scenarios for the British pound
After the British House of Commons rejected the Brexit vote: How will things develop and what are the 4 scenarios for the British pound?
New year gains for stock markets as hopes for end of trade dispute increase
As hopes for an end to the trade war between the US and China increase, the stock markets reflected the sentiment with gains at the outset of the new year. Find out more in the new blog entry.
Ten theses for 2019
Read our recent blog post on the ten theses for financial market development in 2019. Is fear of a recession exaggerated?
Low Return on Assets – where can savers still find decent interest rates?
Many savers are fed up with investing their saved-up capital at low interest rates. The question everyone is asking themselves now is how to earn a good yield on one’s hard-earned capital in times of low interest rates like nowadays?
Stock markets in 2018 – market activity dominated by politics and volatility
2018 was a year of politics in the stock markets. Find out which three major topics dominated the international market activities in the current year.
Market remains cautious
The positive reaction to the agreement between the USA and China on not further escalating the trade conflict for the time being was only short-lived. Risky assets remain under pressure. A number of factors continue to burden the markets.
A very boozy Christmas
Who doesn’t know it – sitting together in a boisterous atmosphere, with a glass of champagne in your hand. Or two. Christmas is the celebration of joy, of Christmas markets, and of excessive alcohol consumption: a good reason for us to dedicate this ESG Letter to the topic of alcohol.
What does climate change have to do with alcohol? – Investment Board
The big chateaux in the Bordeaux region, Hofbräuhauses, and abbey distilleries: alcohol is a distinctive cultural good. It is not by accident that big events are always accompanied – and fuelled – by alcoholic beverages.
How organic is the vineyard?
Everybody is talking about organic wine. Commercials claim it is better for the environment, because the conservation-minded way of handling nature safeguards the habitat of a diverse range of organisms.
Alcohol Facts & Figures
Did you know that the fear of an empty glass has a name? Find out what it is and more interesting facts about the topic of Alcohol.
“Less is better” vs. “Drink responsibly”
What sort of responsibility do alcohol producers hold? Dr. Alfred Uhl, from the “Competence Centre Addiction“ tells us exactly what is meant by “drink responsibly”.
“Alcohol addiction is a chronic illness”
An addiction or alcohol dependency is a chronic illness that can manifest itself in numerous layers of problems. Intervention regimes have to take these into account by approaching the situation from a medical, psychological, and social angle. Dialog in Vienna offers such a comprehensive approach. Find out more in this blog post.
Alcohol producers against excessive consumption – Engagement
Alcohol enjoys a special privilege. No other drug is as socially accepted. This also manifests itself in the special status it is invested with by law: while cannabis – a market whose legal side is estimated to grow from USD 9.5bn in 2017 to USD 32bn by 2020 – is legal in only a handful of states, tobacco is subject to ever-more stringent regulations. By comparison, alcohol producers are relatively free to pursue their business.