Latest Posts

Coronacession
The world is in a state of emergency, with the corona pandemic constituting a global health, economic, and financial crisis. The term “Coronacession” has been created as a chimaera of corona and recession. The central question is how deep the emergency runs and how long it will last. The speed of the development is breath-taking. […]
Restaurants & petrol stations: how do support measures for the economy work?
We’ve repeatedly reported on monetary and fiscal policy measures in recent weeks. Today we want to show the effect of economic stimulus packages with simple examples.

The ordinary becomes special – Update from the Investment Division
What has occurred since yesterday ? Sometimes the ordinary becomes something special. To prove the validity of this heuristic, we will use the database of our Bloomberg terminal once again. On the 24,060 trading days of the leading US index S&P500 since 1928, the average daily change has been +0.02%. In contrast, for almost a […]
Rollercoaster ride continues – Update from the Investment Division
Rollercoaster ride continues. What has occurred since yesterday? And what will we be observing in the coming days? Update from the Investment Division
Historic decline in US equity markets – Update from the Investment Division
What has occurred since yesterday (17.3.2020)? Yesterday´s update started with the advantages of the Bloomberg terminals and also today we used the huge data base. Yesterday we reported on the ten days where the American equity index S&P500 had its largest losses on the same day. These ten days occurred in six different years: 1929, […]
Is China back to work?
When do people in China return to work and how quickly will the economy recover from the coronavirus shock? Our senior fund manager Jenny Teng analyzes the current situation.
Living in volatile times – Coronavirus
The update of our Investment Division What has occurred since yesterday In his address to the National Union of South African Students in Capetown 1966 in regards to the US-American civil rights movement Robert F. Kennedy said the following: „There is a Chinese curse that says: “May he live in interesting times” If we want […]

20th anniversary of the dot-com bubble: The return of tech stocks
20 years later: The high point of the “dot-com bubble” is approaching. Stock markets and technology stocks plummeted at the time but investors were still able to make a small fortune. We take a look at the return of technology stocks.
Distortions on the financial market
The distortions on the financial market continue, and the prices of risky asset classes such as equities and corporate bonds with low credit quality are falling. Market prices have increasingly come to reflect a global recession.

Coronavirus: US rate cut and now what?
The corona virus leaves traces in financial market policy. The US Federal Reserve cut interest rates surprisingly early on Tuesday. Erste AM chief economist Gerhard Winzer explains this measure in our interview.
Coronavirus: The economic effects of epidemics and pandemics
What are the economic effects of an epidemic or pandemic? Our Experts went through relevant studies in order to be able to give a well-founded assessment. The results are surprising.

Erste Asset Management integrates sustainability in funds and on corporate level
Erste Asset Management expands on its pioneering role in the area of ethics and environmental issues. The company is taking the next step by making sustainable criteria an integral part of a large number of its investment decisions.

Coronavirus starting to affect global corporations
Coronavirus: The spread of the virus is the defining issue in the financial markets. Global corporations such as Apple, Adidas and AT&S are also suffering the economic consequences.
Turbulent start of the year for oil
Oil prices came under pressure at the beginning of the year. The consequences of the coronavirus in China were cited as the main reason for the fall in prices.
How does the struggle for a stable oil price continue?
First virtual chart analyst – bot learns to “look at” charts
The intuition of an experienced chart analyst contributes significantly to a correct forecast. With the help of around one million charts of shares, Erste AM trained the world’s first virtual chart analyst.

Coronavirus: epidemic in China disrupts recovery scenario
Coronavirus: The economy is increasingly affected by the virus crisis. Will China’s economy be able to withstand the pressure despite resistance? Analysis by Erste AM chief economist Gerhard Winzer.

Problem children vs. favourite children in Latin America
Fund Manager Peter Paul Pölzl gives a detailed outlook on the loved ones and problem children among the countries in Latin America. How are China’s economy and Latin America related?

Climate change and other challenges front and center at the WEF
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, topics from business, politics and science were discussed. However, climate protection received the most attention. How is the global economy doing?
And what is the outlook for 2020?
US banks report good and bad developments in the financial sector
The reporting season with the largest US banks started on Wall Street last week. Their results give a good impression of how the previous year went and what trends can be identified for this year.
Russian equities: attractive valuations and high dividend yield
After the strong stock market year 2019, the chances are good for further price gains on the Moscow stock exchange. The extremely low valuation of the shares and the high payout rates make Russian shares one of the most attractive stock market segments. Read more in the interview with ERSTE STOCK RUSSIA fund manager Alexandre Dimitrov.
2019 stock market review
Our 2019 stock market review: for investors around the world, 2019 was by and large a continuation of the previous year: the trade dispute between the US and China and the back and forth over Brexit remained the dominant topics.
Frankincense, myrrh, or gold? Have you found the right Christmas present yet?
The gifts of the three Magi to the new-born Christ Child are well known. Even back then, gold was of high value due to its scarceness and was regarded as a special kind of paying one’s respects to someone. Frankincense and myrrh have since then lost some of their appeal as gifts, but it is […]
Gold: the most sustainable commodity in the world?
Guest commentary by expert Ronald-Peter Stöferle The public is still being fed the narrative of gold being a dirty metal. Gold is considered environmentally reproachable because open-pit mining requires enormous volumes of rock to be moved; and in rare cases, mercury is used in the process. Gold is also regarded as soiled in terms of […]

All that glitters is not gold
To extract gold, copper, nickel, tungsten and other metallic raw materials, entire ecosystems are destroyed. Guest author Georg Scattolin from the WWF, on environmental threats in the extraction of raw materials.
Tiffany as exemplary company in the field of sustainability
The takeover by LVMH raised the media profile of Tiffany last week substantially. Not only financial aspects, but also the sustainability strategy make the company attractive. Tiffany has gone through an impressive development in terms of sustainability. The company has co-financed or implemented numerous projects to facilitate a better and more environmentally friendly production of […]
Gold with traces of rust
Hardly anyone can escape the fascination of gold. But, what is the economic function of gold, and how does it perform socially and environmentally?

Bargains, sales and dividends: Hopeful signs for US retail investors
Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are considered to be the weeks with the highest retail sales. How can investors benefit from the US Christmas business?
Positive bottom line for our funds in 2019
Only a few weeks left and then 2019 is history. Thanks to booming stock exchanges and yet another increase in bond prices. Investors can look back on a pleasing balance sheet.
Demand in the oil market will not lose momentum until 2030
Against the background of the initial public offering of Saudi Aramco, the international energy agency predicts a robust demand for oil by 2025. Thereafter demand-dynamics will decline sharply due to increase in energy-efficient vehicles.
Artificial Intelligence as investment in the future
Artificial intelligence opens up new opportunities to invest. Which developments and companies are most interesting? And how is the best way to do it?
A recovering global economy?
The recovery of the world economy has become more likely: First AM chief economist Gerhard Winzer gives an outlook on whether the trend reversal is done.
FT Nordic Investor Outlook – Agile Investment in Uncertain Markets
The FT Nordic Investor Outlook 2019 was dedicated to the topic „Agile Investment in Uncertain Markets“. High caliber speakers were discussing China, ESG and Brexit.

Equities and funds are gaining popularity
Flexibility and security are still the priorities of Austrian households in investing. However, higher yielding investment forms are becoming increasingly popular.
Turkish economy caught between recovery and conflicts
The Turkish invasion in northern Syria and the conflict surrounding it with the USA put the lira under renewed pressure, raising concerns about the Turkish economy’s recovery.

Changes in mobility
Whereas in previous decades the development in the car industry had almost come to a halt, we have seen momentum picking up in recent years in the development of alternative forms of propulsion in this sector. E-car technology should prevail in the long run – our research partners agree on that. For other technologies such […]
Changes to the investment universe, September 2019 – November 2019
Admitted PowerCell Sweden AB (sector: Electrical Components & Equipment), EAM ESG rating 09/2019 of C; admitted into the investment universe of ERSTE WWF STOCK ENVIRONMENT in September 2019. The company was created as a spin-out from Volvo Group in 2008. PowerCell Sweden AB develops and produces modular and scalable fuel cell stacks and systems. Development […]
Do you feel guilty about driving a car?
Do you feel guilty about driving a car? – What’s this question all about? Whereas the term flygskam (flight shame) has become popular outside of Sweden in recent years, there are far fewer people who feel they need to justify driving a car. It has become routine for booking websites to offer compensation options for […]

Automotive Sector: Engagement and Voting
VW is no longer part of the responsible funds. Reasons for this are the use of cheating software and animal testing.
Automotive sector 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. Legal note: Prognoses are no reliable indicator for future performance.
Mobility of the future: moving the traffic of goods onto the rail track
Currently only a third of transport is by rail. However, in domestic transport (i.e. Austria), 60% is possible, and even 85% in cross-border traffic – a clear signal that should be heeded by rail infrastructure strategies. In addition to a socio-ecological tax reform, a comprehensive turn-around in mobility is a crucial factor in the fight […]
TESLA: no investment in environmental funds
Tesla Inc. is not part of the sustainable investment universe of our environmental fund, ERSTE WWF STOCK ENVIRONMENT, which is also the oldest one of the sustainable range of Erste AM and is subject to strict criteria. The underlying rationale of the fund is to invest in products or technologies with particularly high environmental utility […]
Megatrend environment & clean energy: Leveraging the right kind of companies
Mobility, renewable energy, hydrogen – There are currently many megatrends to save the environment. How can we benefit ?

Just how golden is the Czech economy’s golden age?
Although the current phase of the czech economy is not utterly perfect, it can be called a golden age. What is behind all of this ?
Megatrend healthcare: medical care and costs as challenge
Healthcare has never been so important as it is today. Which changed living and consumption habits will influence our future the most?
No long-term consequences after brief panic in oil market
In the previous week crude oil prices have been the highest since 1991. How is the struggle for stable prices on the oil market going? First AM resource expert Alexander Weiss explains the current situation.

IFA: Smartphone manufacturers pin their hopes on new standard
New smartphones will dominate the international radio exhibition in Berlin until the middle of this week. What does the current market look like & what does that mean for technology stocks?
ARGENTINA CRIES (again) – Status Quo and Quo Vadis
The developments surrounding the election in Argentina & presidential challenger Alberto Fernandez are currently frightening investors. Are we looking at a “default”? Our fund manager Felix Dornaus analyzes the situation.
USA: Inverse yield curve fuels fear of recession
In the US bond market, the yield on two-year government bonds had risen above the yield on ten-year bonds, creating the rare situation of an inverse yield curve. This was last the case in 2007.

Weak growth and risks
The recent confrontation between the USA and China in the areas of trade and currency management triggered temporary losses for risky asset classes such as equities. Are the negative implications of an ongoing USA-China conflict strong enough to set off a decline or even a recession?

Looming hard Brexit pushes Pound further down
The hard brexit is described as the most economically unfavorable outcome. First effects can be seen with the Pound.































