Latest Posts
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.
Everything was better in the past!
The Austrian term “Komasaufen“, which refers to the practice of binge drinking, received the “Doublespeak Award” 2007. The award followed significant media coverage and discussion on the alcoholic excesses that young people were engaging in with extremely sweet alcoholic beverages.
Responsible Investment Universe
The definition of the investment universe is the most important step in the construction of a fund.
Certified Erste AM Funds
The Erste AM RESPONSIBLE funds are subject to constant scrutiny with regard to their sustainable quality.
Economic outlook 2019: reasons to remain optimistic
Economic Outlook 2019: There are signs that the world economy will slow down next year. Read here why there are still reasons to be optimistic!
Slovakia: moving towards long-term sustainability?
The engine of the economy in Slovakia is running on a good momentum. In recent years it has been going through a cyclical upswing. Take a look at the drivers, but also consider potential threats going forward.
Brexit agreement ahead of vote in British Parliament
The “divorce agreement” of the British with the EU stands. At the highly anticipated EU Special Summit on Sunday, Britain and the EU agreed on their post-Brexit relations at the end of March 2019. Now only the vote in the British House of Commons is missing. It’s getting tight.
China’s future: long-term growth initiatives and dangerous asymmetries
The People’s Republic of China is one of the winners of globalisation – but the strong economic growth has also created asymmetries within the Chinese economy. Read more about how the “Made in China 2025”-strategy will help and what role the new silk road plays.
European banking overshadowed by Italian banks
The year started strongly for European markets with investors favoring Italian banks and stocks. But then came the budget proposal of the new Italian government, changing the mood abruptly. Read about it in our new blog!
Changes in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index
In 1988, MSCI Emerging Markets Index was launched and consisted of just 10 countries representing less than 1% of world market capitalization. Today the index consists of 24 countries representing 10% of world market capitalization. Read here about the changes expected until June 2020 to one of the most important global emerging markets equities index.
US Congressional election results
The outcome of the US Congressional election on Tuesday has caused some relief in the international financial markets. Read more about it in our blog.
Romania: losing its shine
On January 1st 2019, Romania will assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union: an opportunity to regain its shine as a true growth champion and supporter of European values. But how is the country’s economy doing?
The technology cycle is not over for a while
How does Bernhard Ruttenstorfer, senior fund manager of our technology fund, see the future of technology shares? Find out here.
Financial markets 2018: reasons to be cautiously optimistic
The financial markets have been on the rocks in 2018. Read here why you should still keep a cautiously optimistic stance.
Mixed feelings on the US stock exchanges
After a good start to the US reporting season, the tide on the US stock exchanges turned last week. Find out more in our new blog.
Brazil: fundamentally sound companies despite political uncertainties
In the current environment of global uncertainties in emerging markets due to idiosyncratic events in Turkey and Argentina, the trade conflict between the USA and China and with regard to the presidential election, late September was probably one of the most exciting times to visit Brazil. Find out more in our latest blog entry.
US earnings season in full swing
The US earnings season is back in full swing. The first results for Q3 of 2018 are promising, particularly in the banking sector.
Attractive yields for emerging markets bonds in local currencies
On 17 October 2018, ERSTE BOND LOCAL EMERGING celebrated its 10th anniversary – a perfect time to have a closer look at the asset class “Emerging markets bonds in local currency ”. More in our Blog.
Stirred, not shaken – A first take on last week’s stock market meltdown
Last week, the S&P 500 lost more than 3%, followed by another loss of more than 2% on the next day. Read about the reasons behind this decrease in our new blog!
BCA Investment Conference in Toronto: How to navigate wealth to prosperity in a late stage of the business cycle
Every year the independent investment research provider BCA organizes an outstanding event for investment professionals from all over the world to come together and have a vibrant discussion about recent challenges in financial markets.
Tenth year anniversary: global financial crisis kick off
Ten years ago, the Lehman bankruptcy made huge waves in the stock markets. The after-effects of the financial crisis can still be felt today. More in our blog.
US Federal Reserve with the third interest rate hike this year
The central bankers’ assessments regarding inflation and the labour market are considered important indicators for future interest rate policy. More on our blog.
Information availability and data protection and their impact on society
Interview with Gregor König, Head of Data Protection office Digital providers collect loads of data in the background. They are evaluated/analysed and, more and more often, are used for personalised marketing and/or product/service offers. What is your opinion in this context? Is this beneficial for the user, or is the opposite the case? And what is […]
Financial Markets Monitor September – conclusion: cautiously optimistic
As long as the underlying investor sentiment remains positive and investor confidence does not tilt, we are optimistic about the autumn on the capital markets. Find out more about the outlook for the global financial markets in our new blog.
Back-to-school-season makes summer a second Christmas season for US retailers
US retailers are looking forward to another high-turnover back-to-school-season leading up to the start of the new school year. This time of the year plays an important role in the US and is regarded as the second-strongest sales driver after Christmas season.
Strong USA, weak emerging markets, risk of inflation – is the economic boom drawing to an end?
This blog entry will discuss three scenarios for the coming quarters and the coming year.
The primal fear of “Profiling”
Many people harbour an undefined fear of psychologists. Maybe it is the fear of someone being able to look inside them and know what they are thinking. And, let’s be honest: how many times didn’t you think: “Thank God nobody knows what I am thinking right now”? But that was in the past. Nowadays, Google, Facebook, Amazon et al. know quite well what we are thinking. Apparently even better than we do ourselves or the people close to us.
Big data as a powerful tool – Investment Board
We communicate a great deal on social networks. For example, how nice our breakfast is or even the view from a very tall mountain we just climbed. Unfortunately, social networks operators are much less willing to communicate when it comes to the handling of gained user data.
This is where the term “commitment” comes in – in our new ESG article, we explain what it means.
Pro Big Data – What are we really afraid of in today’s digital world?
Do the Big Data advantages and opportunities outweigh the disadvantages and possible consequences in today´s digital world? Find out more in our blog.
Contra Big Data – When the algorithm knows too much
“If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to be afraid of”. What is at the core of this argument? More on our blog.
Big Data Facts & Figures
Only 0.5% of all accessible data is analyzed and used. More facts about Big Data can be found here.
Engagement – Better handling of user data
Large operators of social networks are decidedly less outspoken when it comes to their use of the data obtained. The companies we contacted did not want to talk about the maintenance of the private sphere nor about data protection. But that was not surprising.
The Physicists
Big Data contains a lot of good, but also a lot of controvery. Just think of social scoring, for example. Your friends, your media consumption, your daily habits, everything you do is recorded, evaluated, and channelled into a rating.
Responsible Investment Universe
The definition of the investment universe is the most important step in the construction of a fund.
Certified Erste AM Funds
The Erste AM RESPONSIBLE funds are subject to constant scrutiny with regard to their sustainable quality.