Raiffeisen-MegaTrends-ESG-Aktien convinces with strength
The recovery of the fund, as well as the major US equity indices since the end of 2022, has been driven primarily by the major technology equities. In this context, the media coined the term "glorious seven" (Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Tesla). The fund Raiffeisen-MegaTrends-ESG-AKtien was also invested in a large number of these soaring equities, such as Alphabet, Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft. However, pharmaceutical companies such as Novo Nordisk (now the company with the highest market capitalisation in Europe) and Eli Lilly are also among the big winners in the fund.
Corporate profits drive equity prices
In general, company-related issues and the earnings performance of companies have been relatively strong drivers of individual equity prices in recent quarters, while economic factors such as inflation, interest rates and the economy have taken a back seat.
The environment remains quite difficult for many companies in the
A good mix of several megatrends
This market environment also highlights one of the strengths of the fund concept of Raiffeisen-MegaTrends-ESG-Aktien:
The fact that the fund management focuses on three major megatrends(climate change, demographic change, technological change) and on many different subordinated trends within these three megatrends means that temporary price declines in some areas are offset by other segments that are performing particularly well. This year, for example, companies in the areas of cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), the ageing society and work-life balance have performed very strongly.
USA: Continued growth?
Almost 50% of the fund Raiffeisen-MegaTrends-ESG-Aktien is currently invested in US companies. Given this and the generally significant importance of the USA for the global economy and financial markets, US monetary policy not only influences the US economy but also significantly affects the performance of the fund. From today's perspective, the investment specialists at Raiffeisen KAG are optimistic that the USA will avoid a recession in the coming quarters and are positive about the development of many companies.
Of course, this assessment is subject to the caveat that the future policies under the newly elected President Donald Trump are still fraught with significant uncertainties. At the same time, further interest rate cuts in the USA and Europe are expected, which should support the equity markets. On the other hand, many US companies are relatively highly valued. Valuation ratios are important in the long-term, but they provide little insight into short- and medium-term price developments.
Megatrends defy economic cycles
Megatrends such as artificial intelligence or demographic change make it very clear that many topics within the megatrendsare relatively unaffected by economic cycles. Of course, this does not mean that they are completely immune to economic fluctuations or general capital market trends. However, the resulting price fluctuations are usually of a temporary nature and cannot permanently halt or delay the fundamental developments in the megatrends.
The fund has also performed well so far this year and should continue to benefit from the long-term growth opportunities offered by megatrends. The largest positions in Raiffeisen-MegaTrends-ESG-Aktiencurrently include companies such as Nvidia, Alphabet, Novo Nordisk, AMD, Prysmian, Motorola Solutions and Booking Holdings.
Full potential only unfolds over the long-term
Investors need patience, because – by nature – megatrends progress slowly and thus only exhibit their full potential over a longer time frame. Consequently, in order to achieve the best possible returns it is important to have an adequately long investment horizon and patience for the long run, in order to outlast the weak phases on the markets that are always bound to occur at times.
Brief portrait of Raiffeisen-MegaTrends-ESG-Aktien: Fund manager Günther Schmitt gives an overview of the fund, the companies it invests in and who might be interested in the fund in the video.
Impact measurement
With the fund Raiffeisen-MegaTrends-ESG-Aktienone can not only invest specifically in megatrends. The equity selection in the fund applies quite strict ESG criteria. Social aspects, environmental aspects, and the manner of corporate governance are taken into account. In doing so, the fund draws on the long-standing and award-winning sustainability expertise of Raiffeisen KAG.
Impact assessment: The impact is calculated annually by Raiffeisen KAG.* The data shown relates to the companies in the Raiffeisen-MegaTrends-ESG-Aktien compared with the whole market.
*Source: Raiffeisen KAG, own calculation, as of 28 June 2024.
In order to calculate the effect of sustainable equity investments in the fund, we used the sustainability ratios of the companies found in their sustainability reporting. CO2 emissions are generally denoted in tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), work accidents in lost-time-
injury-rate, waste in tons and water consumption in m3. The key ratios for the individual companies were multiplied by their weight in the fund or in the overall market, and the results of each key ratio were compared. Currently, we do not calculate such ratios for the bond segment of the funds, as we think that the "sustainable footprint" is attributable to the company owners, i.e. shareholders, not to the creditors, i.e. bond holders.
The fund exhibits elevated volatility, meaning that unit prices can move significantly higher or lower in short periods of time, and it is not possible to rule out loss of capital.