Visoka tehnologija, umetna inteligenca & Co.

Pogled nazaj na prvih šest mesecev leta 2024 prinaša nekaj razveseljivih, presenetljivih in streznitvenih novic. Zelo pozitiven razvoj na svetovnem delniškem trgu, ki ga poganja zagon rasti podjetij, povezanih s tehnologijo umetne inteligence, lahko označimo kot povsem razveseljiv.

Is success guaranteed when you invest in “high-tech” equities? One might be tempted to think so, since high tech is the sector with the strongest long-term growth in turnover and profits. But it’s just not that simple.

The stock markets in Central and Eastern Europe suffered greatly from the war in Ukraine, especially in 2022. Last year, a noticeable recovery set in from April, which accelerated further in some markets. This was due to the stabilization of energy prices and security of supply.

Renewable energy, especially solar and wind power, are playing an increasingly important role in the global energy landscape. In recent years, however, many equities from this field have come under intense pressure, after share prices for companies involved in this business area had sometimes risen sharply. Is the party over? Or is right now a good time to enter this market segment?

Following the price declines in April, the developed equity markets did well again in May, posting an overall gain of more than 4%, with the USA leading the way. By contrast, developments for EM equities were much more uneven, and at the index level there was only a minimal gain of around 0.3% (both figures calculated in USD).

ChatGPT is currently a hot topic of discussion. This software is seen as a milestone in artificial intelligence (AI). What long belonged to the realm of science fiction is now becoming reality. ChatGPT writes and analyses texts, poems, jokes, role playing games, and even programming code. And it is constantly learning in the process.

Bonds and currencies in Central and Eastern Europe were hit very hard in 2022, but then rebounded significantly over the past year. How is the outlook for the region shaping up for 2024?

High yield bonds (i.e. bonds from issuers with lower ratings, thus making them riskier) have been a sought-after investment instrument for a long time. Last year, they were among the best performers on the bond markets. Are they still worth investing in?