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 sector, e.g. wind power, solar or hydrogen. The sharp rise in capital market interest rates is putting pressure on the profitability of many projects in this sector. In addition, many companies are still making losses here and the value of any future profits is falling as interest rates rise. Many equities in these sectors have therefore fallen sharply in recent years. However, some companies have been able to escape the negative trend, such as the US solar company First Solar.

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 megatrends are 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-Aktien currently include companies such as Nvidia, Alphabet, Novo Nordisk, AMD, Prysmian, Motorola Solutions and Booking Holdings.

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-Aktien, one 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.

*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.