August 2025: Strong half-year figures are a driver for stock market prices
Investors in the Sustainable Dividends Value Fund saw the share price rise by 1.6% last month. European stock markets rose by an average of 1.1% in August. Strong half-year results were a key driver for share prices. European companies reported an average profit increase of around 5% for the second quarter. The companies in our fund saw their profits increase by an average of over 10% in the recently concluded period. While companies generally reported positive news, macroeconomic and political news did not help in August. In the US, the independence of the central bank is under discussion, and in Europe, a government crisis in France is looming. This could lead to higher interest rates on the capital markets and put pressure on share prices. In the coming quarters, the impact of the trade war on corporate profits will become visible. Companies with high revenues in Europe and low sales in the US will perform relatively well. Since the beginning of the year, the share price of our fund has risen by over 17%, and the MSCI Europe index has risen by almost 11%. Investors in our fund have achieved almost 94% return on their investment since its inception in 2016.