FRANK HUTTEL
HEAD OF PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
FINET ASSET MANAGEMENT
Score prediction: GERMANY 3 – HUNGARY 1
INVESTMENT INSIGHT:
Climate change is one of THE challenges facing mankind. Since the Paris Accord in 2015, almost every country in the world is trying to get climate neutral by 2050. Thus, the energy sector is in the spotlight and a transformation away from fossil fuels is desperately needed.
Germany is facing its own obstacles. After Fukushima in 2011, Germany made a U-turn and took drastic measures to completely phase out of nuclear power by 2022 – called the “Energiewende”.
But what are the alternatives?
Germany is also stopping “brown coal” which will be phased out by 2038 at the latest. Renewable energy like wind or solar power is the solution of the future. On some sunny or windy days, we are already producing 100% renewable energy, but we need even more windmills and solar power plants in the next couple of years to serve the increasing power demand by EVs etc.
And we need storage and infrastructure to save and distribute power. This is a huge investment opportunity in Germany and elsewhere. Financing the energy transition can have a positive impact on the environment and our financial performance.
NATALIE KENWAY
GLOBAL HEAD OF ESG INSIGHT
ESG CLARITY
Score prediction: 4 GERMANY vs HUNGARY 0
INVESTMENT INSIGHT:
Hungary really got the fuzzy end of the lollipop when the Euro2020 draw took place, so it was always going to be an uphill battle to get to the knockout stages.
According to the current Fifa world rankings; Hungary sits 37th.
This put them some distance behind the other teams in Group F, given that France ranks 2nd, Portugal 5th and Germany is 12th.
But that should not be taken as a reflection of the sporting prowess of the nation.
Hungary holds the record of being the nation to win the most gold medals by a country that has never hosted the Olympic Games.
Not only that, but it has also won at least one gold medal in every single games in which it has participated, dating back to Athens in 1896 – missing only the 1920 Antwerp and 1984 Los Angeles games.
Broken down by sport, Hungary has won gold in 14 events. Far and away, it has been most successful in fencing (37 golds), followed by swimming (28) and canoeing (25).
The country has also competed at every Winter Olympic Games since 1924, winning a total of seven medals.
In total, across all summer and winter games, Hungary has won 498 gold, silver and bronze medals.
With its hopes of going beyond the group stages in tatters, Hungary’s athletes will be looking to the also-delayed Tokyo Olympics which are due to start on 23 July.
To pin a bow on this investment insight, I guess the lesson would be to know where you can compete, direct your resources and energy in that direction, and your chances of success are greater.
