By Maria Phylaktos*
The recent increases in interest rates due to the inflationary pressures recorded in the last months, make the effective management of the wealth of companies, investors and households a particularly important, complex and demanding process. The purchasing power of consumers has decreased at the same time that investors without correct and thorough information, are pushed into inappropriate choices for the same. There are not a few who hastened to withdraw from investments, fearing that they would be loss-making for themselves, while over time this decision proved to be wrong.
Investors in Cyprus and Greece in recent years have gained access to a large amount of information, through the Media, internet and various available investment platforms, which makes them more informed, but also more vulnerable to some investment opportunities that sometimes appear. However, all this volume of information gives investors questions and insecurity, while it also hides many pitfalls. Our team at Eurobank Cyprus has made close contact with investor-clients a top priority, through a holistic, client-centric approach. Our primary concern is to understand the needs, data and knowledge of our clients, so that we inform them in the most constructive way for them, with the ultimate goal of accurately understanding data and developments. After all, it is of fundamental importance, in such periods, to establish a feeling of security and trust. The choices investors make should suit their investment profile and time horizon, the risk they wish to take and the corresponding expected returns.
The Cypriot and Greek investment markets may be relatively small compared to international markets, however, access to investments outside borders is now particularly easy and simple. Challenges and crises will always exist, but at the same time there will always be investment opportunities with attractive returns. What is needed on the part of investors is to develop a mindset based on the principle that investing is an ongoing process and not something that is completed with the purchase of some stocks or bonds. A particularly important parameter for both Cypriot and Greek investors is to remain open to the consideration of international investment opportunities, away from fixed personal perceptions.
In the post-pandemic era, specific trends in investment activity have come to the fore. One of them concerns ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) criteria and objectives, a sector that touches and affects the entire spectrum of both the Economy and the daily operation of organizations, agencies and governments internationally. Accordingly, in recent years, the sector of Health, Health research and healthcare infrastructures has shown particular momentum. Technology is also a field that remains in the foreground, as it now affects everyone's daily life, while interest is also maintained in other, more traditional fields. An important parameter that should characterize every investment portfolio is the dispersion in sectors, geographical areas, types of investment while maintaining the desired liquidity in cash, both for their daily and future needs.
Eurobank Cyprus operates a specialized department for investment funds from Cyprus and Greece, while providing a particularly broad and integrated portfolio of services and investment products. Our team treats each investor individually, as the needs, conditions and data of each one differ, depending on the sector, the country of activity and the investment interest. Each client has their own investment advisor and a qualified team, which provides specialized services through a highly client-centric approach.
*Manager, Investment Services Cyprus and Greece Wealth Management at Eurobank Cyprus
