How Are Investors Positioning Themselves in 2025?
Insights from financial.com's New Year Survey
As 2025 begins, the global economic landscape is characterized by uncertainty and simultaneously high growth expectations. The Federal Reserve in the United States has announced plans for two interest rate cuts aimed at controlling inflation while stabilizing the unemployment rate. At the same time, the direction of economic policy following Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration remains unclear. Germany, often regarded as Europe’s anchor of stability, faces challenges such as an aging population, rising energy costs, and stagnating productivity in key industries. These developments form the backdrop for Financial.com’s comprehensive New Year survey, which gathered insights from over 220 investors to identify the most significant trends and risks for the 2025 financial markets.
Please note: No investment or financial advice. The content provided in this blog is for informational and educational purposes only.
1. Which Asset Class Is Preferred in 2025?
According to the survey, stocks are the clear favorite, with 47.9% of respondents naming them as their preferred choice. Real estate and cryptocurrencies shared second place with 10% each. Gold was named by 6.8% of participants and remains a popular option for diversification and stability. Other asset classes such as private equity (8.2%), corporate bonds (5.5%) and cash (7.5%) reflect the diversity of strategies.
2. How Are Investors’ Portfolios Allocated?
The average portfolio distribution shows that shares account for 43.3% of investments, followed by real estate with 17.6%. Corporate bonds (7.2 %), gold (5.1 %) and Bitcoin (2.9 %) also play a role. Private equity (3.7 %) and cash (7.5 %) are smaller but not insignificant components.
3. Which Regions Are Expected to Perform Best?
The survey revealed that 59.8% of respondents see North America as the most promising region for 2025. China followed with 9.6%, while Western Europe received 8.2%. The rest of Asia (7.8 %), Latin America (2.3 %) and Africa (0.9 %) were rated as less important. This underlines the confidence in established markets.
4. Which Sectors Offer the Greatest Potential?
Information technology was chosen as the most attractive sector by 40.6% of respondents, reflecting the importance of digitalization and AI. Energy (18.7%) was highlighted by the focus on sustainable solutions. Healthcare reached 9.6%, while industry (2.7%) and consumer staples (6.4%) received lower but still relevant shares.
5. Which DAX Stocks Are Expected to Perform Well in 2025?
According to the survey, the DAX shares with the greatest potential include Rheinmetall (18.3%), SAP (16.4%) and Bayer (6.8%). These companies benefit from their leading position in the defense industry, technology and pharmaceuticals sectors.
6. Which DAX Stocks Might Underperform in 2025?
Volkswagen was mentioned most frequently as the potentially weakest DAX share (24.7%). Other names include Bayer (9.6%) and Rheinmetall (5.5%), which could be affected by macroeconomic and sector-specific challenges.
7. What Are the Expectations for the DAX?
The survey shows that 24.2% of participants expect the DAX to reach 21,000 points by the end of 2025. A further 21.9% forecast 22,000 points, while 11% expect it to reach 20,000 points. These forecasts reflect optimism regarding the German economy.
8. What Is the Outlook for Bitcoin?
Bitcoin remains a controversial topic: 13.7% of respondents expect a value of USD 120,000 by the end of 2025. Some more optimistic estimates go beyond USD 150,000, while more conservative participants expect values below USD 50,000.
9. Which Megatrends Will Influence the Markets?
Digitalization and artificial intelligence were identified as opportunities by 89.5% of respondents. Demographic changes were viewed critically by 53.4%. The energy transition was perceived both as an opportunity in the area of renewable energies and as a challenge due to climate-related risks.
10. What Risks Do Investors See for 2025?
The greatest risks include geopolitical tensions, particularly in connection with Taiwan and the Middle East. Macroeconomic shocks such as interest rate hikes or a potential banking crisis were also mentioned. Natural disasters and pandemics remain unpredictable but potentially disruptive factors.
11. What Could Be a ‘Black Swan’ Event for Global Markets?
The survey identified various potential “black swans” that could impact global markets in 2025. Geopolitical conflicts, in particular an escalation of the Taiwan conflict or tensions in the Middle East, were frequently cited as significant risks. Respondents also focused on economic shocks.
Outlook
The
New Year’s Survey 2025 reflects the assessments of market participants and
offers points of reference for opportunities and risks in the coming year.
While equities and established markets are in focus, vigilance against
geopolitical and economic uncertainties remains crucial. Flexibility and
diversification will be key for investors to exploit the potential of trends
such as digitalization and the energy transition.
