# BlackRock Greater Europe Investment Trust: The European Green deal – when macroeconomics matter - Link: https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/blackrock-greater-europe-investment-trust-the-european-green-deal-when-macroeconomics-matter/4121014074 - Published: 2021-08-02T11:53:02+01:00 - Author: Amilia Stone Macroeconomic factors do not normally play a significant role for stock pickers. However, says Stefan Gries, Co-Portfolio Manager on the BlackRock Greater Europe Investment Trust plc, theEuropean Green Deal could be an exception, creating real opportunities across European markets.Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and arenot guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally investedA stock picking approach usually focuses on the qualities of individual companies, rather than thewider economic environment. However, occasionally, macroeconomic factors combine to create auniquely favourable environment for certain sectors and companies, enabling them to deliver long-term resilient growth. We believe that the European Green Deal is one of these rare swing factors.The EU has set a clear target to achieve carbon neutrality across the bloc by 2050, including tighterreduction in emissions by 2030 1 . The Green Deal has been created to facilitate this transition,mobilising €1 trillion over the next decade to tackle climate change 2 . Given its size and the veryspecific areas on which it is focused, we see it creating significant opportunities. **To discover more about the [BlackRock Greater Europe Investment Trust click here.](https://www.blackrock.com/uk/individual/products/investment-trusts/our-range/blackrock-greater-europe-investment-trust/trust-information?siteEntryPassthrough=true&cid=aff:investmenttrusts2020:brge:directorstalk:link)** **The ‘green recovery’** The European Commission has four near-term priorities for the green recovery: the roll out of renewables; the renovation wave; green mobility; and kick-starting the hydrogen economy. Forbusinesses involved in these fields, the combination of government backing, financial resources andfavourable regulation should create a uniquely fertile environment for growth. Many of these areas are slow burn. The US has front-loaded many of its stimulus measures, but the EU has instead chosen to drip-feed capital. This suits our long- term agenda. For example, theincrease in the renovation rate will be staggered – at 1.2% from 2023 – 2025, rising to 2% per year in2026 – 2029 3 . The renovation targets include tackling energy poverty, improving public buildings,such as educational, health care and administrative facilities, and decarbonising heating and cooling. We have found a number of companies likely to be significant beneficiaries, where the potentialgrowth is not yet appreciated by the market. On green mobility, an acceleration of electric vehicles is a necessity. This has consequences throughout the supply chain. For example, electric vehicles use around 5-6x the amount ofsemiconductor content. As investors, we need to understand whether we are at the beginning,middle or end of a sector’s business cycle. To our mind, this appears to be the beginning of a verylong transition. It should be said that the Green Deal does not automatically make specific companies attractive. Hydrogen, for example, is an early-stage energy and while it promises to be exciting, it doesn’t yethave a significant end market. There is no dilution of our usual quality control measures: ensuringcompanies have a capable management team, a strong franchise and a sustainable business model.However, it does ensure that a key criterion – the strength of the end market – is fulfilled. **Build back closer** Europe also benefits more generally from a desire to relocate critical infrastructure and component manufacturing closer to home. The pandemic ruthlessly exposed the dangers of relying on Asiansupply chains, particularly in areas such as chipmaking. Policymakers have realised that they need tobuild up domestic infrastructure and expertise. This can benefit individual companies because it candeliver policymaker support and draw in expertise. These trends can also guide us on where not to invest. The decarbonisation of Europe will have its casualties. For example, it will be a headwind for some automobile groups that will need to investbillions in the transition to electric cars. We are also wary on the price we pay. Where there are these significant initiatives, it is important to maintain discipline, finding not simply the areas that will grow, but where that growth isunderappreciated by the market. That won’t necessarily mean that a company is cheap, but it willmean that it is undervalued. Occasionally, there are exceptional external forces that change the outlook for specific sectors and companies. The European Green Deal is a rare exception to our premise that macroeconomicsdoesn’t matter for long-term success. It is likely to deliver some exceptional opportunities. _1 European Commission, January 2020 2 Norton Rose Fulbright, April 20213 European Commission, October 2020 **Risk Warnings** Past performance is not a reliable indicator of current or future results and should not be the sole factor of consideration when selecting a product or strategy. Changes in the rates of exchange between currencies may cause the value of investments to diminish or increase. Fluctuation may be particularly marked in the case of a higher volatility fundand the value of an investment may fall suddenly and substantially. Levels and basis of taxation maychange from time to time. **Trust Specific Risks** Exchange rate risk: The return of your investment may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations. Emerging Europe risk: Emerging market investments are usually associated with higher investment risk than developed market investments. Therefore, the value of these investments may beunpredictable and subject to greater variation. Liquidity risk: The Trust’s investments may have low liquidity which often causes the value of these investments to be less predictable. In extreme cases, the Fund may not be able to realise theinvestment at the latest market price or at a price considered fairGearing risk: Investment strategies, such as borrowing, used by the Trust can result in even largerlosses suffered when the value of the underlying investments fall. **Important Information** Issued by BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Please refer to the Financial Conduct Authority website for a list ofauthorised activities conducted by BlackRock. BlackRock has not considered the suitability of this investment against your individual needs and risk tolerance. To ensure you understand whether our product is suitable, please read the fund specificrisks in the Key Investor Document (KID) which gives more information about the risk profile of theinvestment. The KID and other documentation are available on the relevant product pages atwww.blackrock.co.uk/its. We recommend you seek independent professional advice prior toinvesting. The Company is managed by BlackRock Fund Managers Limited (BFM) as the AIFM. BFM has delegated certain investment management and other ancillary services to BlackRock InvestmentManagement (UK) Limited. The Company’s shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange anddealing may only be through a member of the Exchange. The Company will not invest more than15% of its gross assets in other listed investment trusts. SEDOL™ is a trademark of the London StockExchange plc and is used under licence. Net Asset Value (NAV) performance is not the same as share price performance and shareholders may realise returns that are lower or higher than NAV performance. The BlackRock Greater Europe Investment Trust plc currently conducts its affairs so that its securities can be recommended by IFAs to ordinary retail investors in accordance with the Financial ConductAuthority’s rules in relation to non-mainstream investment products and intends to continue to doso for the foreseeable future. The securities are excluded from the Financial Conduct Authority’srestrictions which apply to non-mainstream investment products because they are shares in aninvestment trust. Any research in this material has been procured and may have been acted on by BlackRock for its own purpose. The results of such research are being made available only incidentally. The viewsexpressed do not constitute investment or any other advice and are subject to change. They do notnecessarily reflect the views of any company in the BlackRock Group or any part thereof and noassurances are made as to their accuracy. This material is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer or invitation to anyone to invest in any BlackRock funds and has not been prepared in connection with any suchoffer. © 2021 BlackRock, Inc. All Rights reserved. **To discover more about the [BlackRock Greater Europe Investment Trust click here.](https://www.blackrock.com/uk/individual/products/investment-trusts/our-range/blackrock-greater-europe-investment-trust/trust-information?siteEntryPassthrough=true&cid=aff:investmenttrusts2020:brge:directorstalk:link)** Share on: