Europe in a position of relative strength
23 April 2025 | CNBC
On CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" programme, Vienna Stock Exchange CEO Christoph Boschan spoke live about the impact of US tariff policy on European markets. Boschan sees Europe in a position of relative strength, due to moderate valuations, the 'main focus' of the tariffs on China and relatively low debt levels. The volatility associated with the tariff conflict is also reflected in significantly higher equity turnover. Boschan expects the volatile conditions to persist for some time. Regarding EU policy, Boschan calls for restraint with regard to consolidation measures affecting the capital market. These should be regulated by the market. It would be much more important to create framework conditions for large capital pools in Europe. Furthermore the stock exchange CEO highlighted the compelling investment opportunities in Austrian companies – especially given their strong ties to the high-growth CEE region, attractive P/E ratios of 7-8, and solid dividend strategies.
Volatility due to US tariff policy: equities remain the safest long-term investment
9 April 2024 | Ö1 Mittagsjournal | ZIB 13:00
In an interview with Austrian radio station Ö1 and in the news programme "Zeit im Bild", Vienna Stock Exchange CEO Christoph Boschan reassured investors amid the current market volatility, sparked by the US tariff policy: "In the long term, equities are the most successful and safest instrument." As a technical provider, the Vienna Stock Exchange has no direct influence on politics. Its main task is to keep the systems stable and ensure smooth operations. Boschan recalls the price setbacks in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which were followed by a strong upward trend: "We had the same discussions back then, these incidents do happen." He says that it is irrelevant for lifelong equity savings whether there is a crash or not. There is no better investment alternative.
"Public money is always a derivative of private investment"
13 January 2025 | ARD
Christoph Boschan, CEO of the Vienna Stock Exchange, spoke as a live guest on the programme ‘Update Wirtschaft’ about the inappropriate comparison between the ATX and the DAX, share ownership in Austria and the burdensome tax situation for securities holders. In Austria, Germany and Europe in general, politicians must take action to activate private investment, says Boschan: “It is the great misunderstanding of our time to think that all could be done with public money. There is no public money, it is always only a derivative of private investment.” In this context, the CEO demands the reintroduction of a holding period for securities, the expansion of company pension schemes and the idea of a sovereign wealth fund. “Basically, it is generally about, at least in part, aligning social security systems with the capital market”, explains Boschan.
Watch interview here (German only)