Nordic corporates have bet big and succeeded in sustainability – Can they keep it up?

The Nordic countries are punching above their weight in sustainability, and so are Nordic corporates. In this Nordea On Your Mind podcast, Johan Trocmé, Viktor Sonebäck and Jonas Ankjaer discuss just how good companies are in this area, how it has evolved over time, and why there has been such a strong and successful focus. And looking ahead, could regulatory fatigue and the US culture war drive a lasting ESG backlash, or are companies in it for the long haul?

Disclaimer:

All opinions and estimates in this podcast are, regardless of source, given in good faith, and may only be valid as of the stated publication date and are subject to change without notice. The podcast is intended only to provide general and preliminary information to investors and shall not be construed as the basis for any investment decision. This publication or report has been prepared by Nordea Markets as general information for private use of investors to whom the publication or report has been distributed, but it is not intended as a personal recommendation of particular financial instruments or strategies and thus it does not provide individually tailored investment advice, and does not take into account the individual investor’s particular financial situation, existing holdings or liabilities, investment knowledge and experience, investment objective and horizon or risk profile and preferences. The investor must particularly ensure the suitability of an investment as regards his/her financial and fiscal situation and investment objectives. The investor bears the risk of losses in connection with an investment. Before acting on any information in this publication or report, it is recommendable to consult one’s financial advisor.

Spending your capital right can boost the value of your business.

Companies can invest or pay out capital to shareholders. They can invest in capex, R&D or acquisitions. They can pay dividends or make share buybacks. In this Nordea On Your Mind podcast, Johan Trocmé, Viktor Sonebäck and Jonas Ankjaer talk about how companies globally have used their capital since 2000, and how these choices affect total shareholder returns.

Disclaimer:

All opinions and estimates in this podcast are, regardless of source, given in good faith, and may only be valid as of the stated publication date and are subject to change without notice. The podcast is intended only to provide general and preliminary information to investors and shall not be construed as the basis for any investment decision. This publication or report has been prepared by Nordea Markets as general information for private use of investors to whom the publication or report has been distributed, but it is not intended as a personal recommendation of particular financial instruments or strategies and thus it does not provide individually tailored investment advice, and does not take into account the individual investor’s particular financial situation, existing holdings or liabilities, investment knowledge and experience, investment objective and horizon or risk profile and preferences. The investor must particularly ensure the suitability of an investment as regards his/her financial and fiscal situation and investment objectives. The investor bears the risk of losses in connection with an investment. Before acting on any information in this publication or report, it is recommendable to consult one’s financial advisor.

It is 25 years since the euro was first introduced. Finland has used it from the start, and Denmark has pegged its krone to it. But Norway and Sweden have had floating currencies since the early 1990s. In this Nordea On Your Mind podcast, Johan Trocmé and Viktor Sonebäck review how the different Nordic economies have been affected by currency. Are they happy with the outcome? What currency will they use in the future, and why?

Disclaimer:

All opinions and estimates in this podcast are, regardless of source, given in good faith, and may only be valid as of the stated publication date and are subject to change without notice. The podcast is intended only to provide general and preliminary information to investors and shall not be construed as the basis for any investment decision. This publication or report has been prepared by Nordea Markets as general information for private use of investors to whom the publication or report has been distributed, but it is not intended as a personal recommendation of particular financial instruments or strategies and thus it does not provide individually tailored investment advice, and does not take into account the individual investor’s particular financial situation, existing holdings or liabilities, investment knowledge and experience, investment objective and horizon or risk profile and preferences. The investor must particularly ensure the suitability of an investment as regards his/her financial and fiscal situation and investment objectives. The investor bears the risk of losses in connection with an investment. Before acting on any information in this publication or report, it is recommendable to consult one’s financial advisor.

The release of Open AI’s ChatGPT in November 2022 has driven a tsunami of interest in generative AI. In this Nordea On Your Mind podcast, Johan Trocmé and Viktor Sonebäck explain the ‘big new thing’, Large Language Models, what they can and cannot do, and how generative AI could affect the Scandinavian labour market in the years ahead. And yes, they do touch upon the nightmare scenario, with an AI evolving into a potentially hostile superintelligence that does not wish humans well.

Disclaimer: All opinions and estimates in this podcast are, regardless of source, given in good faith, and may only be valid as of the stated publication date and are subject to change without notice. The podcast is intended only to provide general and preliminary information to investors and shall not be construed as the basis for any investment decision. This publication or report has been prepared by Nordea Markets as general information for private use of investors to whom the publication or report has been distributed, but it is not intended as a personal recommendation of particular financial instruments or strategies and thus it does not provide individually tailored investment advice, and does not take into account the individual investor’s particular financial situation, existing holdings or liabilities, investment knowledge and experience, investment objective and horizon or risk profile and preferences. The investor must particularly ensure the suitability of an investment as regards his/her financial and fiscal situation and investment objectives. The investor bears the risk of losses in connection with an investment. Before acting on any information in this publication or report, it is recommendable to consult one’s financial advisor.

Does not saying anything about future performance of your business protect you from being held accountable? Or could the use of financial targets even improve the value of your business? In this Nordea On Your Mind podcast Johan Trocmé, Viktor Sonebäck and Jim Jokinen review what targets Nordic large listed companies have used from 2007-2022, how they have been changed, if they have been reached, and if they have affected value creation.

Disclaimer: All opinions and estimates in this podcast are, regardless of source, given in good faith, and may only be valid as of the stated publication date and are subject to change without notice. The podcast is intended only to provide general and preliminary information to investors and shall not be construed as the basis for any investment decision. This publication or report has been prepared by Nordea Markets as general information for private use of investors to whom the publication or report has been distributed, but it is not intended as a personal recommendation of particular financial instruments or strategies and thus it does not provide individually tailored investment advice, and does not take into account the individual investor’s particular financial situation, existing holdings or liabilities, investment knowledge and experience, investment objective and horizon or risk profile and preferences. The investor must particularly ensure the suitability of an investment as regards his/her financial and fiscal situation and investment objectives. The investor bears the risk of losses in connection with an investment. Before acting on any information in this publication or report, it is recommendable to consult one’s financial advisor.

If you are reading this you are online. So are criminals. Cybercrime is soaring, with estimated global costs of USD 8 trillion in 2023 alone. Johan Trocmé, Viktor Sonebäck and Arien Haghshenas from Nordea Thematics lay out why cybercrime is growing so fast, what the key threats are for corporates, and how they can protect themselves.

Disclaimer: All opinions and estimates in this podcast are, regardless of source, given in good faith, and may only be valid as of the stated publication date and are subject to change without notice. The podcast is intended only to provide general and preliminary information to investors and shall not be construed as the basis for any investment decision. This publication or report has been prepared by Nordea Markets as general information for private use of investors to whom the publication or report has been distributed, but it is not intended as a personal recommendation of particular financial instruments or strategies and thus it does not provide individually tailored investment advice, and does not take into account the individual investor’s particular financial situation, existing holdings or liabilities, investment knowledge and experience, investment objective and horizon or risk profile and preferences. The investor must particularly ensure the suitability of an investment as regards his/her financial and fiscal situation and investment objectives. The investor bears the risk of losses in connection with an investment. Before acting on any information in this publication or report, it is recommendable to consult one’s financial advisor.

Picking up from an earlier Nordea On Your Mind report in 2019, Johan Trocmé and Viktor Sonebäck talk in this podcast about the inflation and interest rate shock in 2022 starting to reverse the decade-long trend of bonds replacing bank funding for Nordic large corporates. Is leverage a problem in the Nordic region? For all types of borrowers? How much could higher funding costs eat into corporate cash flows? Can bond maturities in the coming years be refinanced? Their advice from 2019 is even more valid today.

Disclaimer: All opinions and estimates in this podcast are, regardless of source, given in good faith, and may only be valid as of the stated publication date and are subject to change without notice. The podcast is intended only to provide general and preliminary information to investors and shall not be construed as the basis for any investment decision. This publication or report has been prepared by Nordea Markets as general information for private use of investors to whom the publication or report has been distributed, but it is not intended as a personal recommendation of particular financial instruments or strategies and thus it does not provide individually tailored investment advice, and does not take into account the individual investor’s particular financial situation, existing holdings or liabilities, investment knowledge and experience, investment objective and horizon or risk profile and preferences. The investor must particularly ensure the suitability of an investment as regards his/her financial and fiscal situation and investment objectives. The investor bears the risk of losses in connection with an investment. Before acting on any information in this publication or report, it is recommendable to consult one’s financial advisor.

Central banks had struggled for a decade with extreme measures as shock therapy to push inflation even close to typically targeted 2% levels, with very limited success. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 triggered supply shocks for energy and food, which has caused a sharp and sudden inflation spike.

In this Nordea On Your Mind podcast, Johan Trocmé and Viktor Sonebäck remind us what inflation actually is, how it works, what drives it, and why it is bad for the economy. Should you be convinced that the inflation surge is temporary?

Disclaimer:

All opinions and estimates in this podcast are, regardless of source, given in good faith, and may only be valid as of the stated publication date and are subject to change without notice. The podcast is intended only to provide general and preliminary information to investors and shall not be construed as the basis for any investment decision. This publication or report has been prepared by Nordea Markets as general information for private use of investors to whom the publication or report has been distributed, but it is not intended as a personal recommendation of particular financial instruments or strategies and thus it does not provide individually tailored investment advice, and does not take into account the individual investor’s particular financial situation, existing holdings or liabilities, investment knowledge and experience, investment objective and horizon or risk profile and preferences. The investor must particularly ensure the suitability of an investment as regards his/her financial and fiscal situation and investment objectives. The investor bears the risk of losses in connection with an investment. Before acting on any information in this publication or report, it is recommendable to consult one’s financial advisor.

When did we last experience a normal year? In this podcast, Johan Trocmé and Viktor Sonebäck review the Nordea On Your Mind topics covered this year and warn that 2023 may not be peaceful and quiet either. But we should not despair; it often takes a crisis to bring positive structural change.

Disclaimer:

All opinions and estimates in this podcast are, regardless of source, given in good faith, and may only be valid as of the stated publication date and are subject to change without notice. The podcast is intended only to provide general and preliminary information to investors and shall not be construed as the basis for any investment decision. This publication or report has been prepared by Nordea Markets as general information for private use of investors to whom the publication or report has been distributed, but it is not intended as a personal recommendation of particular financial instruments or strategies and thus it does not provide individually tailored investment advice, and does not take into account the individual investor’s particular financial situation, existing holdings or liabilities, investment knowledge and experience, investment objective and horizon or risk profile and preferences. The investor must particularly ensure the suitability of an investment as regards his/her financial and fiscal situation and investment objectives. The investor bears the risk of losses in connection with an investment. Before acting on any information in this publication or report, it is recommendable to consult one’s financial advisor.

Are you praying for greater wind speeds? Loading up with blankets ahead of the winter? Sky high electricity prices has made the European energy crisis something real and highly relevant for us all. In this Nordea On Your Mind podcast, Johan Trocme and Viktor Sonebäck talk you through what has caused the crisis, how the Nordic countries have been swept into Europe’s challenges, and how the crisis is making Europe massively step up its efforts as well as ambitions for a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

Disclaimer:

All opinions and estimates in this podcast are, regardless of source, given in good faith, and may only be valid as of the stated publication date and are subject to change without notice. The podcast is intended only to provide general and preliminary information to investors and shall not be construed as the basis for any investment decision. This publication or report has been prepared by Nordea Markets as general information for private use of investors to whom the publication or report has been distributed, but it is not intended as a personal recommendation of particular financial instruments or strategies and thus it does not provide individually tailored investment advice, and does not take into account the individual investor’s particular financial situation, existing holdings or liabilities, investment knowledge and experience, investment objective and horizon or risk profile and preferences. The investor must particularly ensure the suitability of an investment as regards his/her financial and fiscal situation and investment objectives. The investor bears the risk of losses in connection with an investment. Before acting on any information in this publication or report, it is recommendable to consult one’s financial advisor.