In times of regional geopolitical turmoil – Why do some equity funds performbetter than others?

Sammanfattning: In times of regional geopolitical turmoil – why do some investment portfolios, equity funds, perform better than others? Is it simply luck, the effects of systematic risk or do factors such as investment styles and managerial skills play a significant part in the performance of a fund? As financial markets often reflect the macro environment, much of the previous year’s fluctuations of Eastern European stocks can be seen to derive from a number of geopolitical events; from the 2013 summer clashes between the Turkish police and opposing parties to the current issue concerning Russia and Ukraine. Needless to say, these events have affected return on equity in their regions and created a distressed environment for investors and equity fund managers investing in Eastern Europe. This thesis aims to explore how the aforementioned macroeconomic events impact the market and thus the portfolios of asset managers. The thesis also intends to provide aspects of eventual investment strategies that are more preferable than others under such circumstances, in order to mitigate the subsequent risks.