Investors are looking forward to 2024 with the expectation of an even better year as inflation is on a downward trend, and lower interest rates are finally on the horizon. In its most recent meeting, the US Federal Reserve announced it is done with rate hikes and it will look to cut interest rates in the next year, and enthusiasm has pushed US stock exchanges indices DJI30 and NASDAQ 100 to new all time highs. The markets’ optimism has also spread to Romania, with the BET index also reaching new record highs.
The lower interest rates outlook and return to earnings growth for companies are seen to be the key drivers of stocks in 2024. It is possible to witness a rotation from US and tech to Europe and emerging markets, with interest in real estate and small caps to pick up later. While Fed chair Jerome Powell mentioned that talk about cutting rates was "clearly a topic of discussion" for policymakers at the latest FOMC meeting, in Europe the ECB President Christine Lagarde cautioned against bets on imminent cuts to interest rates. However, investors seem confident that the cuts are coming, particularly with the latest data showing an easing of price pressures in the eurozone.
Most retail investors now expect that the US stock markets will perform best in 2024. According to a poll carried out on the eToro social investment and trading platform at the end of November 2023, 52% of respondents are pointing to the US as the top performer of this year, while 25% are looking at China and 16% believe it will be Europe. When asked about sectors, 59% of respondents continue to believe in technology, already one of the best performers last year, while 20% are looking toward the financial sector that did not perform well in 2023. Energy will be in focus for 18% of respondents. But 2024 is a complicated year with geo-politic tensions and elections all over the globe including Europe and the US that can bring surprises and volatility in the markets.
After a sustained rally in the last quarter of last year and 2023 highest return, crypto is believed to be the best performing asset for 2024 by 59% of retail investors, the polls show. stocks are seen on top by 32% and commodities by 7% of investors. These views about crypto are translating into the best performing investment themes for 2024, with 56% of investors naming crypto assets, followed by disrupting tech (28%) and clean tech (13%).
2023 was a strong performer, with S&P500 up more than 24%, DJI30 exceeded previous all time highs and finished up 14% and the tech heavy Nasdaq soared 43%. European stocks also fared good, DAX gaining more than 20%, CAC40 more than 16% and the Romanian BET index gained over 32% in 2023.
_
Notes to editors
Bogdan Maioreanu, eToro analyst and markets commentator, has over 20 years of experience in financial services and investments and a strong background in journalism. He held different Corporate Banking management positions in both Raiffeisen Bank and OTP Bank, before moving to business consultancy roles working for IBM Romania among others. Bogdan is an Executive MBA from Asebuss and Washington University.
The information provided by KomuniK
Vaunt, a Romanian real estate technology platform, is expanding into the United States after surpassing 80 clients and a transaction portfolio of nearly EUR 860 million. The expansion targets New York and Miami specifically. “Vaunt is a platform that helps real estate developers manage the sales process from the moment they receive the building permit until […]
IVF clinic Embryos, majority-owned by investment firm Integral Capital Group, has acquired the Oradea-based Calla Infertility Diagnostic and Treatment Center. The move is part of the development strategy of the network Embryos, which started in 2025 with the opening of a clinic in Buzău and the acquisition of Adella Clinic in Sofia, Bulgaria. The turnover […]
Romania has 56 companies included in the 17th edition of the Coface CEE Top 500 ranking, which shows how the largest companies in the region are navigating the current business landscape. The country climbed two positions from last year but remains underrepresented. The companies are ranked by turnover, analyzing additional indicators such as workforce size, business […]
Romania's Instant Factoring announced its participation in a cross-border securitization transaction valued at up to EUR 30 million. The move, the company said, "opens a new stage of growth for both Romanian fintech and the alternative financing market in Romania and Spain." The transaction involved the establishment of a securitization fund - Instant Factoring 2025-I, […]
Meta Estate Trust, a holding company active in the real estate sector and listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) under the symbol MET, announced that it signed the mandate agreement with its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dan Petrișor. The appointment decision was made by the Board of Directors on October 31, and the […]
Former star coach Emerich Jenei, one for Romania's best, passed away on November 5, 2025, at the age of 88. He achieved the greatest performance of Romanian football: winning the European Champions Cup with Steaua București on May 7, 1986, in Seville, in the famous final against F.C. Barcelona. Emeric Alexandru Ienei (Imre Sándor Jenei) […]
