During periods of decline it can be helpful to find long ideas among stocks which a) have low levels of debt, in case the
market decline deepens, b) have a history of high returns on
equity and investments c) have shown price momentum
despite waning momentum in the
overall markets.
Overall, European
equity markets have continued their upward trend over the past year,
despite geopolitical concerns in Ukraine and uncertainty over the ECB's willingness to support struggling economies.