DekaBank, one of Europes most respected providers of asset management services, today hosted a seminar for an invited audience of over 50 senior Kuwaiti business people and financiers about the current and emerging investment landscape in Europe. The seminar focused on providing an overall update on the economic health of European economies and a review of long term investment opportunities. From DekaBank, the event was attended by Mr Oliver Behrens, deputy chairman, DekaBank, Mr Rdiger Daberkow, Head of International Institutional Clients, DekaBank, Dr Ulrich Kater, DekaBank Chief Economist, and Mr Frank Hagenstein, Chief Investment Officer at Deka Investment GmbH.

The seminar took place at the JW Marriott hotel in Kuwait and was followed by a buffet lunch to provide guests with the opportunity to informally meet the DekaBank team and further discuss the topics raised in the presentations.

Mr Behrens, who opened the session, said: We are delighted to be back in Kuwait to present our views on the economic health of the Eurozone. As one of Europes top rated banks and one of Germanys largest financial services providers, with established relationships with the ECB and many other financial organisations and institutions, we are enthusiastic to share our knowledge and expertise to inform your investment decision making.
Todays seminar is as much about bringing investors up to date with the latest developments in Europe and our views on the investment opportunities in this context, as it is about introducing the idea of investing in Europe to new audiences who may not have considered Europe as an opportunity before.

Dr. Kater, provided an update on the Eurozone. During his presentation he noted that the Eurozone outlook as a whole continued to improve, with business also optimism increasing, even within those countries most affected by the econ0mic downturn. He said: As European economies continue to recover from the past global financial turmoil, we see some very positive signs in the region for long term investors to consider. Positive performance in manufacturing across the region, a hardening of the euro value against the US dollar, and the continued downward trend inflation are all strong indicators that the Eurozone economies as a whole are well into recovery.

In a separate presentation, Mr Hagenstein spoke about the banks investment philosophy, stressing how its analytical and organizational adaptability, broad investment spread and the dynamic utilization of varying sources of performance have consistently yielded investors with positive results.