Slight decline in the pension deficits of DAX 30 companies - Just a quick breather (?)

Anyone who has recently followed the headlines in the business press on the subject of company pensions might have got the impression that the pension agreements of German companies are in good shape: "The pension assets of DAX 30 companies are reaching a new record" or "The DAX pension gap is narrowing to a ten-year low" was read here. Even if these headlines sound like the all-clear, they do not accurately reflect reality.

The pension obligations of the DAX 30 companies declined slightly last year, but at 381 billion euros are at the second highest value ever reported. Pension deficits have also fallen. However, it must be doubted that this decline will herald a sustained reversal of the trend. Sustained low interest rates in the euro zone and a strongly nominal value-oriented asset allocation should prevent this.

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