
Risk researcher warns: Why shareholders are walking blindly into ruin + Germany's state failure
Summary: Risk Researcher Warns: Why Shareholders Are Walking Blindly into Ruin + Germany's State Failure
In this interview, risk researcher Prof. Dr. Werner Gleisner analyzes the current risks for investors and companies. He warns of a dangerous risk blindness among many investors who focus only on cheap valuation metrics (like P/E ratio) without considering actual corporate risks. For Germany, he paints a bleak picture: competitiveness is declining, bureaucracy is paralyzing, and the state is failing to implement necessary reforms.
Germany's Weakness and Systemic Risks- The risk situation for German companies has worsened due to geopolitical power shifts and self-inflicted problems (e.g., low productivity, high energy costs).
- Germany is in a weak position because it has set wrong priorities for years (e.g., ESG goals over economic growth).
- The biggest crisis could be a chance for reforms, but political gridlock (firewalls, lack of majorities) prevents quick solutions.
- Many companies fail to meet legal requirements (StaRUG 2021): They must identify, quantify, and aggregate risks (Monte Carlo simulation).
- Without risk aggregation, companies miss combination effects – this is a ticking time bomb for bankruptcies.
- Auditors often do not check this; therefore, shareholders are blind to internal risks.
- Classic value investing (low P/E) is risk-blind: It confuses undervalued companies with high-risk cases.
- Modern strategy: first estimate the probability of bankruptcy (e.g., using equity ratio and return on total capital), then only select robust companies with a cheap valuation.
- Studies show: Profitability (high return on equity) is a stable success factor.
- AI can process huge amounts of data but is often used incorrectly for business questions (e.g., expected value vs. most likely value).
- Properly curated, AI helps with risk analysis and decision templates.
- Danger: AI amplifies human errors and does not replace decision-makers' responsibility.
- Within the next 10 years, 1–2 severe crises are likely (economic, financial, or geopolitical crisis).
- Investors should diversify globally, favor robust companies, and check for risk aggregation in annual reports.
- Germany needs three immediate measures: faster defense capability, restoration of competitiveness (reduce bureaucracy, foster innovation), and a comprehensive national risk analysis.
Original title: Risikoforscher warnt: Darum laufen Aktionäre blind ins Verderben + Deutschlands Staatsversagen





