Print media still popular among German institutional investors

Publications are mostly received at the office, research by Fundamental Media finds 

Key points: 

• Only 14% of German institutional investors do not read any print publications at all, while 86% receive print media at the office and 8% also receive some publications at home.  

• When selecting asset managers, the strategy/investment process remains the most decisive factor for German institutional investors, followed by performance/track record and fees. 

• For information on investment strategies, respondents rely most heavily on their colleagues, followed by events and asset managers. 

The vast majority of German institutional investors still read print media, which are mostly received at the office, according to research by Fundamental Media. 

Only 14% of respondents do not read any print publications at all, while 86% receive print media at the office and 8% also receive some publications at home.  

These are some of the key findings of the 2024 Germany institutional investors survey. From May to August 2024, we surveyed 46 institutional investors in Germany about their investment views, satisfaction with asset managers and media consumption. The German report is part of our institutional investors research, which also includes reports on the UK, the US, Switzerland, France and the Netherlands. 

While print publications are still very popular among the institutional audience in Germany, the same cannot be said for podcasts, with almost 70% of respondents not listening to them at all. The remaining 30% listens to them mainly on a weekly basis. 

Six out of ten institutional investors read newsletters at least once a day, while LinkedIn remains the most popular social media used for business purposes, followed by WhatsApp and YouTube. Social media are mainly used to read/watch industry news and to network with peers. 

Manager selection 

When selecting asset managers, the strategy/investment process remains the most decisive factor for German institutional investors, followed by performance/track record and fees. All three factors have increased in importance since 2019, although the importance of fees has decreased in the second stage of the process (picking the winner from the shortlist). 

For information on investment strategies, respondents rely most heavily on their colleagues, followed by events and asset managers. Meanwhile, the use of investment consultants is low, with more than 80% not using them. 

German institutional investors appreciate communication support from asset managers across a variety of areas and topics, with information on market trends and investment strategy as well as regulatory and legal updates being the most valued.