We research and analyze.
We question and discuss.
We comment and present.
We listen and record.
We act consistently and sustainably,
are efficient and innovative,
meet our customers in a cooperative and cosmopolitan manner
and answer questions confidently, directly and honestly.
We are international and cosmopolitan: Our colleagues hail from Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Germany, England, Cameroon, Spain and Turkey. We are business people and economists, biologists and medical professionals, mathematicians, media consultants, physicists and business informatics specialists. Our research publications appear in German and partly in English. In our analyses, we take off our "German glasses", change our views in different scenarios and adopt new perspectives. It is important to be aware of local and cultural particularities and to take them into account, whether when looking at individual markets, talking to clients or during meetings in the respective country. Cosmopolitanism is a prerequisite for us in developing a comprehensive and differentiated view of the world as the basis for our forecasts and opinions.
Partnership characterises our work; together we achieve success. The focus is on our team performance, the diversity of opinions, dialogue on the path to finding solutions, the willingness to develop something together, and trust in the expertise of the individual. Partnership means being there for each other, stepping in during difficult situations, supporting each other and reaching out. We pursue a common goal. This also includes passing on information for our everyday work, proofreading a study at short notice or covering the phone when things are already stressful. Partnership also determines our relationship with our customers. We talk to each other as equals, listen and exchange ideas. Our clients' needs and concerns are very important to us. They determine our range of services and our actions.
Discovering and trying out new things, always looking for the perfect solution: we strive to optimise services for our customers, to continuously develop analytical methods and to streamline our processes. We use the possibilities offered by digitalisation in analysis, publication production and distribution. In our DZ Research Blog we comment on economic trends, current market developments and take a stance on economic policy. We explain our view on things in videos and post our key messages on Twitter. Innovations provide us with new ways of reaching our customers. This is what drives and motivates us.
We established our sustainability research in 2009. In a sense, pioneering work was done at that time. In the meantime, we use a scoring model to evaluate a notable universe of around 5,000 issuers in terms of sustainability and are witnessing increasing demand. Especially in the case of proprietary investments, cooperative banks attach great importance to acquiring bonds from issuers that consistently behave in a sustainable manner. This trend is continuing in investment advice to private clients. Sustainability shapes our entire analysis. We therefore place great emphasis on continuity in coverage and at the same time strive to make dynamic adjustments to our research universe in order to meet the needs of our internal and external clients. We cultivate long-term and trusting relationships with our readers and business partners. On the other hand, we do not think it is effective to put forward lofty theories for the sake of attracting public attention. Sustainability also plays a major role for us in our daily work and on how we get to work. Most of us take public transport or travel by bike, and video conferences can often replace business trips. For many years now, our research publications have been published almost only electronically. We also rely on electronic solutions for archiving, for example, for the documents and sources used in an analysis.
Dialogue is important to us. We are not only interested in the forecasts, but also in taking up current topics and answering questions of general interest. This also provides us with important impetus for our publications.
Security characterises our analysis and publication process. Our methods are transparent and comprehensible. We assume joint responsibility for our forecasts, prepare our research publications in accordance with the principle of dual control and observe confidentiality with regard to unpublished investment recommendations and strategy recommendations. We act independently of the Bank's trading and sales divisions and disclose any conflicts of interest in our Conflicts of Interest Policy. In this way, we create the basis for providing our clients with the greatest possible security and transparency. The expertise of one of the largest research teams in Germany and a balanced presentation of the opportunities and risks in our publications provide a solid foundation for investment decisions.
Each and every one of us does amazing work. However, we can only develop our full potential when we work as a team. We appreciate the cooperation, the interaction and the exchange; the serve and the return. We have fun at work and even admit it. Because this fun increases our motivation to deliver top performances. Top performance means substantiated forecasts, our own positions beyond the mainstream, exciting ideas for reports and new and diversified perspectives. But top performance doesn't just fall out of the sky: it goes without saying that we obtain feedback from our clients, continue to undergo further training and are open to new ideas. We are pleased to receive awards for our forecasting quality. However, an appreciative word from a customer during a conversation, a positive comment in one of our portals or a silent thumbs-up from a colleague is just as nice. Then we know that we are on the right track and continue to do our best.
We have the courage to express our opinions, even if they are critical or challenge established practices. This also means swimming against the tide with our opinion, listening to outsider opinions and integrating them into an overall picture, choosing innovative approaches to new topics and revising opinions if necessary. It takes courage to present opinions in front of 300 people at home and abroad, to seek open discussions with specialists on the client side, to face criticism, to address problems and to be able to react unprepared and flexibly to questions. Courage forms the basis of our cooperation: with our customers and among our colleagues.
For us, consistency goes hand in hand with courage. When the environment in which we have built our overall picture of economic trends and developments in the financial markets changes, it takes courage and consistency to react to it, to act and to change opinions and forecasts. Consistency is required to question assumptions, to trace the logic of our lines of reasoning and to put our analyses to the test at the time of preparation as well as retrospectively. Only in this way can we gain experience, learn from mistakes, draw better conclusions in the future and present our opinions to our clients in a credible and consistent manner.
