Ensuring financial support enables the care of senior citizens.
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Investing in some of the oldest German funds could have yielded substantial returns over the past few decades. While specific 35-year performance data for these historic funds may not be readily available, insights can be drawn from the performance of the German stock market and comparisons with global and U.S. fund performances.
One such example is Union Investment's Uniglobal (ISIN: DE0008491051), which was launched in 1960. With a monthly contribution of €100, an investor could have potentially earned €217,512 over 35 years. Another contender is the DWS Akkumula LC (ISIN: DE0008474024), a globally investing equity fund launched in 1961. With the same investment strategy, an investor could have earned €208,598 over the same period.
The Germany Stock Market Index (DE40), which represents 40 major German blue chip stocks since 1987, has grown from a base value of 1000 at the end of 1987 to around 24,217 points by mid-2025. This implies substantial long-term capital appreciation in the German stock market.
While detailed fund-level, 35-year performance data for historic German funds may not be directly available, a comparison can be suggested by analogy with global and U.S. fund performances. For example, U.S. equity funds have delivered average annual returns in the range of approximately 10-13% over a decade or longer. International funds such as Baillie Gifford’s International Alpha Fund show annualized returns of around 6-7% over 10 years.
Given that DE40 tracks large-cap German stocks, it can be used as a proxy benchmark. German funds with active management might aim to outperform or at least match this index. Historical academic research highlights that U.S. equities have yielded around 6.6% inflation-adjusted returns annually since 1900, with non-U.S. equities around 4.3% real returns. Long-term German equity returns are likely somewhat aligned with this, given Germany’s developed market status.
The Fondak, Germany's oldest equity fund, was launched by ADIG on October 30, 1950 (ISIN: DE0008471012). With a motto of "Prosperity for all", the Fondak has achieved a return of over 100,000 percent since its launch. Anyone who started investing €100 a month in the Fondak for their retirement 35 years ago would now have fund shares worth over €188,974 in their portfolio.
The Fondak, now managed by Allianz Global Investors, and the Unifonds (ISIN: DE0008491002) are examples of long-term investments that can build substantial assets with regular contributions. Allianz introduced the US Large Cap Growth fund (ISIN: DE0008475039) in 1960, which primarily invests in undervalued U.S.-based companies. Considering a 90-year investment horizon, investing $1,000 in the Pioneer Fund (ISIN: US7236821002) at its launch in 1928 would now be worth over $35 million.
It is important to note that these funds have experienced significant price drops due to wars, oil crises, economic and financial downturns. Savings accounts are not as risk-free as they may seem, as the purchasing power of the assets can decrease when inflation is higher than the interest rate. Therefore, while long-term investments can offer promising returns, they also come with risks and should be approached with caution.
In conclusion, the oldest German funds have shown potential for substantial long-term returns, with the German stock market's blue-chip index (DE40) suggesting strong long-term returns roughly in line with other developed markets. However, exact long-term, 35-year returns of the oldest German funds are not detailed in the search results; they likely reflect the performance of the underlying German equities, which have performed well but may trail U.S. equities slightly. For precise information on individual German fund returns over 35 years, consulting specific fund annual reports or a German financial database would be necessary.
The finance sector highlights personal-finance gains from investing in historic German funds like Fondak, launched in 1950, which has delivered over 100,000 percent return on a €100 monthly investment over 35 years. My personal-finance strategy would involve investigating other long-term investments, such as the finance industry's actively managed funds, aiming to outperform or match the performance of the German Stock Market Index (DE40).
