The RAG-Stiftung, Essen\/Germany, has continued to work on the robustness and resilience of its portfolio under challenging conditions. The foundation was able to reliably fulfil its mission in 2024 and further strengthen its resilience. This was reported by the foundation\u2019s board of directors on 2nd July 2025 during the annual press conference at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein in Essen<\/p>\n
The figures for the past financial year were just as much a focus as developments in the current financial year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn difficult economic times, we cannot change the conditions, but we can do everything we can to adapt to them and deal with them. We did not start doing this in 2024. We plan with a long-term perspective, and that pays off,\u201d emphasised Bernd T\u00f6njes, Chairman of the Board of the RAG-Stiftung, during the annual press conference. Despite ongoing turbulence on the global markets, the foundation achieved an annual profit of 965\u00a0M\u00a0\u20ac (previous year: 394\u00a0M\u00a0\u20ac). Adjusted for the special effect of the sale of a block of Evonik shares in May 2024 worth 513\u00a0M\u00a0\u20ac, the annual profit for 2024 still exceeded the target of 376\u00a0M\u00a0\u20ac by 76\u00a0M\u00a0\u20ac. This meant that around 1\u00a0bn\u00a0\u20ac could be allocated to the provision for perpetual liabilities, which, after deducting expenses in 2024, now amounts to around 9.8\u00a0bn\u00a0\u20ac.<\/p>\n
The foundation\u2019s assets decreased by 0.5\u00a0bn\u00a0\u20ac compared to the previous year and amounted to 17\u00a0bn\u00a0\u20ac at the end of 2024 (previous year: 17.5\u00a0bn\u00a0\u20ac). However, given the severity of the turmoil in the world and on the markets, this decline was moderate and has already been partially offset. \u201cWe expect markets to remain highly volatile in the future,\u201d emphasised T\u00f6njes. \u201cWe are therefore focusing on three maxims: firstly, the ongoing diversification of our capital investments; secondly, reducing complexity in our strategic investments; and thirdly, further sharpening our return targets at acceptable risk levels. In short, our strategic triad is: diversification \u2013 focus \u2013 performance.\u201d<\/p>\n
The foundation spent 288\u00a0M\u00a0\u20ac on perpetual obligations in 2024 (previous year: 266\u00a0M\u00a0\u20ac). As in the previous year, the increase of around 20\u00a0M\u00a0\u20ac was mainly due to a further rise in energy costs. Since the end of coal mining in Germany, the foundation\u2019s expenditure on perpetual obligations as of 31st December 2024 now totals around 1.7\u00a0bn\u00a0\u20ac. \u201cThe funds to fulfil our tasks have to be earned anew every year. We have been doing this with absolute reliability since 2019. Our total income consistently exceeds our expenditure \u2013 and the crises of recent years have not changed that,\u201d said J\u00fcrgen Rupp, Chief Financial Officer of the RAG-Stiftung.<\/p>\n
In total, the foundation invested over 700\u00a0M\u00a0\u20ac in its capital investments last year. \u201cThe diversification of our investment portfolio is and remains a strategic goal in order to make the foundation model sustainable and weatherproof. We continue to prepare ourselves for challenging times, which we will counter with our increased strength,\u201d said Rupp.<\/p>\n
In the area of promoting education, science and culture, the RAG-Stiftung was again able to invest 32\u00a0M\u00a0\u20ac in 2024. With its funding activities, it is tackling the pressing challenges of our time in its proven manner, including promoting democracy, combating socially-induced inequality in the education sector and loneliness among young people, and alleviating the shortage of skilled workers with a focus on STEM skills. \u201cOur funding recipients know us as a reliable partner. Our board of trustees also appreciates this. Its members therefore agreed last year to increase our funding budget: 35\u00a0M\u00a0\u20ac\/a will be allocated to the promotion of education, science and culture from 2025 until initially 2027,\u201d reported B\u00e4rbel Bergerhoff-Wodopia, member of the RAG-Stiftung\u2019s Executive Board and responsible for human resources and the foundation\u2019s funding activities. \u201cThis is a significant step and an expression of our Board of Trustees\u2019 confidence in the Foundation\u2019s funding work. In turbulent times, this means above all a measure of necessary stability for our funding recipients,\u201d emphasised Bergerhoff-Wodopia.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiamonds are formed under pressure,\u201d T\u00f6njes summed up. \u201cThe pressure exerted on us and our investment portfolio as a result of the turbulence on the global markets is and remains high. But it drives us to continuously improve.\u201d He emphasised that the new government must now quickly create the necessary conditions for the economy, Germany and Europe as a whole to regain strength. (RAG-Stiftung\/Si.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The RAG-Stiftung, Essen\/Germany, has continued to work on the robustness and resilience of its portfolio under challenging conditions. The foundation was able to reliably fulfil its mission in 2024 and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":20395,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1043],"tags":[111],"class_list":["post-20403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-in-brief-05_2025","tag-rag-stiftung"],"yoast_head":"\n