East Capital, part of East Capital Group, is experiencing accelerating client demand for the East Capital Balkans fund and the East Capital New Europe fund following sustained top-tier performance. Both strategies rank among the leading emerging market funds in Sweden and have delivered strong absolute and relative returns, driving increased inflows from institutional investors and financial advisers. To support continued growth and maintain high research intensity across the region, East Capital is expanding its investment management team with the appointment of Ege Taşar as Research Analyst.
The East Capital Balkans fund and the East Capital New Europe fund have delivered a strong start to 2026 and compelling long-term returns. As of 24 February 2026, the East Capital Balkans fund returned 40 per cent over one year, 125 per cent over three years and 208 per cent over five years. Over the same period, the East Capital New Europe fund returned 36 per cent over one year, 133 per cent over three years and 138 per cent over five years. Per cents are based on EUR returns and after fees. The consistent results reflect disciplined stock picking, active company engagement and a clear focus on structural growth themes across Central and Eastern Europe. In 2025, the East Capital Balkans fund received the LSEG Lipper Fund Award 2025 for Best Equity Fund Europe Emerging Markets over three years and five years, recognising its strong and consistent risk-adjusted performance.
The East Capital Balkans fund is an actively managed equity strategy investing in markets such as Romania, Turkey, Hungary and Slovenia since its inception in 2014. The fund focuses on structural growth, EU convergence and domestic consumption, aiming to identify high-quality companies benefitting from reform momentum and rising living standards.
The East Capital New Europe fund, established in 1998, is one of the firm’s longest-standing regional strategies and invests primarily in EU member states and accession countries across Central and Eastern Europe. The strategy combines fundamental, bottom-up research with a long-term investment horizon, seeking to capture sustainable earnings growth across diversified sectors and markets. For further insights into this fund and its investment universe, watch the latest video.
Jacob Grapengiesser, Partner and Chief Investment Officer at East Capital, comments:
“The East Capital Balkans fund and the East Capital New Europe fund demonstrate the strength of our long-term expertise and commitment to Central and Eastern Europe. Through disciplined stock picking, local presence and active ownership, we have built strategies that consistently deliver competitive returns across market cycles. Strengthening the team ensures we continue to identify the most attractive structural growth opportunities for our clients.”
Eglé Fredriksson, Portfolio Manager at East Capital, comments: “The strong results we have delivered reflect the region’s improving fundamentals and the earnings momentum we are seeing across multiple sectors. We continue to see powerful structural tailwinds from EU convergence, accelerating investment flows and strengthening domestic demand, which support sustained growth and attractive opportunities across both strategies.”
Nikodemus Dahlgren, Head of Sales at East Capital Group, comments:
“We are seeing exponential interest in the East Capital Balkans fund and the East Capital New Europe fund. Investors increasingly recognise the structural growth opportunities, improving governance standards and diversification benefits offered by Central and Eastern Europe. The strong track record and top peer group rankings in Sweden have translated into growing client flows, mainly from institutions and financial advisers, broadening the investor base.”
Ege Taşar, Research Analyst at East Capital, adds:
“East Capital’s deep regional expertise and disciplined fundamental approach are key strengths. I look forward to contributing to the team’s research and supporting the continued development of the East Capital Balkans fund and the East Capital New Europe fund.”
Ege Taşar joined East Capital in November 2025 and is based in Stockholm, covering Central and Eastern European markets including Greece, Romania and Turkey. Prior to joining, he held roles at İş Investment, ING Türkiye and KPMG. He holds a master’s degree in finance from Vanderbilt University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Galatasaray University.
The expansion of the investment management team reinforces East Capital’s deep-rooted expertise in Central and Eastern Europe, built over decades of on-the-ground presence and active investing since the late 1990s, and underscores its long-term commitment to delivering strong risk-adjusted returns for clients invested in the East Capital Balkans fund and the East Capital New Europe fund.
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