Despite the risk of further setbacks, the global financial crisis is now deemed manageable. Sentiment on the stock markets has brightened up, the German economy got off to an unexpectedly good start to the new year. Encouragingly, domestic demand is now also contributing to the upward trend, helped above all by the labor market. And, despite all the difficulties, corporate profits are also set to rise again this year. This is a success. So the backdrop is not all that bad at all, if it wasn’t for the stubbornly high oil price. But there is also good cause to hope that the slowdown in the world economy will place a lid on the soaring oil price. And as the financial crisis gradually fades, share prices will also pick up by year-end amid fluctuations. / Only available in German.