GICS Trending
Within the G11 General Industry Compass System, GICS Trending acts as a bridge between stable sector order and current market and topic perception. The perspective complements GICS Core with a timely, discussion-oriented view - without any claim to completeness, but with a clear focus on relevance. The associated portal pages bundle information on sectors that are characterized by above-average interest from investors and journalists. The decisive factor here is not short-term market movement, but the recognizable relevance of a sector in public discourse.
GICS Lifestyle is a trend area within GICS Eleven and focuses on markets in which consumption, identity and lifestyle are directly linked. The thematic scope is deliberately broad and encompasses everything that shapes everyday life, leisure and individual expression. This includes manufacturers of sports and outdoor articles, fashion and clothing companies, large e-commerce platforms and brands that sell consumer goods via digital and stationary channels. The spectrum is supplemented by providers in the premium and luxury segment - from high-quality consumer goods, exclusive vehicles and yachts to real estate projects with a strong lifestyle focus. In contrast to GICS Entertainment, which focuses on experiences, events and content, GICS Lifestyle focuses on long-term consumption and usage behavior. Products and brands accompany people over longer periods of time, become part of their personal environment and are closely linked to status, self-image and habits. The market is characterized by strong brand impact, global reach and a clear target group approach. Digital sales models, social media and direct customer relationships have led to lifestyle brands now operating far beyond traditional industry logics. At the same time, the boundaries between everyday products, premium products and luxury goods are becoming increasingly blurred. GICS Lifestyle bundles this diversity independently of individual industry categories. The focus is on companies that shape lifestyles, set trends and emotionally charge consumption - be it through function, design, exclusivity or accessibility. It is precisely this breadth and proximity to everyday life that makes lifestyle an independent trend sector within GICS Eleven.
The topics covered in GICS Trending do not follow a short-term market impulse, but arise from structural drivers that develop outside of classic price movements. Trends are understood here as consolidations of real economic, technological or social changes that are increasingly influencing capital markets, corporate strategies and public perception.
The underlying impulses vary:
- Geopolitical developments can bring entire sectors into focus - for example, when security policy tensions, defense budgets or strategic dependencies are reassessed.
- Technological breakthroughs act as a catalyst for topics such as digital assets, artificial intelligence or automation and permanently change existing value chains.
- Changing threat situations - for example in the digital space - draw attention to sectors whose relevance arises less from growth than from necessity.
- Social and cultural shifts can change consumption patterns and give rise to new markets long before they are fully categorized in regulatory or economic terms.
GICS Trending picks up on these developments where they become visible, shape discussions and have a cross-sectoral impact. The perspective thus serves as a transition between a stable sector order and a focused detailed view - it shows why certain topics are gaining in importance even before their influence is differentiated on a small scale.
