Market Key Points Global share markets continued to advance in May, supported by resilient earnings, improving confidence in the global growth outlook and renewed enthusiasm for AI-related investment themes. While geopolitical risks and inflation concerns remained in focus, sentiment was helped by easing energy prices and stronger risk appetite across share markets. Bond markets also steadied…
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Market Key Points Global equities rebounded strongly, looking through the geopolitical and oil price pressures. Inflationary pressures continue to cause markets to reassess the monetary policy paths of many central banks. Australian equities lagged global markets, with the Health Care and Consumer Staples sectors the main detractors. Australian equities The S&P/ASX 200 Accumulation Index rose…
Market Key Points Rising geopolitical tensions and the closure of a major shipping lane triggered a massive surge in global energy prices. Persistent inflationary pressures and rising household costs compelled the central bank to raise interest rates further this month. Australian shares fell sharply as major industrial sectors struggled, despite a significant rally for local energy producers…
Market Key Points Global equities were mixed in February, with emerging markets outperforming and a rotation toward cyclicals amid a solid earnings season. Bond yields fell, and commodities rallied, as investors reassessed the pace of global rate cuts and ongoing geopolitical risks. Australian equities outperformed during a volatile earnings season, with Financials and Materials leading the ASX…
Market Key Points The domestic equity market took the lead from European and US markets, finishing higher in January, while REITs moved lower. US equity markets rose in January in the face of rising geopolitical tension and the start of another US earnings season. Fixed interest performance was generally mixed over the first month of the year, with Japan normalising its monetary policy and…
Market Key Points Global markets closed the year on a mixed but generally steady footing, with every major asset class delivering positive returns over the year for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. US equity markets were broadly flat, whilst international share markets were broadly positive in December. Fixed interest performance was generally negative into year end, largely driven by…
Market Key Points Global markets continue to deal with the uncertainty caused by the lack of data coming out of the US and the future path of interest rates by the Federal Reserve. Equity markets took a breather in November after a strong calendar year of returns, as growth stocks took a back seat to value. Global Real Estate and Infrastructure outperformed the higher risk asset classes…
Market Key Points Major equity markets around the world continued the positive momentum in October. Early-month geopolitical tensions in the US faded as positive trade negotiations with China and solid corporate earnings pushed US equities back to near record highs. Emerging markets continue to outperform versus developed markets, whilst global small caps underperformed large. Australian equities…
Market Key Points The September quarter delivered positive returns across most major asset classes as trade tensions eased. Global technology stocks, linked to AI, dominated investment headlines in September. Emerging markets continue to outperform versus developed markets. Australian equities The S&P/ASX 200 Accumulation Index fell 0.8% in September, reversing August’s gains, with nine of 1…
Market Key Points The Trump Administration has made progress in trade agreements with major economies including the EU, UK, Japan, South Korea, and a preliminary deal with China to pause the most extreme tariffs. With tariffs now likely to stabilize around current levels we expect softer, but still manageable macroeconomic conditions. The August reporting season points to a more optimistic growth…
Market Key Points The US made progress on trade agreements with major economies, including a pause on extreme tariffs targeting China. Emerging markets continue to rally, while growth stocks performed strongly across developed markets. Hard macroeconomic signals remained broadly resilient in July, with investors continuing to look to how US policy changes will interact. Australian equities The S…
Market Key Points Ongoing tariff policy uncertainty and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have had minimal negative effects on risk assets. US equity markets outperformed again in June, supported by the growing chances of interest rate cuts and the avoidance of a recession. Hard macroeconomic signals remained resilient in June, with investors watching closely how US policy changes will…
Market Key Points Global markets extended their recovery in May. Trade war de-escalation reduced global recession fears and led to a broad-based rally back into risk assets. US markets outperformed in May, rebounding from the underperformance in April. Australian equities The S&P ASX 200 Accumulation Index continued to rally in May, up 4.2% on the back of the 3.6% increase in April. Markets…
Market Key Points Global markets experienced further volatility in April. Local markets were one of the brighter spots, finishing the month 3.6% higher driven in part by Trump’s 90-day pause on tariffs. US markets finished the month slightly lower. Australian equities The ASX 200 Accumulation Index gained 3.6% in April, paring back some of the losses from February and March. The market experienced…
Market Key Points It was a challenging month with domestic and international markets experiencing a sell-off. Local markets finished the month 3.4% lower, while the S&P 500 Index was off by 5.6%. Fixed income markets adjusted to news about tariffs and their implications for inflation and growth. Australian equities The ASX 200 Accumulation Index fell a further 3.4% in March, marking the second…
Market Key Points The Australian equity market had a challenging month returning -3.8% dragged down by growth and cyclical sectors while defensives did well. The S&P 500 Index (USD) also finished the month lower returning -1.3%. The Japanese market (Nikkei 225 Index (JPY)) was one of the weakest markets globally with a return of -6.1%. Chinese markets were a bright spot, as was some of the…
Market Key Points The Australian equity market was stronger over the month returning 4.6% and following a positive lead from most developed markets. The S&P 500 Index (USD) finished the month higher by 2.8%. Asian markets by contrast, in particular the Nikkei 225 Index (JPY) and CSI 300 Index (CNY), finished the month weaker Australian equities The ASX 200 Accumulation Index gained 4.6% in…
Market Key Points The Australian equity market finished the month lower, aligning with other Developed Markets. In both Australia and the US, the perception of prolonged high interest rates impacted sectors sensitive to interest rate changes. Asian and Emerging Markets performed strongly, with Japanese equities experiencing another robust month, diverging from the trend in Developed Markets…
Market Key Points The Australian equity market rebounded in November returning 3.8% over the month. Global developed markets had a strong month, US equity markets buoyed by the presidential election results. Asian markets suffered most visibly by comparison as the threat of tariffs potentially imposed by a Trump presidency were assessed. Australian equities After losing ground in October, the…
Market Key Points The Australian equity market finished the month lower with uncertainty from overseas and local economic data playing a role as the month progressed. International markets were similarly impacted, with the exception of Japan which finished the month stronger. Consumer Staples were the notable weak spots. Australian equities The ASX 200 Accumulation Index fell 1.3% in October…
Market Key Points The Australian equity market had a strong month rising 3.0%, supported by a rally in the Materials sector. More defensive sectors, for example Health Care and Consumer Staples were the notable weak spots. Of note globally was the rally in Chinese equities with the CSI 300 Index (CNY) jumping 21.1%. Australian equities The ASX 200 closed September at a new record high, reaching…
Market Key Points The Australian equity market rose 0.5% over the month. It was another strong month for the Information Technology sector, with other sectors mixed. Energy was the notable weak spot. Globally, most developed markets rose over the month with Asian markets mixed. Australian equities Reporting season was a mixed month for the ASX 200, which finished August up 0.5%. The market…
Market Key Points The Australian equity market had an exceptionally strong month rising 4.2%. All sectors with the exception of Utilities, Energy and Materials finished the month higher. Australian equity performance outshone global counterparts. The S&P 500 Index (USD) rose 1.2%, the FTSE Eurotop 100 Index (EUR) rose 0.5% and the CSI 300 Index (CNY) rose 0.6%. The Japanese and Hong Kong markets…
Market Key Points The Australian market continued to make gains, rising 1.0% during June with mixed returns across underlying sectors. The U.S. and Japanese markets were the strongest overseas markets, finishing the month up 3.1% and 2.0%, respectively (S&P 500 Index (USD) and Nikkei 225 Index (JPY)). Australian equities June saw the ASX 200 Accumulation Index rise by 1.0%. Following May's mixed…
Market Key Points The Australian market gained 0.9% during May, led by Information Technology. Most overseas markets finished the month higher. U.S. markets rallied strongly, with the S&P 500 gaining 5.0%. European markets, represented by the FTSE Eurotop 100 Index, were also up 2.9%. Australian equities The ASX 200 Index recorded a modest 0.9% gain in May. There was a broad dispersion of returns…
Market Key Points The Australian market was weaker in April, finishing the month 2.9% lower. Leading the market lower were Property, Consumer Discretionary and Communications sectors. The only sectors finishing the month in the black were Utilities and Materials. Most developed markets, including the U.S. and Europe, fell during the month, though U.K. and Asian markets finished the month higher…
Market Key Points The Australian market had a strong month in March, finishing 3.3% higher. Property, energy, and utilities led the market higher. The only sector finishing the month lower was Communications. Overseas markets also finished the month materially higher, with strong gains in the US, Europe, and the UK. Australian equities The ASX 200 rose 3.3% in March, with the strong month…
Market Returns Australian Equities: The S&P/ASX 200 and Small Ordinaries indexes rose by 0.79% and 1.72% respectively, reflecting a continued upward trend in the domestic market. Global Equities: Internationally, the MSCI World NR Index surged by 5.82%, while emerging markets showed impressive growth, with the MSCI Emerging Markets NR Index up by 6.35%. Property: The real estate sector saw mixed…
Market Returns Australian Equities: The S&P/ASX 200 and Small Ordinaries indexes climbed by 1.19% and 0.90% respectively, showcasing robust growth in the domestic market. Global Equities: The MSCI World NR Index witnessed a 4.46% upswing, with notable variance across regions, particularly in Asian markets where China and Hong Kong experienced downturns. Property: Australian A-REITs showed positive…
Market Returns Australian Equities: Witnessed a significant upturn with the S&P/ASX 200 TR Index rising by 7.26%, showcasing a robust performance across sectors. Global Equities: The MSCI World NR Index reported a growth of 1.94%, highlighting positive momentum in developed markets despite challenges in emerging markets. Property: Australian A-REITs surged by 11.40%, indicating strong investor…
Our clients may be tired of us talking about how hard it is to get the inflation "genie" back into the bottle, but this article from The Hustle provides a great explanation of inflationary psychology and inflation expectations. As consumers and businesses become more aware of inflation, higher inflation expectations are set and they act / price accordingly, making it more difficult to bring…
Global interest rates have soared since we published our November 2021 post, Should you fix your mortgage interest rate? | Walbrook Wealth Management. Fixed mortgage rates, influenced more by the expectations of market participants for growth and inflation than the policy targets of central banks, were first to move as pent-up demand and supply-chain bottlenecks saw the emergence of inflation…
With the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cutting the cash rate to 0.10% on Melbourne Cup Day, you may be asking yourself ‘Is now the right time to fix my mortgage interest rate?’ The answer depends on personal circumstances, such as your cash flow, family situation and employment status, and your current mortgage arrangements. If you already have a fixed-rate mortgage, then your mortgage payments…
Substantial and sustained flows into Responsible Investment (RI) strategies in recent years are commanding the attention of company boards and their key stakeholders. But what does RI mean in terms of investment process? And how do you ensure that your savings are invested in line with your values? Understandably, investors might see Ethical, Responsible or ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance…