FinSec Post

Investment markets and key developments over the past week After a strong start to the year global shares came under pressure over the last week as bond yields rose further, in part driven by rising expectations for more aggressive Fed monetary tightening and rising US wages. US shares fell 3.9% for the week, eurozone shares fell 3.1%, Japanese shares fell 1.5% and Chinese shares lost 2.5%. However Australian shares managed to rise 1.2%, having significantly underperformed since the start of the year [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Share markets were mixed over the last week with US shares gaining 2.2% to a record high helped by good earnings news, Chinese shares up 2.2% and Australian shares up 0.7%, but European shares down 0.2% and Japanese shares down 0.7% on a further rise in the euro and Yen. Bond yields were flat in the US and Japan but up in Europe. However, the big development was a further plunge and gyrations [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week US equity markets continued to track higher over the week, continuing the positive trend since the beginning of the year with the S&P500 up 0.9%. Euro stocks were 1.0% higher, Japanese equitiesrose by 0.7%, Chinese shares were 1.4% higher while Australian shares lagged behind, and were down by 1.1%. Positive gains in US shares have occurred despite an increase in US bond yields (the 10-year up is above 2.65%) and a US government shutdown, which occurred at midnight Friday (US time). The [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week There was plenty of action in markets over the past week with lots of noise and anticipation over future central bank action. US equities were up by 1.6% over the week, Euro stocks increased by 0.4%, Japanese equities were down 0.2%, Chinese equities lifted by 2.1% and Australian shares were down 0.9%. Global bond yields lifted this week with the US 10 year yield at 2.54% - back to March 2017 levels. However the US dollar [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week While share markets saw a softish last few days of 2017, they have started 2018 on a solid note with strong gains in all major markets over the last week helped by favourable economic data and as seasonal cheer kicked in again. US shares rose 2.6% to a new record high, Eurozone shares rose 3%, Japanese shares rose 4.2%, Chinese shares rose 2.7% and the Australian S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 0.9%, taking it [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Despite a continuing run of very favourable global economic news - highlighting strong growth, low inflation and benign central banks - share markets were mixed over the last week. US shares staged a late surge to be up 0.9%, helped by increasing signs tax reform will soon pass Congress, but Eurozone shares fell 0.9%, Japanese shares fell 1.1%, Chinese shares fell 0.6% and Australian shares were flat. Bond yields fell slightly in the [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Shares had a few wobbles early in the past week with a bit of profit-taking partly triggered by the US Senate's tax reform bill delaying the corporate tax rate cut until 2019 and its retention of the alternative minimum tax for corporates, which could mean higher than intended tax for some companies. However most major share markets still ended up for the week, with US shares up 0.4% - helped by another "goldilocks" [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week US shares rose 1.5% over the last week to new record highs helped by progress on tax reform and Jerome Powell confirming that he would opt for less onerous financial regulation at the US Federal Reserve. Japanese shares also rose 1.2%, and Australian shares rose 0.1% but Eurozone shares fell 1.1% and Chinese shares lost 2.6%. Oil prices fell 1.1% in a case of "buy on the rumour and sell on the fact" [...]