Market Update

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets remained under pressure over the past week from concerns about rising US inflation and faster US interest rate hikes, with interest rate sensitive tech stocks leading the declines. Omicron related disruptions are not helping although markets don’t appear to be too concerned. While European shares rose slightly US, Japanese and Chinese shares fell. The weak global lead weighed on the Australian share market with declines in retailers, tech [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week The economic calendar was fairly quiet in the first week of the new year, but fears of rising US interest rates led to some sharemarket wobbles. US sharemarkets were down 1.5%, with large falls in tech, real estate, healthcare and communication sectors. Rising 10-year bond yields (up by 20 basis points since last week to 1.7%) were negative for tech stocks (with the tech-heavy NASDAQ down 3.6% over the week). [...]

Issue: 22nd December 2021 2021 Wrap up: Covid the sequel 2021 opened with the good news that Covid numbers were slowing and the promise of vaccines. We distracted ourselves with the traditional summer of cricket and the new year carried with it the hope of renewal and better times ahead. It was easy to believe that the worst was behind us... By March, our Covid statistics were still looking good. You couldn't turn the TV on without seeing Annastacia, [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets were mixed over the past week with worries about the latest coronavirus wave and central bank monetary tightening causing volatility and tech stocks remaining under pressure. European and Japanese shares rose but US and Chinese shares fell. The soft global lead not helped by surging coronavirus cases locally saw the Australian share market fall with declines in health, IT and retail stocks offsetting gains in material, utility and [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past weekGlobal share markets rebounded over the past week on indications that Omicron may only be resulting in mild cases. The positive global lead along with continuing RBA dovishness on interest rates also pushed the Australian share market higher for the week led by utilities, retailers, property and energy stocks. Reflecting the risk on tone bond yields, metal prices, oil prices and the $A all rose.The 5% or so pull back in share markets [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets had another rough week as uncertainty around the impact of the Omicron variant on global growth and Fed Chair Powell flagging a faster taper led to a bit of a roller coaster ride. While Eurozone shares were up slightly for the week and Chinese shares were flat, US and Japanese shares were down. The week global lead and news of the arrival of Omicron in Australia pushed the [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets fell sharply over the last week with first inflation and interest rate concerns and rising new cases in Europe, and then news of a new worrying coronavirus variant that appears to have originated in South Africa really rattling investors resulting in sharp falls later in the week. Travel stocks were particularly hard hit as new travel bans were announced. For the week US shares fell 2.2%, Eurozone shares [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets mostly rose over the last week helped by strong US economic data. US, European and Japanese shares rose but Chinese shares fell. Australian shares also fell with sharp falls in financials on the back of bank margin concerns and in resources stocks reflecting lower oil and iron ore prices. Bond yields were mixed - up slightly in the US and Australia but down in Europe. Oil, metal and [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past weekShare markets were hit again over the past week as more high inflation readings added to concerns about monetary tightening. This left US and European shares down for the week and Japanese shares little changed. Chinese shares bucked the trend and rose. While falls in US shares weighed on the Australian share market mid-week a strong rise on Friday left it little changed for the week with strong gains in materials offsetting falls [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week In the past few weeks, financial markets have been pricing in aggressive rate hikes from the major central banks over the next year because inflation data has been surprising on the upside. However, this week numerous central banks banded together and pushed back against market pricing which led to a fall in government bond yields, particularly at the front end of the yield curve. US 2-year yields are now at [...]