Investments
In March, investors who remained optimistic were rewarded as stock markets continued to rise despite an increase in US inflation for the second consecutive month and a slowdown in consumer spending.
February was a remarkable month, with strong economic data and positive earnings reports leading to the Standard and Poor’s 500 (a stock market index that tracks the performance of 500 large-cap U.S)
In 2024, the share market had a strong start, with equities (shares) continuing to rise in value. However, fixed income assets (such as bonds) struggled to keep up.
In 2023, global stocks and bonds had a strong end to the year, with prices rising throughout the final month.
In November, both stocks and bonds had a strong recovery after a period of uncertainty. This was mainly due to the US Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged.
US interest rates are likely to remain higher for a longer period owing to stronger than predicted US GDP and employment growth.
Despite a great start in July, both equities and bonds ended the September quarter (Q3) on a low note, supporting the latter month’s reputation for delivering “seasonably weaker” returns.
An investor labelled “September Effect” was possibly a cause for the negative share market performance during the month, as stock returns fell back further and bond yields rose once again.
As we’ve seen in the past, when China experiences economic turmoil, the rest of the world is likely to feel its effects.
With the often discussed ‘soft-landing’ scenario becoming more of a possibility, investors may have found themselves in an unlikely bull market.
In June, global share markets showed strength with returns largely driven by players in ‘big tech’ alongside consumer discretionary, industrials and the materials sector.
Global share markets experienced a negative performance this month as investor sentiment was dampened by concerns over US debt ceiling negotiations.
2023 started positively as capital markets experienced their strongest January gains in recent years.
Despite concerns about a possible recession, investor sentiment remained largely positive in April. Investors were initially spooked as minutes from the US Federal Reserve’s (‘Fed’) March meeting.
Global share markets were positive despite the turmoil that engulfed the banking industry.
Investor skepticism over intentions to fight inflation, led to a month of mostly declines in global share markets.
Global share markets started the New Year with a bang, showcasing a strong rally off the back of a weak December.
After negative returns in August and September across most asset classes, the last quarter of 2022 showed early promise with positive performance in developed market equities, emerging market debt.
December saw global share markets retreat from advances made in November, continuing their recent ‘see-sawing’ pattern. Fears of a recession and earnings risks remained.
Global share markets continued to deliver positive returns in November, which was a result of better than expected Consumer Price Index (‘CPI’) readings in the US.
October was a positive month for investors, as we saw share markets recovering.
Global financial markets experienced a rebound off their June lows in July and August, with performance spurred by improved earnings data, employment growth, and enhanced retail sales.
Global share markets continued their decline in September, with the S&P 500 index suffering its worst one-day sell-off since June 2020.
After a rebound in July, which continued into early August, global share markets saw a broad-based sell-off following US Federal Reserve (‘Fed’) Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks at the Jackson Hole.
Global share markets experienced a significant rebound in July, after the June lows.
Global share markets suffered another negative month as a slight rebound experienced at the end of May faded.
Global share markets experienced another difficult month, as markets continued to digest a fast changing economic environment. With weaker than expected global activity in April.
Global equity markets had their most difficult month since March 2020 as the confluence of global central banks tightening monetary policy, economic growth momentum fading and a challenging corporate.
We saw ‘lift-off’ in March as the Federal Reserve (the Fed) raised the federal funds rate (the target rate that banks pay to borrow from each other on an overnight basis).
“There is no purgatory for war criminals - they go straight to hell”, Ukraine’s UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said to his Russian counterpart at a United Nations Security Council meeting.
The start of 2022 was a volatile month for equities. Inflation remained at multi decade highs as a competitive labour market and soaring oil prices sustained pressures.
Financial markets finished the year and the month of December on a strong note despite being disrupted by COVID-19.
Financial markets ended the month of November on tumultuous footing as rising hospitalizations in Europe due to the Coronavirus alongside the new Omicron variant of the Coronavirus.
Global equity markets rebounded in October after last month’s rout. Inflation, monetary policy tightening and supply chain woes continued to weigh on economic activity.
September proved to be a difficult month for Global Equity markets as a slowing global economy, worsening supply chain and the potential Evergrande bankruptcy in China dented investor sentiment.
In August, the global reopening continued, with a number of countries further lifting pandemic restrictions. This is despite the Delta variant continuing to spread and daily cases picking up across
The global economic recovery remained strong in July as the Coronavirus vaccination roll-out continued. This was somewhat tempered by the spread of the Delta variant of the virus.
Global Equities finished the month in positive territory after what was one of the strongest starts to the year since the Dot Com bubble in 2000.
Global share markets remained strong through March with the global vaccine rollout giving investors’ confidence in the year a head.
Global equities continued their upward trajectory in May as many developed economies continued to reopen, leveraging off surprisingly efficient vaccine rollouts.
After a positive March, global share markets continued to perform strongly in April with all major markets (with the exception of Japan) showing positive returns.
Global equities remained strong through March with the global vaccine rollout giving investors confidence in the year ahead, with the MSCI World Index returning 7.3% in unhedged NZD
New research has revealed that despite a booming property market forcing many of us to take on record levels of debt, making financial advice more important than ever before.
Global share markets finished the last calendar month of 2020 on a positive note!
The following table shows the year-to-date and monthly interest rates allocated to your accounts for the 2020/2021 year.
Global equities saw strong returns across the board in November as the outlook for a successful Covid-19 vaccine boosted.
Equity markets failed to find their footing following the turbulence of September, with most major indices experiencing outflows throughout October.
Equity markets lost ground in September, bucking their widespread positive trajectory off their pandemic-induced lows. Uncertainties in the form of the upcoming US Presidential election
Equity markets pushed higher in August, supported by continued improvements in global manufacturing data and an indication of persistently dovish central bank policies.
Global equity markets continued their strong performance in July, with a better-than-expected earnings season in the US and continued fiscal support for households and businesses.
Global equity markets extended their remarkable quarterly gains throughout June.
Global equities climbed and government bond yields rose as the recovery in investment markets continued throughout May.
The scheme offers you four investment funds – Growth, Balanced, Stable, and Cash (more information about each investment fund is available in the Member Booklet).
Despite the ongoing global pandemic, markets delivered sharply positive returns in April. US equity markets had their best performance since 1987.
March proved to be one of the worst months for asset prices in modern history.
This video will give you a basic understanding of how share market cycles work, the types of asset classes there are and how they are affected by market fluctuations.
After an extended period of positive returns, share markets have been experiencing significant sell-offs in recent weeks as the world grapples with the uncertainty of the spread of Covid-19.
After touching new highs earlier in the year, global equities and other risk assets sold off sharply in February over concerns about the spread of coronavirus.
Global markets tumbled for a sixth consecutive day to Thursday 27 February, dragging down the S&P500 (main US equity market) more than 10% in just a week, reflecting rising fears over the coronavirus.
January proved to be an eventful month; after a strong start, culminating in the signing of the phase one deal between the US and China.
2019 was a bumper year for equity markets and December was no exception.
November was another positive month for developed equity markets, encouraged by reported progress on trade negotiations between the US and China.
October delivered another positive month for global markets, with global equities rising and bond yields inching higher.
Global markets were once again able to slip into a “goldilocks” phase of accommodative monetary policy and easing trade conflict over September.
August was a month marked by volatility, with equity markets struggling as investor risk appetite retreated amid fears of a global recession.
July served up more positive returns for investors despite signs of increasing market strain and a weakening global economic outlook.
June was a good one for investors with all major asset classes delivering positive returns and equities recovering from the falls suffered in May.
May dished up a rocky month for investors, reminiscent of the equity correction seen in December last year.
April continued the positive start to 2019 for investors, with equity markets maintaining their positive momentum.
March brought more good news for investors, with most asset classes again posting positive returns.
February delivered more good news to investors with most asset classes posting positive returns for the second consecutive month.
Global markets rebounded in January with all developed markets posting positive returns.
Last September marked the 10th anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the fourth largest investment bank in the US, and its impact on the world’s investment markets. Ten years on.
Global markets fell sharply in December with most developed markets posting large negative returns.
Despite persistent volatility throughout the month, the majority of equity markets across North America and the Pacific clawed backed some of their October losses in November, posting positive returns
October 2018 is being called “the worst month in ten years” after many major global share markets had much of their year to date gains annihilated by another large bout of volatility.
Global equity investors struggled with the uncertainty of ever more ubiquitous trade tensions over the month, although markets still delivered a small positive return in aggregate.
Global markets posted positive returns in aggregate during August.
Positive returns in the US and Australia and falls in Europe, Japan and Emerging Markets over the month, resulted in a relatively flat aggregate return from global share markets in June.
Global equities, in aggregate, rose over May, but it wasn’t all good news.
April saw equity markets bounce back from their recent decline, delivering positive returns across all developed economies.
March started on a positive note, bouncing back from losses in February.
Early in February the announcement that the US budget deficit would reach close to US$1 trillion in 2018 aroused fears of inflation and higher interest rates.
The first month of 2018 picked up where 2017 left off, with most global equity markets (Australia and the UK aside) delivering positive returns.