Market Update

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets fell over the last week mainly on the back of hawkish central banks and ever rising bond yields. Australian shares also fell slightly with strength in utilities and energy stocks offset by weakness in retailers, IT and materials. Bond yields rose sharply, and oil, metal and iron ore prices fell. While the $A briefly made it above $US0.76 it ended the week little changed, despite a further rise [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week It was a mixed week for markets in terms of the economic data and news flow. US equities started the week strong, but are still down by 0.3% over the week (and ~6% below January highs), European shares had a good rebound up by 0.9% (but are still 11% below January levels), Japanese shares were 1.8% lower, Chinese shares continued to recover up by 2.1% and Australian shares continue to [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Share markets were mixed over the past week with uncertainty over the war in Ukraine, a rebound in oil prices, increased Fed hawkishness and a continuing surge in bond yields being offset by mostly solid economic data, still rising earnings expectations and hopes by some that shares will be a hedge against high inflation. US and Japanese shares rose but Eurozone and Chinese shares fell. Australian shares saw another strong gain [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week The past week saw share markets rebound helped by optimism about a peace deal in Ukraine, a fall back in oil prices, relief that the Fed’s first rate hike was broadly as expected with the Fed seeing the US economy as strong and indications that China will provide more policy stimulus partly to combat covid related lockdowns. This saw strong gains in US, European and Japanese shares. The strong global lead [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Share markets were hit over the last week as Ukraine tensions escalated and then Russia invaded Ukraine. Although Russia has indicated it does not plan to occupy Ukraine it has indicated that its attack is aimed at its “demilitarization and denazification.” While US shares saw a small bounce on Wednesday on hopes that a worsening of the energy crisis would be averted, this still left US and global shares below the [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Uncertainty over the war in Ukraine resulted in another volatile week in investment markets as investors worried about the worsening conflict and disruptions to energy supply following the intensification of western sanctions on Russia. Reports of a fire at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant as a result of Russian shelling and the associated risk of a nuclear catastrophe added to the uncertainty. This saw US, European, Japanese and Chinese shares fall [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Share markets were hit over the last week as Ukraine tensions escalated and then Russia invaded Ukraine. Although Russia has indicated it does not plan to occupy Ukraine it has indicated that its attack is aimed at its “demilitarization and denazification.” While US shares saw a small bounce on Wednesday on hopes that a worsening of the energy crisis would be averted, this still left US and global shares below the [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Share markets have seen another volatile week being buffeted by waxing and waning fears of Russia invading Ukraine and fears of inflation and interest rate hikes. This left US, European and Japanese share markets down. Solid profit results helped protect the Australian share market, which was up slightly for the week, with gains in health, property and consumer staple shares offsetting falls in IT, telco and material stocks. US and global [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Share markets started the week on a positive note, clawing back some of the declines that occurred in January. However, the elevated US inflation data worried investors about fast interest rate rises from the US Fed. US share markets fell after the inflation data but were still up by 0.1% over the week (a the time of writing). Australian shares managed to hold onto gains and are 2.4% higher over [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets rose over the last week helped by a rally from oversold conditions, mostly good US earnings results and as Fed officials downplayed expectations for a 0.5% rate hike in March. However, there was plenty of volatility along the way reflecting widely divergent US tech company earnings and hawkish shifts by various central banks. Australian shares benefitted through the week from the positive global lead and indications from the [...]