Market Update

Investment markets and key developments over the past week While Japanese and Chinese shares fell over the last week, US shares rose to a new record high helped by strong data, stimulus optimism and dovish comments from the Fed and Eurozone shares also rose solidly. Reflecting the strong US lead, RBA dovishness and playing catch up after underperforming the previous week the Australian share market rose sharply to a new bull market high with particularly strong gains in IT, material, [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week While US shares fell fractionally over the last week despite a bounce in tech stocks, Eurozone, Japanese and Chinese shares rose. Australian shares also fell fractionally over the last week with strong gains in industrial and material shares being offset by weakness in utilities, energy, retail and health care stocks. Bond yields generally rose slightly but metal, iron ore and oil prices fell with the latter down on forecasts for reduced [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Market sentiment was more cautious this week on concern about the economic reopening from rising COVID-19 cases and vaccine delays. Seasonal impacts affect sharemarkets as well and quarter-end profit taking may also be contributing to sharemarket weakness. US shares on the S&P500 were just negative over the week at -0.1% while the heavier tech NASDAQ index was down by 1.8%. NASDAQ shares are now down by nearly 8% since a peak [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global sharemarket performance continues to diverge. US shares started the week strongly but higher bond yields following the US Federal Reserve's meeting led US shares down 0.7% over the week for the S&P500 with the heavier tech weighted NASDAQ even weaker (-1.5%). The theme of a rotation out of US to global shares continues to play out with European shares up 0.9% over the week and Japanese shares 1% higher. Chinese [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Share markets rebounded over the last week as bond markets settled down a bit helped by central bank action and as $1.9 trillion in additional US stimulus was signed into law by President Biden. This saw the US share market rise to a record high (albeit the bond sensitive Nasdaq remains 5% down from its high), Eurozone shares rise to their highest since the GFC and strong gains in Japanese shares. [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Share markets saw a bit of a roller coaster ride over the last week initially rallying as fears around rising bond yields briefly eased, then falling after Fed Chair Powell reiterated the Fed's dovishness but failed to signal significant concern or action to deal with rising bond yields only to then see the US share market stage a strong rebound Friday afternoon as strong payrolls encouraged dip buying. This left share [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets fell over the last week as the selloff in bonds accelerated raising concerns about valuations. Bond yields increased significantly, particularly in the US and Australia and 10 year yields at their highs on Friday were up by around 100 basis points in the US from last year's low and by around 130 basis points in Australia, before settling back a bit helped in Australia by aggressive RBA bond [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week While Japanese shares rose over the last week, US, European and Chinese shares fell on concerns about the impact of rising bond yields on equity market valuations, particularly for high PE tech stocks. Australian shares were boosted early in the week to their highest level in nearly a year by strong earnings results, but reversed course as concerns around rising bond yields weighed with the week seeing sharp falls in utilities, [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets rose again over the last week helped by good US earnings, declining new coronavirus cases and ongoing assurance of easy monetary policy and US fiscal stimulus. Australian shares fell slightly for the week though led by declines in energy, industrial, material and utility stocks not helped by Friday's news of yet another snap lockdown this time in Victoria. Bond yields were mixed with slight falls in the US [...]

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets rebounded over the last week helped by good economic data and earnings news, reduced concerns around vaccines and as worries about the Reddit/day trader crowd adding to volatility fizzled. This saw the US share market rise to a new record high. Reflecting the positive global lead along with strong Australian data and a very dovish message from the RBA on interest rates and more QE, Australian shares rebounded [...]