InvestNow Market Wrap-Up: November 2024

Introducing Dave Tyrer, COO at Squirrel, this month’s guest author of the InvestNow Market Wrap-Up.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, “brain rot” is the official 2024 word of the year—but if you ask me, I think it might just be “volatility”.

Most markets and asset classes have seen larger-than-usual movements (both positive and negative) in November—with the US elections certainly being a major disruptive force.

Here’s what’s been happening.

Cash

NZ’s Official Cash Rate dropped 0.50% on […]

InvestNow Market Wrap-Up: October 2024

Introducing Greg Fleming, Head of Global Diversified Funds at SALT Funds Management, this month’s guest author of the InvestNow Market Wrap-Up.

October was a volatile month for markets. Developed market equities gave back a fraction of their strong overall gains in 2024, falling -2.0% over the month. The global aggregate bond index also posted a negative return for the month, falling -1.5% in NZD-hedged terms. These negative moves were largely on the back […]

InvestNow Market Wrap-Up: September 2024

Introducing Aaron Klee, General Manager, Investment Management & Services at AMP, this month’s guest author of the InvestNow Market Wrap-Up.

We live in interesting times! Despite an almost ten per cent drop in the S&P 500 Index (the broad US stock market index) in early August, most major asset classes ended the quarter in positive territory with new all-time high records along the way.

Around […]

InvestNow Market Wrap-Up: August 2024

Introducing Greg Smith, Head of Retail at Devon Funds, this month’s guest author of the InvestNow Market Wrap-Up.

“… The past month has been anything but dull for markets. After the “panic attack” at the start of August, global benchmarks rebounded, led by the US indices. The Dow Jones made a new record high. The S&P500 was down 6% for the month at one point (and 8.5% from its July highs), before ending […]

InvestNow Market Wrap-Up: July 2024

Written by Jason Choy, InvestNow Senior Portfolio Manager

Market Dashboard

In a nutshell: Global markets eked out gains in July amid volatility, while local markets notched their strongest month of the year. Markets around the world digested a swath of economic, political and company specific developments over the month, which initially kicked off positively with major indexes establishing more record-highs. However, disappointing earnings from U.S. […]

InvestNow Market Wrap-Up: June 2024

Written by Jason Choy, InvestNow Senior Portfolio Manager

Market Dashboard

Global stocks led by the US saw fresh highs in June, while local markets continued their struggles in 2024. The economic momentum of the first quarter continued into the second for global equity markets, which saw gains concentrated in a handful of (AI-related) mega-cap names. Meanwhile, rate sensitive small cap and real estate stocks suffered […]

InvestNow Market Wrap-Up: March 2024

Written by Jason Choy, InvestNow Senior Portfolio Manager

Market Dashboard

Share markets continued their sizzling run over March, while bonds also joined in on the fun. Globally, markets were paced by the US, whose stock indices performed strongly once again, although they were outdone by Japan’s local share market the Nikkei 225, which has continued to be 2024’s standout performer. Other notable assets included gold, […]

InvestNow Market Wrap-Up: February 2024

Written by Jason Choy, InvestNow Senior Portfolio Manager

Market Dashboard

Share market indices rose to record levels across the globe while bonds continue to struggle as resilient economic data, alongside signs of lingering inflationary pressures, suggests central banks will likely be holding interest rates steady for a little while longer. Another notable asset was Bitcoin, which after a slow start to the year took off, […]

InvestNow Market Wrap-Up: January 2024

Written by Jason Choy, InvestNow Senior Portfolio Manager

Market Dashboard

Share markets continue their winning ways while bond markets falter as robust economic data led by the US supported the notion of a ‘soft landing’. The negative correlation between bonds and equities returned, as the same strong economic data – when coupled with pushback from central bankers on the market’s dovish outlook for […]

InvestNow Market Wrap-Up: December 2023

Written by Jason Choy, InvestNow Senior Portfolio Manager

Market Dashboard

Global share and bond markets close the year off with a crescendo as expectations that central banks have reached the end of their rate hiking cycle ignited a strong market rally. Persistent inflation and geopolitical tensions took a back seat as optimism increased that central banks have in-fact threaded the needle and engineered a soft […]