Market Update 6 August Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets rose over the last week with US and European shares making a new high helped by good earnings results offsetting Delta concerns. The Australian share market also rose to a new high propelled by M&A activity in relation to Afterpay and Santos & Oil Search with strong gains in IT, financial, consumer staple and property stocks. Bond yields rose in …
Coronavirus continues to cause havoc globally and in Australia – but here are five reasons for optimism Key points The news on coronavirus has been bleak again lately – with rising cases globally & the ongoing NSW lockdown. However, there are five reasons for optimism: lockdowns still work against Delta (eg, in SA & Victoria); vaccines are working; once lockdowns end economic activity rebounds quickly; the threat posed by Delta will keep fiscal & monetary …
Five ways to turn down the noise and stay focused as an investor Key points A surge in financial information and opinion along with our natural inclination to focus on bad news is arguably making us worse investors: more fearful & short term. Five ways to help manage the noise and stay focussed as investors are: put the latest worry list in context; recognise that shares return more than cash in the long term …
Market Update 25 June Global share markets rebounded over the past week with US shares making it to a new record high helped by calming words from the Fed. However, Australian shares fell partly in delayed reaction to the previous weeks falls in the US and not helped by talk of earlier rate hikes in Australia and coronavirus concerns, with IT and materials up but falls led by health and financial stocks. Bond yields rose …
Market Update 4 June Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets were mixed over the last week with Eurozone shares up, but US shares down slightly not helped by ongoing inflation and taper fears with Japanese and Chinese shares also down a bit. Despite the messy global lead Australian shares pushed further into record territory helped along by strong economic growth data and ongoing RBA dovishness. The rise in the …
The Australian economic recovery remained strong in the March quarter with GDP up 1.8% – seven reasons for optimism Key points With growth of 1.8% in the March quarter, Australian GDP is now back above its pre pandemic level. While uncertainties remain – including around the latest coronavirus outbreak in Victoria – there are seven reasons for optimism that the recovery will continue at a decent rate: vaccines; global growth is ramping up; consumer spending …
How to prepare, lodge and maximise your 2021 tax return With tax time nearly upon us, you might be interested in the following deduction tips, which may help increase the amount of money you get back. Lots of things can affect your tax return, including sources of income from work, investments and government assistance, including any JobSeeker payments you may have received during the financial year. Other factors that can play a part, include whether …
Market Update 21 May Investment markets and key developments over the past week Share markets had a bit of a rough ride with inflation fears continuing to impact and this left them mixed for the week with US and Eurozone shares down but Japanese and Chinese shares up. Australian shares were hit hard earlier in the week by inflation fears and concerns about China diversifying its iron ore supply away from Australia (which is …
What can a financial planner do for me in 2021? With the ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic largely behind us, now’s a great time to revisit your finances. So should you seek the help of a professional financial planner, or can you ‘do it yourself’? Read on to find out what a financial planner can do for you. After a rollercoaster 18-months, the financial shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic are finally receding from …
Market Update 30 April Investment markets and key developments over the past week Share markets were mixed over the last week with US shares rising to new record highs helped by good economic data, strong earnings and more stimulus and Chinese shares rising but European and Japanese shares fell. Australian shares also fell back slightly as the local market continues to work off technically overbought conditions after its early April surge. Weakness in retailers, …
