Category: Market Update
Market Review September 2019
There was a good feeling sweeping through the equity markets in September as most of the major indices returned positive numbers. There were no spectacular rises – Japan and South Korea led the way as both markets gained 5% in the month, and a couple of markets barely moved at all, but the news was overwhelmingly positive...
Market Review August 2019
August is usually quite a quiet month; stuck in the middle of the period that journalists often call “silly season” - a quiet period when there isn’t much to report so there’s more coverage of lighter, perhaps more frivolous stories. Not this year...
Market Review July 2019
After an exceptionally strong start to the year, financial markets paused for breath in July, with most asset classes delivering muted returns. The Federal Reserve (the Fed) lowered US interest rates for the first time in 11 years, and the European Central Bank (ECB) gave strong hints that an easing package is on the way...
Market Review June 2019
During June, we have seen much stronger than expected employment numbers in the US, and positive industrial production data from Europe, signalling that the global economy is perhaps in better health than suggested by the negative long-term bond yields in many parts of the western world...
Market Review May 2019
For much of this year, equity markets have enjoyed a healthy climb, assisted by a dovish tone from central banks, as well as the possibility of a trade deal between the US and China. As we entered May, the S&P 500 was at an all-time high. However, just six days into the month, investors were tested by the announcement that the US would be moving ahead with tariff increases on US imports from China...
Market Review April 2019
Markets continued to climb the proverbial wall of worry over April as the S&P 500 was back into record-setting mode, moving past its previous all-time high set back in October 2018...
Market Review March 2019
As Q1 2019 came to a close, we can reflect on a quarter which saw equity markets rebound from the sell-off seen late last year. Most major regions delivered positive returns for the first three months of 2019 with the US in particular recapturing much of the decline experienced in the run-up to Christmas.
Market Review February 2019
February was another month when all the important news seemed to happen in the last week of the month.President Trump met with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un for a second time, only for the talks to break down as the US refused North Korea’s demands for sanctions relief...
Market Review January 2019: New Year New Markets…
Despite a rocky start over fears of a slowdown in China, world stock markets enjoyed a good month as all major markets were up in January. The positive momentum experienced at the beginning of 2019 is a much needed change of sentiment for the markets which despite the continued global growth expectation (as shown below) was held down by a cloud of negative investor sentiment for much of 2018...
Market Review December 2018
What were your expectations for December? A quiet wind down to Christmas perhaps? Everyone leaving their offices early, attending various Christmas parties and not much happening in the second half of the month? Nothing could be further from the truth, December was one of the most eventful months of the year...
Market Review November 2018
November was another unconvincing month for the equity markets with increased volatility as political uncertainty continued to test the markets. With the month coming to a close there were also some signs that the trade war tensions between the US and China might at least be thawing...
Market Review October 2018
October once again proved to be a difficult month for this aging bull market with the S&P 500 recording 16 down days throughout the month, equalling its worst month run since April 1970...
Market Review September 2018
This article was originally intended as a review of Q3 2018, however, given the market unrest over the past week and the potentially unsettling headlines that have been written, we will start this article with a summary of recent events and our view on the economy as it stands today...
Market Review August 2018: August Angst
Since 2008 , August has regularly proved a challenging month for financial markets, this trend continued last month. Investors had to digest the reintroduction of US sanctions against Iran, new tensions between Turkey and the US and a deterioration of trade talks between the US and China...
Market Review July 2018: Is the sun set to shine on the Equity markets?
July was a month where the negative headlines seemed to take a back seat as a wave of positivity and optimism swept the nation; comparisons were being drawn between the recent weather and the scorching summer of 1976, the three lions finally reconnected with the public and Geraint Thomas became the third Briton to win the Tour de France...
Market Review June 2018: The Rise & Rise of Populism
Populism was once again at the forefront of the political landscape in June with Italy and Germany taking centre stage. This, coupled with Donald Trump’s insatiable desire for the limelight, made June a fairly volatile and unpredictable month in the equity markets...