Market-wrap

The rally from December resumed with most equity markets up for the month.

The rally from December faltered slightly with most equity markets down for the month.

The rally from December has continued into July with most equity markets up for the month.

The rally from December lows faltered in May with most equity markets down for the month.

The rally from December lows has flowed into April with most markets positive.

The market rally that began in January continued more modestly in February and into March, with most markets positive.

After January’s bounce, February was a little quieter but still ended in positive territory, with global shares up by 3.4% and 5.6% in hedged and unhedged terms respectively.

January was a more positive month for investors after December’s volatility, with shares recovering most of their late 2018 losses. Global shares rose by 7.1% and 4.1% in hedged and unhedged terms respectively.

The US remains buoyant with business and consumer confidence elevated. The US share market (S&P 500) keeps powering along supported by solid earnings and accommodative policy.

Talk surrounding Donald Trump’s proposed tax reforms and solid economic data more than offset concerns about North Korea, the US Federal Reserve announcing that they will commence to trim their balance sheet and likely lift rates again this year.

Share markets in the US closed flat for August after a choppy month on the back of US political uncertainty, riots in Charlottesville and tensions in North Korea. The devastation of Hurricane Harvey also contributed to what has been the most volatile month in the S&P500 this year.

Global share markets rose strongly during July as political risks and fears of a hard landing in China subsided. US growth in the second quarter lifted and we suspect a similar outcome in Q3...

Global share markets paused in the month following rising volatility on the back of lower oil prices. The Fed raised interest rates by another 25bps following better economic conditions although the market ...

Global share markets rose during the month as a strong reporting season in the US and Europe lifted investor confidence. Australian shares underperformed global shares as concerns over economic growth ...