Fund Manager News

Over the last three months, stock markets have continued to rally strongly as economic activity started to recover from the depths of the COVID-induced recession. As a result of the lockdowns that have been put in place to control the spread of the virus, there have been significant changes in spending and working patterns across…

We believe energy will be both a challenge and an opportunity in the next 30 years. While in the past the focus was on the safety of supply and cost, we have now understood the price to pay for pollution. The headline issue is carbon emissions. Cutting down these emissions should help with climate change…

I always look forward to the launch of the annual Responsible Investment Benchmark report in New Zealand and seeing how the country is progressing on its responsible investment journey. The report is produced by the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia (RIAA) each year and provides a unique snapshot of the responsible investment sector in New…

Global equity markets finished higher last week, but a Friday sell-off saw some gains for the week trimmed. In particular, the NASDAQ 100, which finished 2.2% lower on Friday, but still rose around 2% over the week. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average both gained around 1.5%. Australasian equities were mixed…

Chief Investment Officer Mark Devcich discusses growth vs value stocks. Stock picks: Growth versus value The markets took a breather in September after five months of relentless gains. This period has been a great time to be an active manager as there has been wide dispersion in the market between the winners and losers in…

Markets jumpy as election looms As we go to print, US President Donald Trump has contracted Covid-19 and is in hospital as a precaution. We would never wish ill on anyone, and hope he makes a speedy recovery – just stay off the bleach would be my advice. Despite the fact Trump regularly asserts himself…

International markets continued to weaken last week with the U.S. S&P 500 falling for the fourth straight week. The index fell 0.6% last week although it is still up 3.5% year to date. The technology laden Nasdaq index did however manage a small weekly gain. European markets were sharply lower on concerns that increases in…

Equity markets ran out of steam in September, as the six-month rally began to fade amid a small rise in volatility and a pickup in geopolitical tensions. With a few days left in September, the S&P 500 is down around 5% on the month and on track to snap a five-month win streak, while the…

Since the onset of the coronavirus, more people are working from home, and while there will likely be a large-scale return to the office as the health risk subsides, the pandemic is expected to have a lasting effect on flexible working arrangements. A recent survey across Europe by Morgan Stanley showed a considerable proportion of…

Introduction 2020 continues to surprise. A pandemic, the shutdown of the global economy, the deepest recession since the 1930s, a global equity market collapse and now, record highs for the U.S. equity market. The upcoming U.S. election is shaping up as a tight contest, with the potential for more surprises and market volatility. We’re in…

Pie Funds CEO and Founder Mike Taylor sets the scene for interest rates and explores investment options offering a better return than term deposits. Interest rates are falling again around the world in response to the Covid-19 recession. But they were low to start with, so how low can interest rates really go? For context,…

Are you missing out on investment opportunities among the world’s listed companies? Pie’s Global Growth Fund delivered 24.8% returns (after fees, before tax) in the year to 31 August 2020, compared to its benchmark* of 0.6% - an impressive result for investors. CEO and founder Mike Taylor acknowledges a year is a short period for…