Fund Manager News

7th December 2019 Key points Financial market volatility has increased in recent months but still remains relatively low by historical standards. While the macroeconomic data continues to point to a strong US economy, we are expecting the US Federal Reserve to be more cautious and data dependent as they approach more neutral interest rate settings.…

Ethical Investing in Focus The momentum behind Ethical Investing continued throughout 2018 both here in Australia and globally. As more asset owners demand such an approach from their asset managers, taking account of ESG risks in addition to traditional financial aspects of investments will continue to have an ever greater influence on company share prices.…

Returns for the Indian Equity Market vs Other Key markets in 2018 It was a year where benchmark indices representing Indian equity markets performed quite well relative to their emerging market and developed market peers. Three regions to fare particularly poorly in 2018 were China, Australia and Emerging Markets (which China dominates). Australian investors should…

December Monthly Update The end of the bull market or an opportunity to buy? For those investors that were hoping for a Christmas rally in equities, the gifts found under the tree this year were disappointing. In fact, in a month which is renowned for its positive performance, the US Dow Jones Index recorded its…

Take the long-term view: why have equity markets been weak? Shane Solly, Jan 7, 2019 Key points Equity markets have re-traced and become more volatile over the second half of 2018. Tighter monetary policy has sapped liquidity Lower liquidity has contributed to higher volatility Investors have become more bearish History reminds us that those investors who…

The year that was 2018 and a sneak peek at 2019 Bevan Graham, Managing Director and Chief Economist, AMP Capital New Zealand As the year draws to close it’s timely to reflect on the year that was and start to muse on the outlook for 2019. It was a tough year for diversified investors. That’s despite…

NZ Outlook 2019 While New Zealand markets have had a rather interesting and more volatile time, the main drivers of the economy remain sound. Interest rates are still historically low, with a 1.75% official cash rate that's been unchanged since November 2016.  Now too, with a number of other indicators coming off the boil, we…

Government and Central Bank Events in India There were two major events in India last week which should have led to increased stock market volatility. These were related to the sudden resignation of the Governor of Reserve Bank of India, and five State Assembly elections (approximately 15% of the voting public) which took place. However,…

Market Commentary Following the significant pull back in equity markets during October, the month of November saw somewhat calmer markets with generally positive returns in most sectors.  One exception from the major market sectors was commodities within which there was a 20% fall in the oil price during the month – however, the Nikko AM…

Harbour Investment Horizon - 10 Risks to Watch in 2019 December 17th 2018 When investing in an uncertain world, it is useful to distinguish between a core view of the most likely outcome for economies and markets, and the key risks that could challenge that assessment. In our most recent monthly Harbour Outlook we set out our…

Karl Geal-Otter, Investment Analyst - Pathfinder Asset Management November 27th 2018 Karl asks, what's your optimum weight? Indexing has become mainstream and an increasingly popular way to invest in capital markets. It’s cheap, tax efficient and gives you roughly the same return as the market. Most portfolios track an index that is weighted based on…

New Zealand Insights December 2018 December 2018 The New Zealand economy continues to perform well. This is despite slowing population growth and the seemingly entrenched pessimism emanating from the business community. Annual GDP growth is still solid by mature developed economy standards but has clearly shifted down a level. The theme of capacity constrained growth…