Fund Manager News

A strong Friday rally in international stocks saw some indices climb out of negative territory to close the week higher. In the US, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the week up around 1.5%, while European stocks also posted solid gains despite some concerns around the worsening COVID-19 situation. Down under, New…

Residential property investors are desperate to know the market impact of the recently announced tax changes. Many see only a small dent in investor enthusiasm, others regard this as a game changer. The impact will be felt not just in residential property but also other asset classes like shares and commercial property. New Zealanders have…

A SNAPSHOT OF THE KEY FACTORS DRIVING THE PERFORMANCE OF MARKETS AND YOUR FUNDS LAST MONTH All Fund returns below are after fees & before tax New Zealand Growth Fund The New Zealand Growth Fund returned 4.6% in March.  Corporate travel software provider Serko (+22.0%) provided two positive updates. Firstly, booking volumes are reaching their highest rate since…

The last year was one of sudden, dramatic market upsets. But market volatility – sudden upswings and downswings – is more common than we may think, and a fact of life for investors. The key to surviving volatility is sticking to your investment plan and seeking advice when needed. We have just passed the one-year…

Report written by India Avenue Investment Management Australia Pty. Ltd. Our Grassroots publication (half-yearly in frequency) focuses on providing readers with the necessary insights when contemplating, assessing or understanding an investment into India’s fast-growing economy. Whilst many investors are aware of the high GDP growth, driven by the strong fundamentals of a youthful, aspirational, and…

Commentary from George Carter, Managing Director, Nikko AM The most talked about aspect of financial markets in February was the sharp rise in bond yields. In an almost mirror image reversal of the collapse in yields last March, during February we saw them surge upwards – for example the US Treasury 10yr yield rose from around 1.1% to…

Inflation erodes the value of cash through time. Investors need to think about how to offset the impact inflation has on their wealth when planning for retirement. Investing in growth assets like managed funds and property can provide long-term inflation protection. One of the members of our investment team fondly recalls a time when he…

Since the 1980s, inflation has been on a downward path from the mid-teen levels seen in the US during the '70s and New Zealand in the '80s. In the wake of the pandemic, with economies in the first innings of opening back up to business, there are growing fears that the inflation trend is about…

On a special, blog-only edition of Market Week in Review, Chief Investment Strategist Erik Ristuben and Head of Portfolio & Business Consulting Sophie Antal Gilbert discussed the recent high-level talks between U.S. and Chinese diplomats and the potential impact on markets. They also recapped the Fed’s announcement from its latest policy meeting and provided an…

The New Zealand economy shrank at the end of last year as the construction sector struggled to find the resources to continue to expand, while retail trade and accommodation activity dropped due to a lack of tourists. New Zealand is in a better position than many other economies, but there is still a gap between…

Lockdown restrictions imposed by governments in response to COVID-19 has had a significant on the hospitality industry which has flow on effects to the alcoholic beverage industry. On-premise (restaurants, bars, etc.) sales in 2020 reduced as consumers were forced into accepting new routines. Diageo’s revenue fell by -23.61% from 30 June 2019 to 30 June…

The Harbour Investment Outlook summarises recent market developments, what we are monitoring closely and our key views on the outlook for fixed interest, credit and equity markets. Both nominal and real bond yields increased sharply over the month. This saw interest rate sensitive stocks, such as the gentailers in New Zealand and long duration growth…