Markets capped a very strong month with a strong week and for an apparent kaleidoscope of reasons including not as dismal as expected earnings, anecdotal evidence of slowing inflationary pressures in the US and even some economic resilience in recession bound and energy starved Europe.

US markets snapped a month-long winning streak and fell back by three percent while UK, European and Asian markets were up strongly.

Early last week it looked like an imploding crypto exchange might be the next leveraged player that the Fed hiking cycle had broken but by the end of the week early signs of a peak in inflation had sent markets rocketing higher.

Most markets were soft but stable last week while US markets were down a more significant 3%, led by the large US tech stocks.

Uncertainty stalked markets last week amidst a raft of rate hikes, but the focus on inflation shifted from the US – where the news was ostensibly quite good – towards Europe, where inflation pressures continue unabated.

During the last few weeks, the prospect of rising interest rate expectations continued to grip markets, as the soft landing/rapid disinflation thesis was tested.

Last week Andrew visited the InvestSense offices and shared his observations and findings from his visit to the United States, specifically New York.

Nathan Fradley explains how the ethosesg technology can help you assess and design an ethical portfolio that aligns to an investor’s personal values.

ETFs that invest in carbon credits are now available. Why should we assume that their price will go up over time? And does buying a carbon credit ETF actually contribute positively to emissions reduction? Will it actually generate the outcome investors are expecting? This article explores the issues around investing in carbon credits.

There are many direct assets and funds that contribute positively to climate action within the InvestSense Better World Portfolios. Meridian Energy is one of the stand-out direct assets in the portfolio with a climate energy focus.

In recent years professional investors have got increasingly used to the fact that good news is bad news for markets because higher interest rates are likely to be necessary, and of course vice-versa. However, last week the effect was stronger than ever and stocks rallied mid-week amidst reports of widespread lay-offs and expectations of a weak US jobs report.

The US market finally market caught a bid last week. Early in the week the market was down few percent after an earnings miss by ad dependent social media platform Snap (of Snapchat fame) combined with weak guidance raised more doubts about the economy and economic resilience of tech companies.

The seventh negative week in a row for the US sent it briefly into official bear market territory before it recovered slightly late on Friday. The world’s largest stocks (Apple, Microsoft Amazon and Google) are all down 25%.

Mark Lewin was a financial planner, but is now the Director of Back Office Heros. In his planning business he gained significant efficiencies by recommending and implementing managed accounts for his clients. He tells us how...