Monthly Macro with Jonathan Tolub and Hunt Economics: A deeper dive into the three scenarios the market is cycling through: Goldilocks, Recession and Entrenched Inflation
Equities turbulent but resilient as interest rates rise
August 2, 2024
Last week the S&P 500 traded in a 3% range, having done a 2% round trip on Thursday, followed by a 3% fall on Friday after the inflation data release and then another almost 2% round trip yesterday. Emerging markets were the worst performing, down 4% for the week. Taking a step back though, most equity markets haven’t given back that much of their gains from January, while Europe and the Nasdaq remain up 10% for the year.
Markets Up Despite Rising Bond Yields and Inflationary Data
August 2, 2024
Bond yields were up again last week but so were equity markets which was a nice change that lead to the first up week in the last four. In fact, while markets have been on the back foot recently, most commentators have been pleasantly surprised that they haven’t reacted too badly to an apparent wind shift in the gusty inflationary data.
SVB bankruptcy triggers swift response from the Fed
August 2, 2024
On Friday morning Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) had been the 16th largest US bank and a successful S&P 500 company, but by Saturday morning it was bankrupt after a sudden run on its deposit base had rendered it unviable.
Oh what a week! The Four Seasons hit might seem a bit upbeat for the occasion of a banking crisis, but the market has at least got its mojo back in the last few days.
Markets have calmed down a great deal in the last two weeks and more recently have mounted a bit of a recovery, with US tech and emerging markets leading the way.
Markets have mixed feelings about a slowing US economy
August 2, 2024
With many markets closed for a few days either side of the weekend and market liquidity very low, financial news has been mercifully subdued. There was mini-scare at the end of last week as a number of jobs-related reports came out which suggested that the overheating US economy might be slowing down.
London Metal Exchanges halts nickel trading as volatility threatens solvency
August 2, 2024
It was another volatile week for stock markets, and even more so for commodity, currency and bonds as investors struggled to digest the implications of expelling Russia from the global economy.
Fed raises rates for the first time in 2 years since Covid
August 2, 2024
For the second week in a row, markets looked through the current horrors of the Ukraine war and were up between 2% (Australia) and some 6% (for the S&P 500). That leaves European markets down slightly since the war started on 24th February, the US level pegging, and the resource rich Australian economy up almost 5%.
Markets were up again last week for the third week in a row which leaves the US, Japan, and Australia up over 5% and even Europe up a few percent since the invasion of Ukraine.
Another mostly positive week for shares left markets in positive territory for March despite, or perhaps even because of the war in Ukraine, with Australia, the best performing market up by almost 6%. This was mostly thanks to Energy stocks and in Australia’s case Iron Ore prices as well as the other commodities that we produce.
Markets start to believe central banks are genuine about tightening
August 2, 2024
The relative calm that markets had enjoyed during most of the Ukraine war broke last week, perhaps reminding us that financial conditions remain a key concern for markets in ways that are often less obvious than attention gapping geopolitical headlines.
We discuss Quantitative Tightening with our colleagues from Hunt Economics. With indicators continuing to show the risk of increasing inflation, central banks are looking at strategies to curb the inflation risk.
"What do I tell a client who wants to invest in Crypto?"
August 2, 2024
With 2021 bringing cryptocurrencies into the spotlight for both retail and institutional investors, is there a place for these currencies within client portfolio's?
Join InvestSense Director Jonathan Ramsay and Andrew Hunt of Hunt Economics as they discuss the markets ‘breadth’ problem and how strong liquidity should keep things afloat until February.
Finding value and maintaining confidence in a FOMO world
August 2, 2024
Join host Toby Potter of IMAP with Nick Kirrage of Schroders and Jonathan Ramsay of InvestSense as they discuss value as a style, and as a driver of conviction when investing.
Inflation in 2022 - Beware of cross currents in 2022
August 2, 2024
With inflation appearing to be on the way up again, what are some of the possible scenario’s for 2022? Where does inflation go from the zero bound we’ve reached?
We've got a bad case of FOMO, but it's not what you think
August 2, 2024
With valuation still being the lightening rod for when markets react to external forces, the most expensive things tend to move the most. What does this mean for global asset allocators, and what is InvestSense’s position?
Carbon credits and investing – is it the outcome we expect?
August 2, 2024
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.
Better World makes a difference with investment in renewables
August 2, 2024
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.
US momentarily dips into official bear market territory
August 2, 2024
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%.
How Mark Lewin saved 13 hours a week with Managed Accounts
August 2, 2024
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...