The InvestSense Podcast

Last week, markets remained resilient despite several events that could have been expected to have a greater impact. Topics Covered: U.S Market Performance A solid start to the financial year in Australia  Asset class movements from the last week  Long-term economic and market themes to watch for the next decade Get access to the charts:  www.investsense.com.au/industry-articles/markets-steady-ami...

The past week saw global markets adjust expectations for the pace of interest rate cuts from major central banks, especially the Federal Reserve, following a much stronger than anticipated US jobs report on Friday. However, some of this repricing reversed early this week as disappointing fiscal stimulus measures from China and geopolitical tensions weighed on risk sentiment. T opics Covered: The "...

The final week of September saw markets grappling with geopolitical tensions, surprise elections and ongoing speculation about central bank rate cuts.  Topics Covered: China’s Stimulus Boost September’s Market Performance  Asset class movements from the last week  Long-term economic and market themes to watch for the next decade Get access to the charts:   www.investsense.com.au/industry-articles/...

In this week’s market sense check we cover what’s affecting the market in short-term, the mid-term and what may unravel in the long term. Topics Covered: Fed's Larger Rate Cut Sparks Uncertainty Global Markets and China’s Stimulus Package Australia’s Strong Jobs Report and RBA Stance Asset class movements from the last week  Long-term economic and market themes to watch for the next decade Get acc...

In this week’s market sense check we cover what’s affecting the market in short-term, the mid-term and what may unravel in the long term. Topics Covered: Fed Rate cut speculation heats up Market signals in response  The resilience of small companies  Get access to the charts: www.investsense.com.au/industry-articles/fed-debates-rate-cut-amid-mixed-economic-signals   J oin the InvestSense Community...

In this week’s market sense check we cover what’s affecting the market in short-term, the mid-term and what may unravel in the long term. Topics Covered: An overview of market performance in August Nasdaq’s sharp drop and tech sector concerns Weak U.S. job growth and its market implications Active manager underperformance and key factors driving it Long-term economic and market themes to watch for...

This past week saw a mix of economic data and corporate earnings that drove market sentiment. In brief: Mixed Results from Australia's August Earnings Season: While the banking sector showed strong performance despite some scepticism about valuations, mining and energy companies faced significant challenges. Meanwhile, consumer spending remained robust in some areas, but there were signs of cautio...

Financial Markets Grapple with Implications of Fed's Shift in SignalsLast week saw financial markets grapple with the implications of Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole symposium. In brief:   Federal Reserve Signals Rate Cuts: Fed Chair Jerome Powell stated "the time has come for policy to adjust," indicating the Fed is prepared to begin cutting interest rates. This dovish shift...

In brief:  Strong Global Equity Performance: Global equity markets posted their best performance in nine months, driven by hopes of rate cuts from the Federal Reserve and encouraging economic reports such as lower-than-expected inflation and strong retail sales. Fed Rate Cut Expectations: Recent economic data has caused investors to reconsider the likelihood of a 50bps cut at the Fed's next meetin...

The past week in markets was significantly calmer, with the S&P 500 reporting a 10.8% year-over-year earnings growth—its highest since Q4 2021—the focus now shifts to the Australian reporting season. In brief:  US Earnings Performance: The S&P 500's year-over-year earnings growth was driven by strong results in the Utilities and Information Technology sectors, highlighting corporate streng...

Several unexpected events during the first week of August led to big moves in the markets In brief: Surprise Interest Rate Rise: The Bank of Japan started raising rates in an unexpected move after keeping them very low for a long time Weak Jobs Report : An unexpected US jobs report on Friday triggered the ‘Sahm Rule’ rule, seen as an indicator of potential recession when the unemployment rate rise...

Last week saw markets treading cautiously as investors digested a flurry of earnings reports and economic data.  In Brief: Shift in Market Dynamics: The Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks rose nearly 3% last week, outperforming major indexes like the Nasdaq and S&P 500, which struggled to stay positive. This performance continues to fuel discussions about a potential rotation from mega-cap...

This past week has shown broad declines across major asset classes, challenging the optimism around peaking inflation and potential central bank easing.  In brief: U.S. Economic Indicators: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit record highs due to cooling inflation expectations and possible Federal Reserve rate cuts. However, following news that the Biden administration is considering tighter restriction...

In brief:  Falling US Inflation Sparks Hope:  Last week's US CPI report revealed a quicker than expected drop in inflation, raising hopes for potential early Federal Reserve rate cuts, leading to a significant drop in US bond yields. Global Political Developments Impact Markets: In France, Marine Le Pen's party did not secure a majority, easing concerns about a radical shift in politics, while the...

In brief:  Bond Market Fluctuations: Global bond yields initially surged, driven by rising U.S. debt concerns and political tensions in France. However, yields later declined following dovish comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who expressed comfort with ongoing disinflationary trends in the U.S., despite stronger-than-expected job opening data suggesting a still tight labour market. Central Ba...

Interest Rate Trends and Inflation Pressures: The financial year saw sharp rises in interest rates, particularly noticeable at the end of June 2024. Australia and Canada both reported unexpected increases in inflation, raising speculations about further rate hikes by central banks. Impact of U.S. Presidential Debate on Markets: The first debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden introduced politic...

The third week of June 2024 brought a mix of market movements, with tech stocks faltering in the US while Europe grappled with signs of economic slowdown. Despite these headwinds, global small caps showed resilience, and the UK and Japan emerged as top performers. Get access to the charts:   www.investsense.com.au/industry-articles/nvidias-volatile-week-divergent-global-performance    Join the Inv...

In brief: Global Market Trends: This past week, we observed a significant divergence in global markets. While the tech-heavy Nasdaq saw an increase of over 3%, European markets experienced declines amid political uncertainties following the French primary elections. This shift in market sentiment was influenced by election results which could lead to increased fiscal spending and potentially desta...

Last week in markets, we saw tech gains and conflicting economic signals leading to volatile conditions. We dive into what that means for interest rates, inflation and potential economic growth. In brief: Robust Tech Sector Performance: Led by giants like Nvidia and Apple, the technology sector has driven significant gains in the U.S. markets, with the Nasdaq hitting new highs and Nvidia’s market...

Key highlights: Mixed Australian Market Performance: The S&P/ASX 200 index saw a modest rebound after earlier losses, closing the week down by just 0.3%. This minor downturn is attributed to growing inflation concerns, dampening expectations for near-term interest rate cuts by the RBA. Australian Sector Performance: Specific sectors experienced varied impacts to the growing inflation concerns:...

Global financial markets experienced mixed performance last week, with equities posting gains in developed markets while emerging markets and defensive sectors lagged. The ongoing tug-of-war between resilient economic data and persistent inflation concerns continued to drive sentiment. Get access to the charts: https://www.investsense.com.au/industry-articles/nvidia-shines-amid-persistent-inflatio...

Key Highlights: Market Performance: After a slow start, the S&P/ASX 200 index climbed by 0.84%, closing at 7,814. This rise was buoyed by slowing wage growth in Australia and easing US inflation, which have heightened expectations of potential rate cuts. The 'Cost of Living' Budget: The federal budget introduced 'cost of living' measures, which, while aimed at boosting consumer spending, could...

Global markets continued their positive momentum last week, largely reversing the pullback experienced in April. Key Highlights: Market Performance: Europe emerged as the best performer, with the UK showing strong gains. Japan was a bit soft, while Australia saw the ASX 300 gain 1.8%. The US extended its rally, driven by strong earnings reports. Sector Performance: The real estate sector was a sta...