Watch our Investment Update - April 2024 (video)
Watch our latest Investment Update video to hear our Portfolio Manager, Ayrton Oliver, give us an update on the fixed income fund, macroeconomic data and the impact on the markets and if New Zealand is following the trends they see in the US and Australia.
Some of the key takeouts from the video include:
- Global markets are closely watching macro-economic data. Inflation was high and growth was low in April, making markets fear that interest rates will remain high and raised the risk of stagflation (low growth and high inflation).
- The US saw higher inflation that lowered the chances of Federal Reserve rate reductions this year and Economic growth (GDP) was slower than expected. This led to drops in bond and equity markets. But later, employment data was weaker and the Federal reserve seemed less worried about inflation, reversing some of the losses.
- In Australia, inflation exceeded expectations, leading interest rate markets to rule out rate cuts this year and anticipate potential rate increases. New Zealand inflation was largely in line with forecasts, but some domestic prices pressures raised worries. Unemployment went up and economic sentiment worsened.
- Some important events to watch out for are US inflation data, Australian employment and the RBNZ meeting.