Market & Portfolio Update - April 2022

9 May 2022 by Lifetime in Market Update

Market & Portfolio Update - April 2022

Global share markets continued their choppy start to 2022 during April. For New Zealand-based investors, a fall in the NZ dollar played an important role in helping offset the volatility global share markets experienced. The NZ dollar fell against most major currencies supporting the returns of unhedged overseas assets (assets that are free to move with exchange rates). As a result, ‘unhedged’ overseas investments fell by only 1.8% for NZ based investors.

The latest data shows New Zealand’s annual inflation rate reached 6.9% in March – up from 5.9% in December. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand responded by raising the Official Cash Rate 0.5%. The OCR now sits at 1.5%, and is expected to continue to rise. However, it's important to note that market expectations have already adjusted so that a rise to 3.5% by the end of the year is already baked into asset prices. This means the actual impact from here of future increases at this rate should reflect their not being a ’surprise’ for investment markets.

preview image - Staying Cyber Smart

Staying Cyber Smart

At Lifetime, looking after your financial wellbeing includes helping you stay safe online. Lately, we’ve seen an increase in online scam attempts across the financial sector here in New Zealand, so we thought this was a good time to share a few friendly reminders on how you can stay protected.

30 April 2025 by Tim Bakkenes
preview image - Lifetime Book Club: The Behaviour Gap by Carl Richards

Lifetime Book Club: The Behaviour Gap by Carl Richards

Welcome back to the Lifetime Book Club, this month, we’re taking a closer look at the emotional side of investing with The Behaviour Gap by Carl Richards. It’s a smart, simple, and refreshingly honest book about the biggest threat to your financial success - you.

30 April 2025 by Lifetime