Market & Portfolio Update – August 2019
Market & Portfolio Update – August 2019
After good gains so far this year, diversified portfolios produced a relatively flat return for August, but looking below the surface there was a bit more going on. Global share markets had a choppy month, finishing around 2% lower in August. However, the recent volatility was offset by a 5% fall in the NZ dollar, which lifted the value of overseas investments.
Fixed interest and listed property investments also performed well as interest rates fell around the world. Property companies, particularly in New Zealand, have been among the top performers over the past year. They are in somewhat of a sweet-spot with interest rates falling while economic growth remaining solid.
Combining all this together is a great illustration of the benefit in holding a diversified mix of investments. Most multi-sector portfolio posted positive returns for the month, with the more defensive portfolios leading the way having a larger portion of the overall portfolio in fixed interest holdings.
Disclaimer: This article has been prepared for the purpose of providing general information, without taking into consideration any particular investor’s objectives, financial situation or needs. Any opinions contained in it are held as at the report date and are subject to change without notice.
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 KiwiSaver Gender Divide – Why are women saving less and what can be done to combat this?
Recent data shows that, on average, women have 20% less in their KiwiSavers than men. The gap being at its largest between men and women in their 40s and 50s. There are a few factors that come into play causing this divide and although it will take years to achieve equality, there are ways in which we can be proactive to help close the gap. As of August 2021, the gender pay gap is at 9.1% in New Zealand, a decrease of about 0.4% from 2020’s stats.