Market & Portfolio Update - March 2021
For The Financial Year Ended 31 March 2021
The March market update reflects a theme of ongoing strength in global sharemarkets, but weakness in assets whose value is mainly driven by changes in long-term interest rates. Overall returns for the year ended March have been very strong, despite some recent drag on portfolios with high allocations to fixed interest securities (bonds). These have seen some weakness as long-term interest rates have risen, and a little softness in NZ shares lately.
The first quarter also saw the anniversary of the fastest market correction ever seen - during February and March 2020. The subsequent 12-month returns for many asset classes reflect the sharp recovery from those lows, providing a vivid reminder of the merits for a disciplined long-term investment approach.
Central banks and governments are committed to continuing their support for the global economic recovery for some time, thereby keeping short-term interest rates very low and fiscal policies expansionary. This provides investors with both unprecedented challenges and opportunities, “the risk is to search for yield in all the wrong places”. Financial research company DALBAR, has attempted to quantify the effects of poor behavior on investors’ long-term returns. According to their 2016 study, the average individual investor underperformed the broad share market by 2.89% over the past 20 years. The lesson of course is to work with an Adviser who understands your goals and can keep you on track.
Market & Portfolio Update - May 2022
Volatility in global share markets continued in May as investors focused on inflation and rising interest rates. Despite the volatility, global share markets rebounded to end the month flat, with the energy sector leading the way (up 13.5%). The energy sector includes oil producers which benefitted from oil prices rising to $123/barrel. The European Union agreed to a partial ban on Russian oil. The ban is expected to cover 90% of Europe’s Russian oil imports by the end of this year.
9 Financial Habits Of Successful People
1. They keep learning
Once they’ve identified areas in which they want to gain wealth, they start educating themselves in those fields.
Invest in your self-knowledge by reading the relevant books, following the right bloggers and spokespeople, and keeping up to date with policy changes in the news. A lot of websites in New Zealand even send daily or weekly updates to your mailbox. There are tons of resources out there (although it’s important to first check their credibility) that will help educate your financial decisions.