Market & Portfolio Update - September 2021
Global share markets experienced some volatility during the month, falling modestly for the first time since January. This was in part due to expectations of rising global interest rates over the coming months. It is worth keeping the month’s performance in context, with global share markets returning almost 15% so far this year.
Global bonds are down modestly for the month (as bond yields rose) after the US Federal Reserve indicated they are getting closer to withdrawing stimulus. In this respect, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is ahead of the rest of the world, having ended its quantitative easing program months ago and has since raised the Official Cash Rate in October.
The NZ share market ended the month up 0.6% - better than most other developed markets. Performance of the listed travel-related companies was particularly strong, with Kathmandu up 17%, Auckland International Airport up 8.5% and Air New Zealand up 8%.
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.
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.