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%.
Market & Portfolio Update - January 2026
After strong gains in 2025, the global share market (represented by the MSCI World Gross Index) took a breather in January, returning 0.1% in NZ dollar terms. While the ‘Magnificent 7’ (the seven largest US-listed companies, including Google, Microsoft & Apple) have been large drivers behind the recent gains seen from the US share market, January told a different story. There appeared to be ‘catch-up’ trade where investors moved out of concentrated tech positions and into the rest of the market, with the Russell 2000 index (a widely regarded proxy for smaller US companies) having a strong month. This was generally seen as improving confidence in the broader US economy.
Interest Rate Averaging: A Smarter Way to Manage Mortgage Risk
When it comes to mortgages, most people focus on one thing, getting the lowest interest rate.
But the lowest rate today doesn’t always lead to the best outcome over time.
Interest Rate Averaging is a strategy designed to reduce risk, smooth cashflow, and create flexibility, rather than trying to perfectly time interest rates, which no one can do consistently.