Investment news

Market Indicators – 31 July 2024

July was a significant month for markets, as the all-time highs we've seen throughout 2024 came to an end.

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Market update – quarter ended 30 June 24

Global share markets made modest gains in the June quarter, with the MSCI ACWI Index ‒ Net returning 1.0% in unhedged New Zealand dollar (NZD) terms.

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Market Indicators – 30 June 2024

In June, global equities continued to rise. This was due to strong corporate earnings and progress in controlling inflation.

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Market Indicators – 31 May 2024

In May, strong corporate earnings and positive economic data contributed to the rise of both equities and fixed income investments.

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Market Indicators – 30 April 2024

In April, the rally in equities came to an end. This was due to persistent inflation and a sharp slowdown in US GDP growth, which weighed heavily on market sentiment.

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Market Indicators – 31 March 2024

In March, investors who remained optimistic were rewarded as stock markets continued to rise despite an increase in US inflation for the second consecutive month and a slowdown in consumer spending.

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Market Indicators – 29 February 2024

February was a remarkable month, with strong economic data and positive earnings reports leading to the Standard and Poor’s 500 (a stock market index that tracks the performance of 500 large-cap U.S)

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Market Indicators – 31 January 2024

In 2024, the share market had a strong start, with equities (shares) continuing to rise in value. However, fixed income assets (such as bonds) struggled to keep up.

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Market update – Quarter ending 31 Dec

Global share markets made good gains in the December quarter, with the MSCI ACWI Index ? Net returning 5.4% in unhedged New Zealand dollar(NZD) terms.

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Market Indicators – 31 December 2023

In 2023, global stocks and bonds had a strong end to the year, with prices rising throughout the final month.

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Market Indicators – 30 November 2023

In November, both stocks and bonds had a strong recovery after a period of uncertainty. This was mainly due to the US Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged.

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Market Indicators – 31 October 2023

US interest rates are likely to remain higher for a longer period owing to stronger than predicted US GDP and employment growth.

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Market update – Quarter ending 30 Sept

Global share markets fell in the September quarter, with the MSCI ACWI Index ‒ Net returning -1.5% in unhedged New Zealand dollar (NZD) terms.

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Market Indicators – 30 September 2023

An investor labelled “September Effect” was possibly a cause for the negative share market performance during the month, as stock returns fell back further and bond yields rose once again.

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Market Indicators – 31 August 2023

As we’ve seen in the past, when China experiences economic turmoil, the rest of the world is likely to feel its effects.

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Market update – quarter ended 30 June 20

Global share markets made strong gains in the June quarter, with the MSCI ACWI Index ‒ Net returning 8.4% in unhedged New Zealand dollar (NZD) terms.

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Market Indicators – 31 July 2023

With the often discussed ‘soft-landing’ scenario becoming more of a possibility, investors may have found themselves in an unlikely bull market.

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Market Indicators – 30 June 2023

In June, global share markets showed strength with returns largely driven by players in ‘big tech’ alongside consumer discretionary, industrials and the materials sector.

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Market Indicators - 31 May 2023

Global share markets experienced a negative performance this month as investor sentiment was dampened by concerns over US debt ceiling negotiations.

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Market Indicators - 30 April 2023

Despite concerns about a possible recession, investor sentiment remained largely positive in April. Investors were initially spooked as minutes from the US Federal Reserve’s (‘Fed’) March meeting.

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Market Indicators – 31 March 2023

Global share markets were positive despite the turmoil that engulfed the banking industry.

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Market Indicators – 28 February 2023

Investor skepticism over intentions to fight inflation, led to a month of mostly declines in global share markets.

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Market update – quarter ended 31 Dec 22

Global share markets made good gains in local currency terms in the December quarter but fell in unhedged New Zealand dollar (NZD) terms, with the MSCI ACWI Index - Net returning -1.8%.

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Market Indicators – 31 January 2023

Global share markets started the New Year with a bang, showcasing a strong rally off the back of a weak December.

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Market Indicators – 31 December 2022

December saw global share markets retreat from advances made in November, continuing their recent ‘see-sawing’ pattern. Fears of a recession and earnings risks remained.

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Market Indicators – 30 November 2022

Global share markets continued to deliver positive returns in November, which was a result of better than expected Consumer Price Index (‘CPI’) readings in the US.

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Market Indicators – 31 October 2022

October was a positive month for investors, as we saw share markets recovering.

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Market update – quarter ended 30 Sep 22

Global share markets fell in local currency terms in the September quarter, but a weakening New Zealand dollar (NZD) meant that they rose in NZD terms, with the MSCI ACWI Index - Net returning 2.4%.

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Market Indicators – 30 September 2022

Global share markets continued their decline in September, with the S&P 500 index suffering its worst one-day sell-off since June 2020.

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Market Indicators – 31 August 2022

After a rebound in July, which continued into early August, global share markets saw a broad-based sell-off following US Federal Reserve (‘Fed’) Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks at the Jackson Hole.

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Market Indicators - 31 July 2022

Global share markets experienced a significant rebound in July, after the June lows.

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Market Indicators – 30 June 2022

Global share markets suffered another negative month as a slight rebound experienced at the end of May faded.

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Market update – year ended 31 March 2022

2021 was a year of post-lockdown recovery which led to strong growth in many economies.

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Market Indicators – 31 May 2022

Global share markets experienced another difficult month, as markets continued to digest a fast changing economic environment. With weaker than expected global activity in April.

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Market Indicators - 30 April 2022

Global equity markets had their most difficult month since March 2020 as the confluence of global central banks tightening monetary policy, economic growth momentum fading and a challenging corporate.

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Market Indicators - 31 March 2022

We saw ‘lift-off’ in March as the Federal Reserve (the Fed) raised the federal funds rate (the target rate that banks pay to borrow from each other on an overnight basis).

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Market Indicators - 28 February 2022

“There is no purgatory for war criminals - they go straight to hell”, Ukraine’s UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said to his Russian counterpart at a United Nations Security Council meeting.

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Market Indicators - 31 January 2022

The start of 2022 was a volatile month for equities. Inflation remained at multi decade highs as a competitive labour market and soaring oil prices sustained pressures.

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Market update – quarter ended 31 Dec 21

Global share markets were higher in the December quarter, driven largely by a series of encouraging US and European earnings updates.

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Market Indicators - December 2021

Financial markets finished the year and the month of December on a strong note despite being disrupted by COVID-19.

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Market Indicators - 30 Nov 2021

Financial markets ended the month of November on tumultuous footing as rising hospitalizations in Europe due to the Coronavirus alongside the new Omicron variant of the Coronavirus spurred

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Market Indicators - October 2021

Global equity markets rebounded in October after last month’s rout. Inflation, monetary policy tightening and supply chain woes continued to weigh on economic activity.

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Market update – quarter ended 30 Sept 21

Global equity markets ended the quarter flat while fixed income markets edged lower. Positive market momentum which dominated the first two months of the quarter reversed in September.

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Market Indicators - September 2021

September proved to be a difficult month for Global Equity markets as a slowing global economy, worsening supply chain and the potential Evergrande bankruptcy in China dented investor sentiment.

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Market Indicators - 31 August 2021

In August, the global reopening continued, with a number of countries further lifting pandemic restrictions. This is despite the Delta variant continuing to spread and daily cases picking up across

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Market Indicators - 31 July 2021

The global economic recovery remained strong in July as the Coronavirus vaccination roll-out continued. This was somewhat tempered by the spread of the Delta variant of the virus.

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Market Indicators - 30 June 2021

Global Equities finished the month in positive territory after what was one of the strongest starts to the year since the Dot Com bubble in 2000.

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Market update – quarter ended 30 June 21

For the quarter ended 30 June 2021

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Market Indicators - 31 May 2021

Global equities continued their upward trajectory in May as many developed economies continued to reopen, leveraging off surprisingly efficient vaccine rollouts.

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Market Indicators - 30 April 2021

After a positive March, global share markets continued to perform strongly in April with all major markets (with the exception of Japan) showing positive returns.

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Market Indicators - 31 March 2021

Global equities remained strong through March with the global vaccine rollout giving investors confidence in the year ahead, with the MSCI World Index returning 7.3% in unhedged NZD

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Investment market performance

Market update – quarter ended 31 December 2020

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Market Indicators - 28 Feb 2021

Global shares experienced a volatile February but finished broadly positive, as investors were encouraged by the idea of a stronger-than-expected economic recovery in the near future.

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Market Indicators - 31 Jan 2021

Global equities were broadly positive to start the year, but closed the month negative as a result of weakness towards the end of January.

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Market Indicators - 30 Dec 2020

Global share markets finished the last calendar month of 2020 on a positive note!

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Market Indicators - 30 Nov 2020

Global equities saw strong returns across the board in November as the outlook for a successful Covid-19 vaccine boosted expectations that the worst of the pandemic

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Market Indicators - 31 Oct 2020

Equity markets failed to find their footing following the turbulence of September, with most major indices experiencing outflows throughout October.

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Market Indicators - 30 Sep 2020

Equity markets lost ground in September, bucking their widespread positive trajectory off their pandemic-induced lows.

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Market Indicators - 31 Aug 2020

Equity markets pushed higher in August, supported by continued improvements in global manufacturing data and an indication of persistently dovish central bank policies.

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Market Indicators - 31 July 2020

Global equity markets continued their strong performance in July, with a better-than-expected earnings season in the US and continued fiscal support for households and businesses.

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Market Indicators - 30 June 2020

Global equity markets extended their remarkable quarterly gains throughout June, with the NASDAQ touching record highs as FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple,

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Market Indicators - 31 May 2020

Global equities climbed and government bond yields rose as the recovery in investment markets continued throughout May.

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Market Indicators - 30 April 2020

Despite the ongoing global pandemic, markets delivered sharply positive returns in April.

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Market volatility

Mercer are preparing a series of educational videos. This first video is on market volatility and covers how the share market cycles work.

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Coronavirus – Investment Update

Global markets recently experienced a sharp fall, reflecting fears over the coronavirus that has been quickly spreading around the world.

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Market Indicators - 29 Feb 2020

After touching new highs earlier in the year, global equities and other risk assets sold off sharply in February over concerns about the spread of coronavirus.

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Market Indicators - 31 Jan 2020

January proved to be an eventful month; after a strong start, culminating in the signing of the phase one deal between the US and China,

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Market Indicators - 31 Dec 2019

2019 was a bumper year for equity markets and December was no exception.

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Market Indicators - 30 Nov 2019

November was another positive month for developed equity markets, encouraged by reported progress on trade negotiations between the US and China.

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Market Indicators - 31 Oct 2019

October delivered another positive month for global markets, with global equities rising and bond yields inching higher.

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Market Indicators - 30 Sep 2019

Global markets were once again able to slip into a “goldilocks” phase of accommodative monetary policy and easing trade conflict over September

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Market Indicators - 31 Aug 2019

August was a month marked by volatility, with equity markets struggling as investor risk appetite retreated amid fears of a global recession.

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Market Indicators - 28 Feb 2019

February delivered more good news to investors with most asset classes posting positive returns for the second consecutive month.

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Market Indicators - 31 July 2019

July served up more positive returns for investors despite signs of increasing market strain and a weakening global economic outlook.

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Market Indicators - 30 June 2019

June was a good one for investors with all major asset classes delivering positive returns and equities recovering from the falls suffered in May.

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How to manage financial stress

May dished up a rocky month for investors, reminiscent of the equity correction seen in December last year.

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Market Indicators - 30 April 2019

April continued the positive start to 2019 for investors, with equity markets maintaining their positive momentum.

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Market Indicators - 31 march 2019

March brought more good news for investors, with most asset classes again posting positive returns.

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Market Indicators - 31 Jan 2019

Global markets rebounded in January with all developed markets posting positive returns.

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