Market Update: Initial Investor Vote of Confidence Dissipates in Wake of Budget
Investor sentiment turns sour Investors’ initial vote on the government’s Budget was positive with the rand firming and bond yields declining. But sentiment soon turned negative once the details and ramifications of National Treasury’s decisions were fully digested. Initially the rand strengthened to R18.825 against the dollar, gaining almost half a percent on the perception […]
Market Update: US and SA Markets Diverge on Differing Investor Sentiment
A tale of two economies US stock markets continued to gain momentum as January progressed, reaching successive new record highs in the second half of the month as investor confidence in the central bank’s ability to engineer a soft economic landing and reduce interest rates increased. That contrasted with South Africa, where the Reserve Bank’s […]
Market Update: What Lies Ahead for 2024?
2023 will be defined as the year where predominantly negative global economic expectations never materialised and most stock market analysts and economist forecasters were proved wrong. All eyes were on the impact the steep rise in interest rates would have on the global economy, with recession seen as an inevitable outcome. With equity markets already […]
Stock Markets Break Three-Month Losing Streak
November was a bumper month for financial markets as equity market increases gained momentum into month end, resulting in the most significant stock market gains in over a year. Added to that, US government bonds – a temperature gauge for what investors expect from central banks – gained ground on more optimistic interest rate expectations. […]
Market Update: The Effects of War, Higher Interest Rates and China on Equities
South Africa’s benchmark stock market index, the JSE All Share Index, fell 2.7% in October, leaving it 4.2% lower for the year to date. That contrasts with developed market stock exchanges, which had a negative month but remained positive for the year to date. The US technology index, the Nasdaq, eased 0.6% during October, while […]
The Stock Market Indices to Watch When Monitoring Equity Performance
As old as the hills Since 1602, investors have been winning and losing their fortunes on the stock market – and today is no different, with many investors betting it all on the latest, greatest thing. In 2000, it was the dot.com bubble when tech shares reached stratospheric highs and fell off a cliff the […]
